Howard Riley
Shaped
Mosaic Records (UK) 1977
GCM 781 (LP) Single-sided coated sleeve.
sleeve : VG+(SOC, dirts)
media : EX-/EX-(some light noise.)
Released in 1977, this album is by British pianist Howard Riley, known for his masterpiece "Discussions," recorded in 1968 with Barry Guy (b) and Jon Hiseman (ds). This is a solo piano work featuring improvisations developed from four very short ideas, followed by a continuous flow of concepts. It opens with an introduction reminiscent of a quiet, cloudy sea, incorporating prepared piano techniques, and then fragmented motifs are reconfigured with varying angles, sound densities, and spacing. Here, you can hear Riley's true essence, a performance that fuses contemporary classical techniques with jazz improvisation.