SLAMCD2100 Howard Riley & Jaki Byard – R & B

This live duo recording of legendary American pianist Jaki Byard and his celebrated UK counterpart, Howard Riley from 1985, was released for the first time by SLAM in 2015. The programme is an eclectic mix of jazz standards, ballads and improvised music.

In 1984 Howard Riley played a concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall with Jaki Byard, the live recording was released on vinyl by Leo Records and later on CD by SLAM.

The following year Jaki Byard returned to UK and the duo was re-united at Pendley Manor Jazz Festival; this much anticipated return was also recorded.

Jaki Byard: piano, alto saxophone
Howard Riley: piano

Jaki Byard plays both piano and alto saxophone on Lady Bird.

“As Howard Riley comments, Byard captures “the whole stylistic development of jazz…especially, stride piano” – like Monk, he made that early jazz style an ingredient of his modernist approach. What’s surprising is how Riley matches him in this approach – it’s jazziest playing I’ve heard by someone known as an avant-gardist…there’s a restrained interpretation of Round Midnight, some engaging free improvisations and insightful accounts of Straight No Chaser and Body and Soul. Byard doubles on alto on a pretty version of Tadd Dameron’s Lady Bird.” – Andy Hamilton, Jazz Journal

“It is as if there was one player with four hands. The two are clearly in sync with each other and work off each other perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this CD. The music flows seamlessly, from one tune to the next. The selections work well together – almost like a suite…Some really great piano playing. Highly recommended.” – Bernie Koenig, Cadence

“The pianos are in tune but don’t sound lovely, and Byard turns that to advantage with punchy, percussive accents in otherwise lyrical passages. One of them even slaps out piledriver accents on the body of the piano during the improvised “Open”…Piano duos can be disastrous (Cecil Taylor and Mary Lou Williams) or they can be great (Tracey and Tippett, Riley and Tippett, this one) but there are few with this level of scholarly interaction. Quotes and nudging cues come thick and fast, but every track has a clear and unrelenting process and direction, and a shared understanding of Monk as composer (a superfast “Straight, No Chaser”) confirms the guild fraternalism.” – Brian Morton, The Wire

“Riley seems to have zoned into the Byard style(s) and the two have wonderful fun on improvs and standards…Byard was a distinctive alto player and while here it is not his best example, I think it is an indication of how good he felt the circumstances were. Here then is the Byard I love.” – Robert D. Rusch, Papatamus

“The two switch between original and jazz standards with wondrous results. A wonderfully romantic opening to “Body and Soul” slowly undulates to an unbridled feast of passion, while “Straight, No Chaser” and “Round Midnight/Space” keep the root of Monk’s sphere of influence, but with a mix of rhapsody and experimental embellishments. The two mix ragtime and jagged time on their own “Open” and Byard even whips out his alto sax for a bopping read of “Lady Bird.” Who was hiding this gig from us for so long?” – George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

“Fabulous duo…a rare meeting of two masters, an American legend one of the UK’s finest pianists…Here they cover mostly standards like “Round Midnight”, “Straight No Chaser”, “Lady Bird” and “Body and Soul” as well as a couple of duo improvisations. Stunning!” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

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