John Horler is a highly respected pianist and composer who has earned a formidable reputation on the British jazz scene over half a century. Probably best known for his collaboration with Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine for over 20 years, he has also worked with many well know American jazz icons, including Chet Baker Bob Brookmeyer and Clark Terry. A graduate of The Royal Academy Of Music aged 16 (later being made an ARAM for services to music) John became an avid disciple of the late Bill Evans and also absorbed the music of the European composers Debussy, Ravel and even Brahms which he welded into his own very special jazz language. This intimate solo album, full of melodic invention and sophisticated harmony, features five free pieces, where a figure is played spontaneously and developed randomly, without any preconceived idea of where it might lead. Other tracks include My Ship by Kurt Weil, inspired by the Miles Davies Gil Evans recording, What Kind of Fool Am I played in tribute to composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and Beija Flor by Nelson Cavaquinho and an improvisation on Bach's Prelude in e flat minor. There is just one of Horler's own compositions a melancholy tune in A major, called "Piece for Poppy" Dave Gelly described John's playing best when he wrote "Horler has a delightful habit of lulling you into a sense of false security with sweet, simple phrases and warm chords, before suddenly heading off into the harmonic undergrowth. Little scraps of melody, which at first seem quite random, gradually come together into a fascinating pattern." Andrew Cleyndert's recording of the piano is superb and has contributed in no small measure to a really excellent CD.
