“Only posterity will show whether Howard Riley is a European Cecil Taylor, an avant-garde John Lewis, a jazz Stockhausen or the Howard Riley” reported Martin Davidson after hearing the pianist at the Purcell Room with Barry Guy and Paul Lytton in 1972, and it’s with sadness that Riley’s death was announced on 8 February, at the age of 81.
Born in Huddersfield and encouraged by a semi-professional dance-band pianist father, as a teenager Riley became immersed in the music of Monk and Ellington. He led a trio at local club Le Grenier Blanc (founded by Joan Morrell above a builders’ merchant) and played with saxophonist Mike Oddy at Dyers’ Club, before going to Bangor University in 1961, where he studied composition under Bernard Rands. During this time he made visits to Birmingham to play with the quartet of Evan Parker, who was at university there.
After a year in the US, studying with George Russell associate David Baker at Indiana, he returned to Britain and soon gravitated to London, and the famous Little Theatre Club, a haven for like-minded musicians. His first recording, in 1967, was Discussions, a trio album with Barry Guy and Jon Hiseman, on Chris Wellard’s Opportunity label, which gave the producer “more pleasure than I can express”. It was for many years highly sought after but reissued on Jazzprint CD in 2007. At this time his trio recorded for the BBC Jazz Club, and Jazz Journal reviewed the resultant RandB records release.
He briefly signed for CBS, recording Angle and The Day Will Come, his style quickly evolving. When he started his association with drummer Tony Oxley the freer elements in his playing developed even further. He soon established himself in the company of Parker, Guy, Trevor Watts, Paul Rutherford, John Stevens and others, with whom he forged deep understanding and musical relationships. He also started teaching at the Guildhall School of Music and at Goldsmiths College, just around the corner from Wellard’s Jazz & Blues shop, where he would visit and join the staff (and Rutherford) for an after-work drink in the New Cross House.
A founder member of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, set up by Barry Guy, he played and recorded extensively, moving far from his early American-based influences although not, perhaps, from their inspiration. There was often a melodic fragment to hang his improvisation on and from time to time he’d be found with more mainstream-modern players such as Elton Dean and Art Themen. In 1993 he recorded Beyond Category for Wondrous Music, later issued with extra material as The Monk And Ellington Sessions (33 Records). But it’s his experimental work that he’ll be remembered for, whether solo or with others such as Lol Coxhill, Jaki Byard, Larry Stabbins, Mark Sanders, Phil Wachsmann and Keith Tippett.
Over 10 years ago he started to develop signs of Parkinson’s disease and his live appearances grew fewer, the disease taking its toll. His final appearance was at the Vortex in 2017, to celebrate Barry Guy’s 70th birthday. As for Davidson’s observations, posterity will remember Riley as a gifted and imaginative musician, highly respected by his peers, as well as a likeable and friendly man, generous with his time. Our thoughts go out to his partner Annie Garrett and his family.
Howard Riley, pianist and composer, 16 February 1943 – 8 February 2025
