John Howard Riley (born 16 February 1943) is an English pianist and composer, who worked in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

experimental music Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...

idioms. Riley was born in

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, England. He began learning the piano at the age of six, and began playing jazz as early as the age of 13. He studied at the

University of Wales The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff � ...

(1961–66),

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

in America under David Baker (1966–67), and then at

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

(1967–70). Alongside his studies he played jazz professionally, with

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

(1966) and then with his own trio (1967–76), with

Barry Guy Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London) is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of orchestras ...

on bass and Alan Jackson,

Jon Hiseman Philip John Albert "Jon" Hiseman (21 June 1944 – 12 June 2018) was an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer, and music publisher. He played with the Graham Bond Organisation, with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and later for ...

, and

Tony Oxley Tony Oxley (born 15 June 1938) is an English free improvising drummer and one of the founders of Incus Records. Biography Oxley was born in Sheffield, England. A self-taught pianist by the age of eight, he first began playing the drums at se ...

for periods on drums. Additionally he worked with

John McLaughlin John or Jon McLaughlin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John McLaughlin (musician) (born 1942), English jazz fusion guitarist, member of Mahavishnu Orchestra * Jon McLaughlin (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter * John McLaug ...

(1968), the London Jazz Composers Orchestra (1970-1980s), and with Oxley's ensemble (1972–81). He and Guy worked in a trio with

Phil Wachsmann Philipp John Paul Wachsmann (born 5 August 1944) is an African avant-garde jazz/ jazz fusion violinist born in Kampala, Uganda, probably better known for having founded his own group Chamberpot. He has worked with many musicians in the free jazz i ...

from 1976 well into the 1980s, and played solo piano throughout North America and Europe. From 1978 to 1981, he played in a quartet with Guy,

Trevor Watts Trevor Charles Watts (born 26 February 1939) is an English jazz and free-improvising alto and soprano saxophonist. Biography Watts was born in York, England. He is largely self-taught, having taken up the cornet at age 12 then switched to s ...

, and John Stevens; in the early 1980s he did duo work with

Keith Tippett Keith Graham Tippetts (25 August 1947 – 14 June 2020), known professionally as Keith Tippett, was a British jazz pianist and composer. According to AllMusic, Tippett's career "..spanned jazz-rock, progressive rock, improvised and contemporary ...

, with

Jaki Byard John Arthur "Jaki" Byard (; June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for hi ...

, and with

Elton Dean Elton Dean (28 October 1945 – 8 February 2006) was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello (a variant of the soprano saxophone) and occasionally keyboards. Part of the Canterbury scene, he featured in, among oth ...

. From 1985 he worked in a trio with

Jeff Clyne Jeffrey Ovid Clyne (29 January 1937 – 16 November 2009) was a British jazz bassist (playing both bass guitar and double bass). He worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in their group the Jazz Couriers for a year from 1958, and was part ...

and

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 198 ...

. Riley has taught at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

and

Goldsmiths, University of London Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wor ...

, where he has taught since the 1970s.

Discography

* 1968 ''Discussions'' (Opportunity) * 1969 ''

Angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two Ray (geometry), rays, called the ''Side (plane geometry), sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex (geometry), vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two ...

'' (CBS) * 1970 ''

The Day Will Come ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (CBS) * 1971 ''Flight'' (Turtle) * 1974 ''Synopsis'' (

Incus The ''incus'' (plural incudes) or anvil is a bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The ''incus'' receives vibrations from the ''malleus'', to which it is connected laterally, and transmit ...

) * 1977 ''Shaped (Music for Solo Piano)'' (Mosaic) * 1977 ''Intertwine (Music for Two Pianos)'' (Mosaic) * 1978 ''The Toronto Concert'' (Vinyl Records) * 1979 ''The Other Side'' ( Spotlite) * 1982 ''Duality'' (View) * 1984 ''For Four on Two Two'' (Affinity) * 1985 ''In Focus'' with

(Affinity) * 1987 '' Live at the Royal Festival Hall'' with

( Leo) * 1990 ''Procession'' (Wondrous Music) * 1993 ''Beyond Category'' (Wondrous) * 1993 ''The Heat of Moments'' (Wondrous) * 1994 ''The Bern Concert'' with Keith Tippett ( FMR) * 1995 ''Wishing on the Moon'' with Castronari, Marsh (FMR) * 1997 ''Inner Minor'' (ASC) * 1998 ''Making Notes'' (Slam) * 1999 ''Short Stories'' * 1999 ''One to One'' with

(Slam) * 2001 ''First Encounter'' with Keith Tippett (Jazzprint; recorded 1981) * 2001 ''Singleness'' (Jazzprint; recorded 1974) * 2001 ''Trisect'' (Jazzprint) * 2001 ''Air Play'' (Slam) * 2001 ''Overground'' (Emanem; recorded 1974–1975) * 2002 ''Organic'' with

, John Stevens (Jazzprint) * 2002 ''Four in the Afternoon'' with

Larry Stabbins Larry Stabbins (born 9 September 1949 in Bristol) is a British jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer. Biography Larry Stabbins learned clarinet at school from the age of eight, when his musical idol was Acker Bilk. He started playing saxophone a ...

, Mark Sanders, Tony Wren ( Emanem) * 2003 ''Another Part of the Story'' with Keith Tippett,

John Tilbury John Tilbury (born 1 February 1936) is a British pianist. He is considered one of the foremost interpreters of Morton Feldman's music, and since 1980 has been a member of the free improvisation group AMM. Early life and education Tilbury s ...

(Emanem) * 2003 ''Duology'' with

Lol Coxhill George Lowen Coxhill (19 September 1932 – 10 July 2012) known professionally as Lol Coxhill, was an English free improvising saxophonist. He played soprano and sopranino saxophone. Biography Coxhill was born to George Compton Coxhill ...

(Slam) * 2004 ''Pianoforte'' with Keith Tippett, Grew, Thomas (Slam) * 2005 ''At Lincoln Cathedral'' (Heliopause) * 2005 ''Consequences'' (33 Jazz) * 2006 ''Four at St. Cyprians'' with Larry Stabbins, Mark Sanders, Tony Wren (FMR) * 2006 ''Short Stories (Volume Two)'' (Slam) * 2006 ''Two Is One'' (Emanem) * 2009 ''The Monk & Ellington Sessions'' (33 Jazz) * 2009 ''Three Is On''e (ASC) * 2010 ''Solo in Vilnius'' (NoBusiness) * 2012 ''St. Cyprians 2'' with Larry Stabbins, Mark Sanders, Tony Wren (FMR) * 2012 ''St. Cyprians 3'' with

Philipp Wachsmann Philipp John Paul Wachsmann (born 5 August 1944) is an African avant-garde jazz/jazz fusion violinist born in Kampala, Uganda, probably better known for having founded his own group Chamberpot. He has worked with many musicians in the free jazz id ...

, Tony Wren (FMR) * 2013 ''Live with Repertoire'' (NoBusiness) * 2014 ''To Be Continued'' (Slam) * 2015 ''10.11.12'' (NoBusiness) * 2015 ''R&B'' with Jaki Byard (Slam) * 2018 ''Live in the USA'' (NoBusiness) * 2018 ''Listen to Hear'' (Slam)

As sideman

With

/The London Jazz Composers' Orchestra * 1972 ''

Ode An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...

'' (Incus) * 1989 ''

Harmos ''Harmos'' is an album by Barry Guy and the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra that features a recording of a large-scale, 44-minute composition by Guy. It was recorded in April 1989, just before the LJCO's 20th anniversary, in Zürich, Switzerland, ...

'' (Intakt) * 1990 '' Double Trouble'' (Intakt)

References

Other sources

*Ed Hazell, "Howard Riley". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Howard Academics of Goldsmiths, University of London Academics of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Alumni of the University of Wales Alumni of the University of York British jazz pianists Indiana University alumni Musicians from Huddersfield Emanem Records artists 1943 births Living people 21st-century pianists Incus Records artists FMR Records artists NoBusiness Records artists