John Law (musician)
Encyclopedia
John Law is a British jazz pianist and composer
born in London, to British and Austrian parents. He started classical piano at the age of four, playing in public at the age of six. With early encouragement from the Austrian concert pianist Alfred Brendel
he was awarded a scholarship to study piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music
where he studied from 1979–1983, winning prizes for piano playing. After being awarded an Austrian government scholarship to study with the Viennese pianist Paul Badura-Skoda
he studied for a year in Vienna at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Wien. It was in Vienna that he first came across jazz
and decided to pursue a career in this field, hoping to combine his love of the piano and performing with his interest in composition.
After some initial studies with Simon Purcell his early interest lay in freely improvised music. He performed with Evan Parker
, Louis Moholo
and Barry Guy
, among others. In 1990 he began a long-term musical relationship with the saxophonist and composer Jon Lloyd, recording with Lloyd's quartet his first CD, Syzygy, for the Leo Records label. Later John Law was to turn back to an exploration of his classical roots with a four-CD solo piano set entitled Chants, which was a series of compositions/improvisations based on early music
and plainchant. Later still John turned towards a more recognisably contemporary jazz area, working with Tim Garland
, Tim Wells, Dave Wickins, Steve Watts, Martin Speake, Paul Clarvis
, Julian Siegel
, Julian Nicholas and others, though his work has continued to include references to classical music, freely improvised music and the avant garde.
Since 2005 John Law has been most widely known for his project The Art of Sound. Playing almost exclusively John's original, sometimes complex, sometimes extremely melodic, compositions, the trio, with Asaf Sirkis on drums and Sam Burgess on bass, recorded two highly successful albums: The Art of Sound, Volume 1 and Congregation, The Art of Sound Volume 4. Later John worked with other bass players, including Yuri Goloubev, Calum Gourlay and Tom Farmer. Known for incorporating subtle effects into the piano and bass sound and for the addition to the drum kit of glockenspiel
, hang and other sounds, the trio became known as much for the wide palette of sound colours, within a conventional jazz piano trio, as for the instrumental virtuosity of the individual players and the intricate, intense atmosphere of John's compositions.
The name of the trio, as well as the series of four CDs, was taken from the name of the Italian studio where the recordings were all made: Artesuono in Udine
, Italy.
John Law also performs solo piano concerts. Volumes 2 and 3 in the Art of Sound series were both solo piano albums. He also occasionally performs in a two piano project with the UK pianist Jason Rebello
.
In 2001 John Law's recording "Abacus", featuring the American drummer Gerry Hemingway
was awarded a prize, a Choc, as one of the best CD's of the year, by the French jazz magazine Jazzman. In 2005 Law was awarded a distinction at classical piano diploma level, gaining dipABRSM.
John has also composed for, toured and recorded a large suite for large ensemble, Out of the Darkness, with Andy Sheppard
and members of the London Sinfonietta
.
He has performed at over 50 festivals worldwide and made over 25 recordings.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
born in London, to British and Austrian parents. He started classical piano at the age of four, playing in public at the age of six. With early encouragement from the Austrian concert pianist Alfred Brendel
Alfred Brendel
Alfred Brendel KBE is an Austrian pianist, born in Czechoslovakia and a resident of the United Kingdom. He is also a poet and author.-Biography:...
he was awarded a scholarship to study piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
where he studied from 1979–1983, winning prizes for piano playing. After being awarded an Austrian government scholarship to study with the Viennese pianist Paul Badura-Skoda
Paul Badura-Skoda
Paul Badura-Skoda is an Austrian pianist.He won first prize in the Austrian Music Competition in 1947. In 1949, he performed with distinguished conductors like Wilhelm Furtwängler and Herbert von Karajan...
he studied for a year in Vienna at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Wien. It was in Vienna that he first came across jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and decided to pursue a career in this field, hoping to combine his love of the piano and performing with his interest in composition.
After some initial studies with Simon Purcell his early interest lay in freely improvised music. He performed with Evan Parker
Evan Parker
Evan Shaw Parker is a British free-improvising saxophone player from the European free jazz scene.Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free jazz and free improvisation, and has pioneered or substantially expanded...
, Louis Moholo
Louis Moholo
Louis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
and Barry Guy
Barry Guy
Barry John Guy is a British 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 in the UK and Europe...
, among others. In 1990 he began a long-term musical relationship with the saxophonist and composer Jon Lloyd, recording with Lloyd's quartet his first CD, Syzygy, for the Leo Records label. Later John Law was to turn back to an exploration of his classical roots with a four-CD solo piano set entitled Chants, which was a series of compositions/improvisations based on early music
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
and plainchant. Later still John turned towards a more recognisably contemporary jazz area, working with Tim Garland
Tim Garland
Tim Garland is a British jazz saxophonist, composer and band-leader. He is also known for his innovative bass clarinet playing and for his prolific output as composer, blurring the boundaries between modern jazz and classical concert music.As a performer, he has worked widely both in Britain and...
, Tim Wells, Dave Wickins, Steve Watts, Martin Speake, Paul Clarvis
Paul Clarvis
Paul Clarvis is an English percussionist, born in Enfield, London, on 9 April 1963.He is renowned for bringing his unique style of music to many genres and can be heard on recordings by Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Sting, Bryan Ferry, John Williams, Andy...
, Julian Siegel
Julian Siegel
Julian Siegel is a UK Born Jazz Saxophone and Clarinet player, writer and arranger.Siegel has toured and recorded with Greg Cohen and Joey Baron and was awarded the BBC Jazz Awards 2007 for Best Instrumentalist....
, Julian Nicholas and others, though his work has continued to include references to classical music, freely improvised music and the avant garde.
Since 2005 John Law has been most widely known for his project The Art of Sound. Playing almost exclusively John's original, sometimes complex, sometimes extremely melodic, compositions, the trio, with Asaf Sirkis on drums and Sam Burgess on bass, recorded two highly successful albums: The Art of Sound, Volume 1 and Congregation, The Art of Sound Volume 4. Later John worked with other bass players, including Yuri Goloubev, Calum Gourlay and Tom Farmer. Known for incorporating subtle effects into the piano and bass sound and for the addition to the drum kit of glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, hang and other sounds, the trio became known as much for the wide palette of sound colours, within a conventional jazz piano trio, as for the instrumental virtuosity of the individual players and the intricate, intense atmosphere of John's compositions.
The name of the trio, as well as the series of four CDs, was taken from the name of the Italian studio where the recordings were all made: Artesuono in Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
, Italy.
John Law also performs solo piano concerts. Volumes 2 and 3 in the Art of Sound series were both solo piano albums. He also occasionally performs in a two piano project with the UK pianist Jason Rebello
Jason Rebello
Jason Rebello is a British jazz pianist, currently part of Sting's live and studio band, who has recorded a handful of albums under his own name. His debut album, A Clearer View was produced by Wayne Shorter....
.
In 2001 John Law's recording "Abacus", featuring the American drummer Gerry Hemingway
Gerry Hemingway
Gerry Hemingway is an American jazz composer and percussionist.He has performed with Ernst Reijseger, Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Leo Smith, George Lewis, Anthony Braxton, Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Reggie Workman, Michael Moore, Oliver Lake, Marilyn Crispell, Christy Doran, John Wolf Brennan, Don...
was awarded a prize, a Choc, as one of the best CD's of the year, by the French jazz magazine Jazzman. In 2005 Law was awarded a distinction at classical piano diploma level, gaining dipABRSM.
John has also composed for, toured and recorded a large suite for large ensemble, Out of the Darkness, with Andy Sheppard
Andy Sheppard
Andy Sheppard is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow.-Biography:Sheppard was born in Warminster,...
and members of the London Sinfonietta
London Sinfonietta
The London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
.
He has performed at over 50 festivals worldwide and made over 25 recordings.
Selected Discography
- Syzygy (Jon Lloyd Quartet, 1992),
- Exploded on Impact (John Law Quartet, 1993)
- Head (Jon Lloyd Quartet, 1993)
- Talitha Cumi (John Law solo piano, 1994)
- The Boat is Sinking, Apartheid is Sinking (John Law, Louis Moholo Duo, 1994)
- Pentecost (John Law solo piano, 1996)
- The Onliest (John Law Trio, 1996)
- Giant Leaves (John Law Trio, 1996)
- By Confusion (Jon Lloyd Quartet, 1997)
- The Hours (John Law solo piano, 1997)
- Songs Without Words (John Law Trio 1998)
- Strange Stories (John Law Trio, 2000)
- Thanatos (John Law solo piano, 2000)
- Abacus (John Law Quartet featuring Jon Lloyd, Gerry Hemingway, 2001)
- The Moment (John Law Trio/Quartet featuring Tim Garland, 2001)
- Monk 'n' Junk (John Law Trio/Quartet featuring Julian Siegel, 2002)
- Out of the Darkness (Cornucopia Ensemble featuring Andy Sheppard, 2004)
- Mimesis (Jon Lloyd/John Law Duo, 2006)
- The Art of Sound Volume 1 (John Law/Sam Burgess/Asaf Sirkis, 2007)
- The Ghost in the Oak, The Art of Sound Volume 2 (John Law solo piano, 2008)
- Chorale, The Art of Sound Volume 3 (John Law solo piano, 2008)
- Congregation, The Art of Sound Volume 4 (John Law/Sam Burgess/Asaf Sirkis, 2009)
- The Journey Home (Nick Sorensen/John Law Duo, 2010)
- This Is (John Law, Mark Pringle duo, 2011)