* En anglais uniquement
Whether as a composer or a free improviser, British pianist
John Law places his training in Baroque classical music at the service of an elegant, delicate brand of distinctly European-flavored jazz.
Law began playing piano at age four and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, but left classical music to embrace avant-garde jazz in 1986, during his 20s. He first formed a trio called Atlas with bassist
Paul Rogers and drummer
Mark Sanders, which by the early '90s had become the remainder of
the Jon Lloyd Quartet, appearing on several albums. He also struck up a long association with South African drummer
Louis Moholo, and in 1993 formed the Extremely Quartet with Moholo, bassist
Barry Guy, and saxophonist
Paul Dunmall; they issued an eponymous album on HatHut in 1997. In the mid-'90s,
Law recorded a trilogy of adventurous solo piano albums for Future Music (1994's Talitha Cumi, 1996's Pentecost, 1997's The Hours) that fused jazz with plainchant and medieval music; during this period, he also worked with
Evan Parker,
Keith Tippett,
David Murray, and the Dedication Orchestra. In 1996, wanting to explore more traditionally rhythmic conceptions of jazz,
Law formed a trio with bassist Tim Wells and drummer
Paul Clarvis; that year they issued two albums, Giant Leaves (Autumn Steps) and the
Monk-themed The Onliest, again on Future Music. Dave Wickins later replaced
Clarvis, and also joined
Law's new quartet the Moment Band, which also featured saxophonist
Tim Garland and bassist
Alec Dankworth. In 2000,
Law formed his own label and distribution company, Cornucopia. The following year, his new project Abacus (a long-form suite which also gave another new
Law quartet its name) appeared on HatHut; it reunited
Law with
Jon Lloyd and Tim Wells, and added drummer
Gerry Hemingway (
Anthony Braxton). ~ Steve Huey