John Taylor
Songs and Variations

Album from 2005, it is set in perhaps the most prolific period of John Taylor in the fascinating yet treacherous art of solo piano. Treacherous because it often involves the risk of imprisoning the improviser in their own poetics, which, left bare and defenseless before their instrument without the support of trusted musicians, can end up contorting upon itself and suffocating in the horrible specter of repetition and banality. Well, in Songs and Variations, none of this happens: John Taylor indeed manages to showcase his entire stylistic mark, made of harmonic refinements and great rhythmic sensitivity, in a manner that is always new and vital.

The harmonic aspect is undoubtedly the most decisive and the one in which Taylor has always moved with extreme ease and dexterity; even here, as in his other works, the tonal realm is explored to its extremes, questioned, tested, put under strain, but it is almost never transcended nor abandoned to its fate with the help of easy solutions. In the rhythm domain, Taylor has always accustomed us to very original ideas and percussive patterns, and here he is no exception: his proposals are always very clear and enhanced by the effect techniques that Taylor has pursued and deepened with success over the years, without ever making them invasive but instead placing them with great care and coherence within the general atmosphere of the album (the clearest example is the track “Fantasy”).

The richness of the harmonies, often highlighted with extensive use of pedal, is also able to compensate for the lack of broad lyrical-melodic spaces, the absence of which can perhaps be slightly perceived in some passages; nonetheless, this very aspect sets him apart from the great “lyricists” of solo piano, from Keith Jarrett to Paul Bley and generally all pianists with a clear colemanian stamp, and thus we can only follow Taylor in his bold yet lucid harmonic quest, paying full attention and trust to all its possible outcomes. The peak of this type of exploration is, in my opinion, found in the track “Descent,” a true gem that originates from a harmonic framework that immediately transforms into a poignant monodic line, blending melody and harmony in an incredibly effective and evocative manner (for those interested, there's an excellent transcription available on YouTube).

In short, an album that offers many insights on different levels of listening and is able to fascinate both expert and novice listeners.