John Law

British pianist John Law channels his Baroque classical background into an elegant and understated strain of jazz with a pronounced European character, whether he works as a composer or pursues free improvisation. He took up the piano at the age of four and later attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, yet abandoned the classical path in 1986, while still in his twenties, to devote himself to avant-garde jazz. His first ensemble, the trio Atlas, included bassist Paul Rogers and drummer Mark Sanders; by the early nineties the group had become the remaining core of the Jon Lloyd Quartet and appeared on several recordings. Law also began an enduring partnership with South African drummer Louis Moholo, and in 1993 he assembled the Extremely Quartet alongside Moholo, bassist Barry Guy, and saxophonist Paul Dunmall, releasing a self-titled album on HatHut in 1997. During the mid-nineties he issued a trilogy of exploratory solo piano recordings for Future Music—Talitha Cumi in 1994, Pentecost in 1996, and The Hours in 1997—that blended jazz with plainchant and medieval sources, while also collaborating with Evan Parker, Keith Tippett, David Murray, and the Dedication Orchestra. Seeking more conventional rhythmic frameworks in 1996, Law formed a trio with bassist Tim Wells and drummer Paul Clarvis, issuing two Future Music albums that same year: Giant Leaves (Autumn Steps) and the Monk-themed The Onliest. Dave Wickins subsequently took Clarvis’s place and joined Law’s newly formed Moment Band quartet, which also featured saxophonist Tim Garland and bassist Alec Dankworth. In 2000 Law established his own label and distribution company, Cornucopia. The following year his extended suite Abacus, which also lent its name to another new quartet, appeared on HatHut, bringing together Jon Lloyd, Tim Wells, and drummer Gerry Hemingway of Anthony Braxton’s circle.