released September 15, 2017

My first introduction to jazz was through my grandmother, Dorothy Paton. A singer and pianist in her youth, she taught me to play In the Mood on the piano when I was nine years old, complete with boogie-woogie bass line in the left hand. Soon after, she bought me my first CD - a compilation of Oscar Peterson’s music called Piano Moods. I was hooked.
As the great Cedar Walton said, “If the bug’s gonna bite you, it’d be then.”

With school and an Economics degree out the way, I cut my teeth on the Edinburgh jazz scene, then returned to London to study at the Guildhall.

Over the last twenty years, my musical tastes have changed little and my heart still lies in swinging jazz, though the sources of my inspiration have widened: Art Tatum, Sonny Rollins, Nat King Cole, Bill Evans (to whom this album cover is a tip of the hat), Oscar Peterson, Charlie Parker, Ahmad Jamal, Thelonius Monk, Bud Powell, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Phineas Newborn, Barry Harris, Miles Davis, Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and so on.

Of the eleven songs presented on this record, seven are my arrangements of well known jazz standards. The exception would be the lesser recorded If I Only Had a Brain from The Wizard of Oz, which perhaps should have been titled ‘If I Only Had Cedar’s Brain’. The remaining four are my own compositions written over the last five years.

The opening track, Carlora is dedicated to my parents, Fiona and Dinkha. The title is a portman- teau word of the towns in which they grew up, Carlisle in the North of England and Dora in Baghdad. The composition is heavily inspired by the virtuoso Phineas Newborn, in particular his use of contrary motion and arpeggios in tenths.

Off the Latch came about from practicing over the chord sequence to Frank Loesser’s song Slow Boat to China and is a bebop melody based on the same changes.

Whilst studying at the Guildhall, the class was set an assignment to write a blues one week. Trane Hopping has its origins based in that first draft. The title reflects the jump in harmony from a Giant Steps type of blues progression to a more modal second half.

Blues for Billy is dedicated to one of my favourite drummers, Billy Higgins. While I never saw him perform live, his unique way of playing on albums with Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock and Cedar Walton, among others, is a great influence.

This album includes two contrasting solo piano pieces. The Strayhorn masterpiece Lush Life gives my tortured classical-self a chance at the piano chair. The approach to Can’t We be Friends is more traditional. Here, my love for the early piano players - Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Earl Hines - is expressed in a bluesy, stride arrangement.

There are several people I want to thank for helping to realise this project. First and foremost are the musicians, Tom Farmer and Josh Morrison.
Two great musicians and great friends. Long may we make music together. Simon Hendry for all his patience while mixing the music. My brother Abraham for the photos and artwork.

I hope you enjoy listening to this album and that my words above offer some insight into where the music has come from.

Gabriel