Singleness

Evidently, the label that originally issued this album in 1974 went out of business upon its release, and the recording did not appear again until this reissue in 2001. The tracks have weathered the test of time, still sounding fresh many years later. There is some fine playing from Howard Riley on these ten relatively short improvised pieces (none more than five minutes) that constitute the pianist's first studio solo album. Riley was an important part of the thriving British free improv scene, and although he has been somewhat overshadowed by others, such as fellow British pianist Keith Tippett, this album shows why Riley deserves to be better known. Occupying a sort of middle ground among free improvisers, Riley is capable of swinging hard without compromising his instincts for abstraction, as evidenced on the entertaining yet intense "Project" or the equally impressive "Gypsum." The often hard-hitting Riley also shows a reflective side on, for example, "Item," with its dark, slow, and measured feel. In a sense, the pianist's most effective work comes when he plays solo, as he can develop his thoughts unencumbered by others. The technically gifted Riley (just hear his fingers fly on "Boeotian") is worth hearing: an individual voice with agility and taste and oodles of ideas.