Geoff Mason Quartet - GMQ (December 2021)

GMQ is a new album from the Geoff Mason Quartet and includes tunes from modern jazz masters, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.

The recording was made over two days at the JVG studio in Brixton where it was engineered and produced by Dave O'Higgins. All members of the band work regularly with trombonist Geoff Mason; John Horler (Cleo Laine, Matt Ford), Adam King (Ronnie Scott’s, 606 Club) and Winston Clifford (British Jazz Award winner, 2018).

The CD features Geoff's favourite composers and includes pieces not always associated with the trombone, such as Thelonious Monk's “Trinkle Tinkle” and John Coltrane's “26-2”.

To enhance spontaneity the players recorded together in the same room and most of the tracks were first or second takes.

1. 26-2 05:16

2. Tell me a Bedtime Story 04:55

3. Trinkle Tinkle 08:07

4. Beyond All Limits 08:03

5. Well You Needn't 03:53

6. Riot 07:18

7. L'Bop 05:42

Geoff Mason Trombone

John Horler Piano

Adam king Bass

Winston Clifford Drums

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Tony Coe & John Horler - Dancing in the Dark (August 13, 2021 Gearbox Records)

Piano and clarinet duo albums are few and far between within the jazz canon. In the case of Dancing in the Dark, versatile horn player Tony Coe chose to stick to the clarinet as his saxophone case was too heavy, or so that's how pianist John Horler recounts it. Our performance in question takes place at St Michael's Church, Appleby in 2007 as part of the annual Appleby Jazz Festival. The setting is warm and intimate as is the church acoustic, a perfect backdrop for the varied repertoire of standards and original compositions performed.

Coe and Horler dance their way through Bill Evans' 'Person I Knew' and Cole Porter's 'Night and Day' as well as Horler's own 'Piece for Poppy', dedicated to his partner Wendy, and Coe's contrafact to Autumn Leaves, titled 'Some Other Autumn'. Both players push and pull the well-known melodies to suit the moment yet maintain complete synergy with one another, with Horler's Bill Tatum-esque chord voicings and meandering lyrical interludes giving platform to Coe's resounding, cadenza-like improvisations.

Coe recounts this as "one of my very best performances, which would not have been possible without a partner who is one of the finest jazz pianists in the world." The respect from Horler is mutual, with him noting, "Tony was such a great player that it took sometime for me to realise that I could play a bit too..."

Their trust in each other, in the music, and in the moment, rings true with this live performance 'Dancing in the Dark', which finally sees the light of day on LP, CD, and Digital.

1. Re: Person I Knew

2. Night and Day

3. Body and Soul

4. Some Other Autumn

5. Piece for Poppy

6. Dancing in the Dark

7. Around in Three

8. Blue Monk

Tony Coe: clarinet

John Horler: piano

Recorded at St Michael's Church, Appleby, Thursday 26th July 2007

Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by Andy Cleyndert

Mastered and cut by Caspar Sutton-Jones and Darrel Sheinman

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John Horler - Free and Easy (TRIO RECORDS April 13, 2018)

John had a classical training, studying at the Royal Academy of Music. Many of his compositions are influenced quite strongly by twentieth century classical composers. He has been known for many years as one of the UK’s finest jazz pianists working closely with Pete King, Tony Coe and, of course, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. He has accompanied many of the big names in American jazz including Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Art Farmer, Pepper Adams, Bud Shank and Shorty Rodgers.

I think Dave Gelly described John’s playing best writing “Horler has a delightful habit of lulling you into a sense of false security with sweet, simple phrases and warm chords, before suddenly heading off into the harmonic undergrowth. Little scraps of melody, which at first seem quite random, gradually come together into a fascinating pattern.”

Stuart Broomer said “Horler has a personal lyricism, formed from a subtle economy and a fine sense of sonority.” Doug Campell talked about his free playing, saying “Horler has a beautiful touch and is an imaginative melodic swinging improviser with technique to spare.”

Having lived with John for several decades it is his free playing that I have come to love listening to most. Of course I’ve also enjoyed listening to the groups he’s played with over the years. I still remember hearing him play with Chet Baker at The Canteen in 1983 and the great man telling me what a fine pianist my husband was. Still, what I most enjoy is his solo piano playing. That’s why I decided to move to the role of patron and commissioned this recording. It will mean that others can enjoy the “fascinating patterns” and the “personal lyricism” referred to by the critics.

I requested some of the tunes I’ve come to love over the years; Bernstein’s “Some Other Time”, “ After Supper”, the famous Count Basie tune, and of course John’s own composition “Piece for Poppy” written for me. I generously allowed him to choose the others, as long as most of them were free pieces!

I am delighted with the outcome of this project and I must say that Andrew Cleyndert’s recording of the piano is superb and has contributed in no small measure to what I consider to be a really excellent CD. I hope that others will listen to it with equal pleasure.

1. Free Piece One 01:57

2. Piece For Poppy 05:08

3. Free Piece Two 01:39

4. My Ship 04:49

5. Free Piece Three 01:02

6. Beija Flor 05:24

7. Some Other Time 04:25

8. After Supper 04:27

9. Free Piece Four 01:06

10. What's New 03:46

11. Improvisations On Bach;s Prelude In Eb Minor 03:13

12. Free Piece Five 01:51

13. What Kind Of Fool Am I? 04:33

John Horler Website