Revox Master Tape, JOHN TAYLOR TRIO - DECIPHER

“...one of the great interpreters of contemporary jazz...” – this is the renowned newspaper The Guardian’s assessment of the English pianist John Taylor. As the resident pianist at the legendary London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, Taylor accompanied many jazz icons, refining his individual style into one of the most important voices in the European jazz scene. Performances and recordings with his own groups, his long-standing collaboration with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, numerous ECM trio recordings with Peter Erskine and Palle Danielsson, as well as projects led by greats such as Jan Garbarek and John Surman cemented Taylor’s significance.

His 1973 MPS trio album Decipher presents two outstanding musicians: bassist Chris Laurence and drummer Tony Levin, who perfectly complement Taylor’s multifaceted style. The album offers listeners a delightful foretaste of his compositions. The virtuosic sprint of Cipher merges with the shifting tempos and emotions of Wait For Me, while Leaping is a pointillistic, abstract dialogue between the three musicians. The soulful jazz waltz Speak to Me plays magically with time, and Song For a Child unfolds as a gently spoken ballad. White Magic, on the other hand, charges forward as a powerfully swinging potion against all worries. Taylor’s second album as a bandleader reveals a mature master composer and interpreter – what a stroke of luck that this music is available again.

Label: MPS

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