Howard Riley

Howard Riley (1943-2025) was an English jazz pianist and composer, born in Huddersfield. He belonged to the British avant-garde and improvised music scene that took shape in the 1960s, working closely with Barry Guy, Tony Oxley, Evan Parker and John Stevens. He recorded often in trio and solo settings, and the music of Monk and Ellington stayed a reference point throughout his career. Riley studied composition with Bernard Rands at Bangor from 1961 and spent a year with David Baker at Indiana University.