A revelatory live trio recording from ECM, capturing John Taylor in radiant form with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron.
A Night in Birmingham, 2002
Recorded live during the Contemporary Music Network tour in January 2002, Tramonto captures UK pianist John Taylor (1942–2015) in celebratory, expansive mood. The concert finds him fronting one of his most dynamic and quick-witted trios, alongside bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron—a powerhouse rhythm team whose agility and inventiveness match Taylor’s mercurial artistry.
The chemistry between the three musicians is unmistakable. Just months later, they would record the acclaimed ECM release Rosslyn in Oslo, but Tramonto preserves the trio in an earlier, rawer state—live, risk-taking, and electric with possibility.
John Taylor and the ECM Connection
Taylor’s long relationship with ECM dates back to 1977, when he co-founded Azimuth with Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler. Over the decades, he contributed to more than two dozen projects, yet he was rarely featured in a piano trio context on the label. Exceptions came with drummer Peter Erskine’s trio, where Taylor both played and composed.
Two of his Erskine Trio compositions resurface on Tramonto:
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“Pure and Simple” – elegant yet harmonically adventurous.
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“Ambleside” – transformed here into a 15-minute epic of shifting moods and extended improvisation, spotlighting all three musicians.
Taylor’s gift as a composer—what critic John Fordham called “romantically song-like yet harmonically unpredictable”—shines throughout the set.
The Music
The programme blends originals and inspired interpretations:
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“Between Moons” – Tender and lyrical, a Taylor composition that would later appear on Rosslyn. Its Bill Evans lineage is unmistakable, underscored by Johnson’s presence as Evans’s final bassist.
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“Up Too Late” (Steve Swallow) – A spirited excursion leaping from bop to free playing, complete with Johnson’s arco bass and Baron’s mercurial drumming.
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“Tramonto” (Ralph Towner) – The title track, first premiered on ECM thirty years earlier by Towner and Gary Peacock on Oracle, receives a fresh and vibrant reinterpretation.
Together, these performances reveal a trio deeply attuned to surprise, texture, and nuance—qualities that would define their later studio work.
Legacy and Lineage
Beyond Tramonto and Rosslyn, John Taylor’s ECM legacy includes:
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The Azimuth albums (Azimuth, The Touchstone, Départ, Azimuth ’85, How It Was Then – Never Again).
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Collaborations with John Surman, Jan Garbarek, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Peter Erskine, Miroslav Vitous, Arild Andersen, Mark Feldman, and Marilyn Mazur.
Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, meanwhile, have their own deep ECM histories:
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As a rhythm tandem in John Abercrombie’s bands (Cat’n’Mouse, Class Trip, The Third Quartet).
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As key players on Johnson’s Shades of Jade and Swept Away, with Baron’s drums lending color and drive.
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Johnson’s leader work spans decades, from the electric urgency of Bass Desires (with Scofield, Frisell, and Erskine) to the intimate solo bass recording Overpass (2021).
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Baron remains a force in contemporary jazz, most recently with the Fred Hersch Trio (The Surrounding Green, 2025) and in collaborations with Danish guitarist Jakob Bro (Streams, Bay of Rainbows, Once Around the Room).
Why Tramonto Matters
More than a long-lost live tape, Tramonto offers a rare glimpse of John Taylor in full trio flight, balancing lyricism, wit, and daring improvisation. It documents the pianist’s ability to compose for improvisers while surrounding himself with musicians capable of turning every twist into fresh inspiration.
For listeners who admired Rosslyn, this is its natural companion: rawer, more immediate, and suffused with the joy of discovery on stage. For newcomers, it’s a chance to hear one of Britain’s greatest jazz pianists at the height of his creative powers.
✨ Tramonto isn’t just a recording—it’s a reminder of the vitality, openness, and brilliance John Taylor brought to every performance.
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