Cumulus [CD]

Laurie Holloway - Cumulus [CD]

"Originally released in 1979, Cumulus is a long-overlooked treasure from British pianist, composer, and arranger Laurie Holloway -- a virtuoso best known for his work as a musical director for BBC television and as a collaborator with some of the U.K.'s finest jazz and pop artists. Here, Holloway steps firmly into the spotlight with a set that bridges sophisticated jazz composition and the breezy textures of late-'70s fusion. Cumulus drifts between moods of elegance and experimentation, layering electric piano and synthesizer atmospherics over deft rhythm section interplay. Holloway's refined melodic sensibility -- sharpened through years of arranging for major broadcasters and performers -- shines throughout, blending harmonic complexity with a light, unhurried touch that recalls contemporaries like Bob James, Dave Grusin, and Alan Hawkshaw. Now newly reissued by Morgan Blue Town, this long-out-of-print recording reintroduces one of the U.K.'s most accomplished yet understated jazz craftsmen. Cumulus is both a time capsule of late-'70s British fusion and a testament to Holloway's enduring musical grace and inventiveness."