John Taylor, Touch Her Soft Lips and Part (William Walton), Peter Erskine, As it Is, ECM (1996) 1594

touchhersoftlipsandpart.pdf

John Taylor was really one of my favourite piano players and composers. This recording of “Touch Her Soft Lips and Part” a ballad in 3/4 seems to really exemplify the qualities he brought to the tradition. John Taylor was highly regarded but I think often not fully credited for his influence on not only his successors but many of his contemporaries who seemed to subsequently incorporate some of the elegance and understated approach he brought to the music.

Despite the openness and melodic purity evident in this recording, one notices (especially in looking at the transcription) the complexity of the rhythm. Simple counter melodies come and go and the pacing, development, and interplay are exceptional.

My main motivation for the transcription was to analyze a couple spots where the harmony seemed to be even more beautiful than I had recalled hearing in anything else. Closer examination seemed to reveal two striking examples where chords seem to contradict the lessons learned in harmony books or theory class.

First, bar 21 of the form contains a chord I’ve labeled Fsus10. Where the fourth and third combine to beautiful effect. This seems to contradict many of the lessons one learns about adding 4ths or 11ths to chords that contain a lower structure comprised of a major triad. I’ve labeled the 3rd a 10th as it seems to be an extension over suspended 4th. The melody is the 10th in this spot and the result is an exceptionally beautiful harmonization.

Second, at about 3:45. The chord during the melody that I would assume was the beginning point was Bb/D. Subsequently the chord seemed to become D7#9#5. This seems normal so far. As we’re in F and the subsequent chord is Gmin, making the Bb/D into D7#9#5 is totally reasonable as it changes the function into a secondary dominant (V7 of ii). However in this spot something happens that seems to transcend a rigid approach to harmony. The bass player plays D and John Taylor plays Eb7#9#5 holds it and then resolves it to D7#9#5. The result is quite dramatic and definitely goes beyond strict definitions of harmony.
Both of these harmonic devices I have incorporated into my playing. Even more broadly, the fluidity with which John Taylor seems to approach harmony really illuminated me to the possibilities of greater freedom and changes in colour and texture possible even within a single chord change.