John Escreet

British pianist John Escreet is a bold improviser and sound conceptualist whose approach touches upon harmonically sophisticated acoustic post-bop, as well as modern creative and vigorous free jazz. He first garnered wide attention following a move to New York, where he debuted with 2008's Consequences, featuring <a href="spotify:artist:4ai53dgSBGhQwcFtGyY1bF">Ambrose Akinmusire</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:35fZivtiaWTLzphTDaWnrf">David Binney</a>. With <a href="spotify:artist:35fZivtiaWTLzphTDaWnrf">Binney</a>, Escreet also delivered 2010's Don't Fight the Inevitable and 2013's Sabotage and Celebration, the latter of which featured <a href="spotify:artist:4hdVPbHhsWAn2XTXVRJoxB">Chris Potter</a>. In addition, there have been collaborations with <a href="spotify:artist:42WVIJPKijZYsOWhNqnAke">Evan Parker</a>, bassist John Herbert, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0j2falzYTCLSgKpGKQipQu">Tyshawn Sorey</a>, as on 2014's Sound, Space and Structures. He incorporated electronics into his sound on 2018's Learn to Live and delivered his first trio album with 2022's Seismic Shift, featuring bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5ElMqnHWxDT7rA7WuwDFs3">Eric Revis</a> and drummer Damion Reid. Escreet expanded the group with saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:36kfddkWcVc6XrzNN9BsTP">Mark Turner</a> for 2024's The Epicenter of Your Dreams.

Born in 1984 in Doncaster, England, Escreet started playing piano at a young age and was already a gifted improviser by the time he entered London's Royal Academy of Music. There, he studied with <a href="spotify:artist:0o9WWL7JAXnjjvUNyPwWTF">John Taylor</a> and began leading his own groups. Following a move to New York in 2006, he completed his master's degree at Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with luminaries like <a href="spotify:artist:3LvX4UVIfEjsQVqrbBToQ3">Kenny Barron</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7g3iwvP459BN53F7CDxemI">Jason Moran</a>. He made his debut as leader with 2008's Consequences on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Positone%22">Positone</a>, a quintet album featuring alto saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:35fZivtiaWTLzphTDaWnrf">David Binney</a>, trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:4ai53dgSBGhQwcFtGyY1bF">Ambrose Akinmusire</a>, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:2lbkXLlMyaHxra7bczgRqU">Matt Brewer</a>, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0j2falzYTCLSgKpGKQipQu">Tyshawn Sorey</a>.

Escreet then moved to the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mythology%22">Mythology</a> label for 2010's Don't Fight the Inevitable and 2011's The Age We Live In, both of which again featured <a href="spotify:artist:35fZivtiaWTLzphTDaWnrf">Binney</a>. Also in 2011, he and <a href="spotify:artist:35fZivtiaWTLzphTDaWnrf">Binney</a> joined forces for the quartet album Exception to the Rule on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Criss+Cross%22">Criss Cross</a>, which included bassist <a href="spotify:artist:1SGYzb7ZRMCvE9ssIPvFg5">Eivind Opsvik</a> and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:5fhkjcgOAjl6gQGsQOcP46">Nasheet Waits</a>. With 2013's Sabotage and Celebration, the pianist expanded his ensemble, pairing <a href="spotify:artist:35fZivtiaWTLzphTDaWnrf">Binney</a> with fellow saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:4hdVPbHhsWAn2XTXVRJoxB">Chris Potter</a>, as well as <a href="spotify:artist:0rS1Y2DkDJhLiaR0MyJyCg">Kneebody</a> trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:09Kh7SI4OfdA3RUTiZFHbQ">Shane Endsley</a> and others; the album featured atmospheric string arrangements and some electronic elements. From there, Escreet moved to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Sunnyside+Records%22">Sunnyside Records</a> for 2014's Sound, Space and Structures and 2016's The Unknown, both of which featured his group with saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:42WVIJPKijZYsOWhNqnAke">Evan Parker</a>, bassist John Herbert, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0j2falzYTCLSgKpGKQipQu">Tyshawn Sorey</a>.

In 2018, Escreet delivered Learn to Live, which found him exploring a mix of electronic and acoustic sounds. It featured trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:3cwVFmQ6mcUoGR6ZvIPuZ4">Nicholas Payton</a>, saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:1O62I5mxJcYBXcIzY6IMYT">Greg Osby</a>, and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:2lbkXLlMyaHxra7bczgRqU">Matt Brewer</a>, as well as the combined percussion talents of <a href="spotify:artist:0wTdAqanDZiEonTBUmBSQh">Eric Harland</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4YzUifC19loaHMPE0MdGNv">Justin Brown</a>.

Along with his own albums, the pianist has contributed to projects with <a href="spotify:artist:54pL7FBA9bzmu4dad4CyyT">Amir ElSaffar</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7q46e1hkWTUN1IWHzYb40p">Alex Sipiagin</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2jT3Zlaqv3r8hxHdWE8Xig">Wayne Krantz</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5tGDXwaO3qq4w9mAhZHwZY">Seamus Blake</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0SPbho0MYZZGtCWNLr4SPV">Logan Richardson</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6w4OoJ1ZPsK6Nd9vQgZKwJ">Harish Raghavan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7L6hdiesl0TXJgdciKKrxD">Nir Felder</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7naYSK1hW7hTZJtrhCrLvR">Nate Wood</a>, and many others. He also built a close working relationship with Grammy-winning drummer <a href="spotify:artist:19KpCg8O15A2eZ416EyFdw">Antonio Sanchez</a>, appearing on 2013's New Life, 2015's The Meridian Suite, and 2019's Lines in the Sand. In 2022, following a move to Los Angeles, Escreet delivered his first-ever trio album, Seismic Shift, with bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5ElMqnHWxDT7rA7WuwDFs3">Eric Revis</a> and drummer Damion Reid. Adding saxophonist <a href="spotify:artist:36kfddkWcVc6XrzNN9BsTP">Mark Turner</a>, the same group returned with 2024's The Epicenter of Your Dreams. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi