Luke Howard Essentials

Australian composer Luke Howard's music evokes the material of life: as he puts it, “fragmented relationships, childhood memories, and the passages of time.” Howard learned piano as a child in the ‘80s, which is evident in the Melbourne composer's dreamy, oscillating pianos and droning strings. Slow-moving tracks like “Bower” and albums like Open Heart Story encourage introspection. Howard's classical crossover approach brings in pop gestures and misty, jazzy melodies to round out its often wistful vibes, as he does on his wonderful 2015 duet album with trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis, Ten Sails.