Barnet Lane

About

Pianist, composer and Eelman Records label co-founder, John Niland recorded Barnett Lane at Marmalade Studios, Wellington in 1988 and this is the first time this has been available on CD. It was intended for release year 1992.

On leaving New Zealand and moving to Sydney, Australia in 1984, he arrived in the red light area of Kings Cross, Darlinghurst. On undertaking study at the National Art School, East Sydney Technical College, compositions began to emerge based on the piano styles of Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Thelonius Monk, Erroll Garner and McCoy Tyner.
This is Stride Music written in an original manner, full of fun and dance, old time turned into modern powerful left hand rythym with infectious sensitive right hand melodies written to dance; stride, two step, tap, rock and roll, boogie, quick waltz, hip hop and fox trot styles.
The compositions for Barnett Lane were inspired by the Inner City Urban landscape of Sydney, notably Darlinghurst, East Sydney, Kings Cross and Surry Hills. These songs are coloured by the rich cultural and Bohemian history of these areas and indeed in the late 1980's fragments of evidence of this bohemian atmosphere still existed.