Gwilym Simcock Album Confirmed For Release
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Piano phenomenon Gwilym Simcock – fêted by both the jazz and classical world and the first jazz musician to become a BBC New Generations artist – is to release his new double album Blues Vignette on Basho Records in November.
It features the Welsh-born Simcock, 28, in a trio setting with Russian bassist Yuri Goloubev and drummer James Maddren playing songs such as ‘Black Coffee’, made famous by Peggy Lee, and ‘Cry Me A River’, a signature song of Julie London’s. Also included are new compositions plus interpretations of Grieg’s Piano Concerto and a suite for cello and piano recorded for the opening of London chamber music venue Kings Place last year pairing Simcock with cellist Cara Berridge.
Simcock will tour in November with dates including a Queen Elizabeth Hall concert during the London Jazz Festival on 21 November with the trio and guest bass clarinettist Klaus Gesing (heard to effect on Norma Winstone’s Grammy-nominated album Distances and with whom Simcock recorded on Gesing’s album Heart Luggage) plus a large choir. ‘I Prefer the Gorgeous Freedom’, a piece for choir Simcock wrote for the Norfolk and Norwich Festival will be on the programme that night.
Simcock debuted two years ago on his album Perception with his trio at the time of bassist Phil Donkin and drummer Martin France plus guests including saxophonist Stan Sulzmann. He first came to wider national notice touring with the US alto saxophone great Lee Konitz two years earlier. Simcock appeared on the cover of Jazzwise back in February as a member of the Lighthouse trio along with saxophonist Tim Garland and drummer Asaf Sirkis when their album Libra was released. He appears this Saturday, 29 August, with Neon at the Vortex jazz club in London and at the Proms two days later with the Aronowitz Ensemble at Cadogan Hall.
– Stephen Graham