Get to Know: Gwilym Simcock

In the United Kingdom, 30 year old pianist Gwilym Simcock is a musical voice to be reckoned with, and yet in the United States it appears he is barely known. After listening to even one of his recordings and in some cases perhaps only one of his tracks, one need not read all the superlatives to understand the magnitude of his accomplishments at such a young age. Simply put, Gwilym Simcock is not just one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers on the British scene, but on the world scene.  His discs moves easily between classical music, which is his training, and jazz, and he inhabits both worlds so easily that his music has already been compared to some of the great pianists today --  Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Dave Kane, Cadence USA). His abilities are dazzling, his compositions engaging and exciting at times, mellow and subtle at others. According to Simcock, his influences include jazz legends Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and John Taylor and classical composers Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky.

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His formal education includes Trinity College of Music (London), Chetham’s School of Music (Manchester) – where he studied classical piano, French horn and composition -- and the Royal Academy of Music (London) where he graduated from the jazz course with first class honours and the coveted 'Principal's Prize' for outstanding achievement.

My first exposure to Simcock was the double album "Blues Vignette (Basho Records 2009), as captivating an introduction to an artist as one can imagine. Over two discs he moves effortlessly between classical and jazz moods, in solos, duos with cello, trios, written music and improvisations, upbeat tempos and moving classical pieces. He opens right away with "Little People", a lovely tune with the fluidity of a Bill Evans or Red Garland.  The title tune is a very bluesy number which brings a swinging rhythm to the party, thus displaying on one disc the full range of Simcock's playing. Think of the distance between a swinging Gershwin tune "Nice Work If You Can Get It," and the classicism of his duo for cello and piano. CD2 is equally outstanding.

The first listen to this album was overwhelming. Hearing it clarifies why Simcock has been called  the most important new pianist on the British scene.  At age 28, his maturity, compositional abilities, arrangements were already the full package.   

And yet there is so much more to listen to. As soon I could, I went back into his discography for other examples of his playing and purchased several more discs.  

Simcock's first exposure as leader was entitled “Perception” (Basho Records 2007) . It featured a sextet with Stan Sulzmann (saxophones), John Parricelli (guitar), Phil Donkin (bass), Martin France (drums) and Ben Bryant (percussion), and  was nominated for Best Album in the BBC Jazz Awards 2008. An auspicious start , it only hinted at the pleasures of his next two recordings as leader, "Blues Vignette" as discussed, and "Good Days At Schloss Elmau."

Good Days at Schloss Elmau (ACT 2011) is a solo concert of original compositions that is just magnificent. He varies widely between upbeat rhythms and ethereal, dreamlike set pieces. His lyricism is unmistakable, his harmonies wonderfully arranged, and the technical quality of the recording pristine. This is exciting, joyful music that will lift any listen's heart, and stands up to the best of Mehldau, Jarrett, and other great solo pianists.  

Simcock also has several excellent albums as a sideman. He began recording a few years prior to his first disc as leader, and there are some exeptional examples of his interplay in other settings. He has been a member of Accoutic Triangle, with bassist Malcom Creese and Tim Garland on wind instruments, playing piano and even French horn on "Resonance" (Audio B 2006) and "Catalyst" (Audio B 2008). The trio blends modern and chamber jazz to great effect on some very nice recordings.  

More recently, he worked  as a sideman to saxophonist Julian Arguelles on Momenta (Basho Records 2009), and with the quartet The Impossible Gentlemen (Basho 2011) with Mike Walker on guitar, Adam Nussbaum on drums, and Steve Swallow on bass.  "The Impossible Gentlemen" is by far the most upbeat and propulsive recording of Simcock's career to date, a bit more outside than the other ercordings, and with any luck at all there will be more CDs of this quartet to come.  

For an artist so young, Simcock has racked up a staggering array of accomplishments, but these recordings demonstrate that he deserves the accolades being heaped upon him. There can only be more great things to come; in the meantime hopefully listeners in the United States will catch up with this marvelous talent.  

Overlooked: Norma Winstone

Norma Winstone, who has been called England’s finest jazz vocalist, was born in 1941 and has been recording since the early 1980s, as a leader since   

" Somewhere Called Home" on ECM in 1987. Yet she never hit my radar until two individuals gave me a nudge in her direction. So thank you Steve Katai, for all our converations at Sally's and for pointing me to " Stories Yet to Tell". And thanks, too, to Christine Allen of Basho Records for not only reading my blog, but for directing me to Norma Winstone based on my 2011 favorites list. And thanks to Sally White of Sally's Place (Westport, CT) for stocking ""Stories Yet to Tell", "Distances" and Somewhere Called Home." Having a shop like Sally's Place that actually stocks a huge jazz collection is a treasure.

I called this entry "Norma Winstone: Overlooked" simply because I have overlooked her in my meanderings through the jazz world. But then again, I think most folks in the U.S. have probably missed her as well. Granted, vocalists are not at the top of my must hear list, but as my end of 2011 list showed I clearly do listen to them, and in some cases love what I hear. So why did I pass her by time and time again when I clearly had seen her CDs at my local store, and why did I instead try others first? I think there are three reasons:

• She is hardly publicized in the U.S., is not from the U.S., and doesn't perform here that much.
• When there is a new disc with attendant publicity and/or reviews, the music is on ECM, which has a cache that does not lend itself to assuming that a singer will be as "straight'ahead" as Winstone.
• There are a lot of singers who do get press, publicity, and radio airplay in the U.S., and she is not one of them. Folks this past year were much more likely to have heard of Gretchen Parlato, Tierney Sutton, or Karyn Allison, each of whom had a hit album in 2011. That leaves little room in the market to find Norma Winstone.

After listening three of her discs, I am now a huge Norma Winstone fan. Her voice is wonderfully expressive and never overstated or over-wrought, her lyrics have deepened over time, and her interplay with her accompanists is outstanding. Her voice is lovely and soothing to hear and she tells wonderful stories. At times to me her voice was reminiscient of a restrained Barbara Streisand singing a ballad; others have compared her sound to Helen Merrill. This is reflective music, to be taken in and savored.

On the first of the three discs, "Somewhere Called Home" (1987) she is joined by John Taylor on piano, and Tony Coe on clarinet and tenor saxophone. The sound is almost pastoral, as Winstone takes most of the songs at a lovely mid-tempo pace, and the accompanists provide touches of color suitable to the lyrics. Winstone added lyrics to beautiful melodies of some great players -- Egberto Gismonti, Ralph Towner and Kenny Wheeler -- enrichening them and transforming them into a new standard for jazz singers to reach.  Her two standards, Arlen and Mercer's  "Out of This World" and Vincent Youmans' "Tea for Two," are voiced delicately with subtle undertones from her supporting players. Until now I had never heard the latter done as a slow ballad, which really concentrates the listener on the lyrics, and changes what most think of as a simple ditty into a truly lyrical, beautiful ballad. The tenor interlude by Tony Coe is incredibly rich and adds to the overwhelming sentiment behind the song.   Winstone is a wonderful and original interpreter, and her bandmates evince an equally tempered sentiment. There are no vocal gymastics, no great swells and troughs, because none are needed to appreciate this wonderful music and hear each song's sentiment. 

The two later discs are equally wonderful, if not deeper in tone and emotion. Her supporting players, feature the bass clarinet played by Klaus Gesing (along with some soprano sax), and the playing of Glauco Venier on piano, with whom Winstone has a long-standing trio dating back some 10 years.  

 "Distances" (2008) features a wide range of songs  from Cole Porter to Peter Gabriel, a free calypso, a tribute to Coltrane, adaptations of Satie, folk songs, Pasolini and more, all of which flow seamlessly as an extended suite. Winstone’s lyrics are rich with imagery and the sentiments of a older and wiser woman. Words like poignant and lyrical come to mind in describing the set. There is regret in "Here Comes the Flood", irony is "A Song for England", and melancholy in the title song "Distances."  The piano and bass clarinet in A Song for England are especially fun and suited to the song, which begins with two minutes of wordless singing by Winstone followed by some fun lyrics and a calypso beat. Winstone is a wonderful interpreter of the lyrics, and again the music of Vernier and Gesing add just the right touches to each song. From start to finish, this is a truly compelling recording.

"Stories Yet to Tell" (2010) is Winstone's most recent disc. Winstone the lyricist contributes to eight of its twelve songs. It is clearly the most personal collection to date, and as bewitching as all that came before.  Her  partnership with Venier and Gesing is more fully realized, and the two provide a great deal of support both in the compositions and in their delivery in backing the full richness of Winstone's soft, beautifully realized lyrics. Three of the four songs are instrumentals arranged by Venier, wherein Winstone provides some wordless singing to produce a fully realized trio. When she does sing, her interpretations are once again at the forefront and her lovely, rich, full alto overwhelms the listeners senses with consummate beauty. 

Sorry I missed you Norma. I look forward to hearing more from your discography, and to future releases.

Julian Siegel "Urban Theme Park"

This is my first time describing on paper (well at least in writing) my thoughts as a listener. I hope it provides a clear sense of my impression of the music, is basically technically correct, and is recognized as only one man's opinion.

In 2011, this Quartet record was one I enjoyed discovering, and I particularly enjoyed the variety of sounds that Siegel generates on his four wind instruments. While for me there are a few bumpy spots, they did not detract from my overall enjoyment and allowed me to stretch my boundaries as a listener. I am not sure much was made of it in the U.S. -- I do recall seeing a couple of positive reviews -- but I hope more people will take a chance and listen to it and recognize the talents particularly of Siegel and bandmate pianist Liam Noble.


Julian Siegel Quartet "Urban Theme Park" 2001, Basho Records UK --

JULIAN SIEGEL is a saxophonist from the UK who has worked with many of the top figures in the music. In 2007 he was awarded the BBC Jazz Award for Best Instrumentalist and he received the London Festival Fringe 2011 London Jazz Award. With the Julian Siegel Trio, Julian also plays alongside two stars of the US Improvised music scene, Drummer Joey Baron and Bassist Greg Cohen,  and they released the Album "Live at the Vortex' in 2009 (Basho).

His playing consists of both straight ahed and free-wheeling improvision, using tenor and soprano saxes and clarinet and bass clarinet. His backing trio includes Liam Noble, a leader in his own right (listen to his outstanding take on Dave Brubeck, on "Brubeck" 2009), Oli Hayhurst on bass, and Gene Calderazzo on drums.

From the entry of the bass, followed by piano and then the tenor of Siegel, the disk starts out with a quick, driving song "Six Four" which clearly demonstrates the strength and full tone of Siegel's playing. After a four minute ride with Siegel, there is an abrupt pause, and then Noble picks up with an equally upbeat piano interlude, with the strong backing of the bass and drums. Siegel comes back in and the quartet takes us to a rousing finish.

"One for J.T". is another upbeat romp featuring the tenor; then there is a downshift to a slower beat, with Siegel on clarinet for "Heart Song". Siegel plays a great deal in the upper register of the clarinet, and some nice accents are provided Calderazzo. Dropping out after about four minutes, Siegel allows Noble a response, again with a great deal of support from Calderazzo who switches to brushes as the piano recedes and the clarinet comes back in to bring the song home.

"Keys to the City" has a nice Latin beat laid out by piano and drums, and Siegel introduces the melody over this backing, playing his tenor which initially sounds like a clarinet. As the tempo picks up, the tenor takes off supported by the other players. Noble picks up from Siegel at the 3 minute mark for an extended run, dropping out at about 5 minutes for the first bass lead of the set, played over a light drum beat and gentle chordal playing by Noble on piano. Finally everyone enters again to bring the song to a close.

"Game of Cards", the longest piece on the CD, has it all, including bass and drum solos and outstanding soprano sax playing, with the tune passed back and forth among the players in its three parts. A quick shift of moods brings the players to "Lifeline", frankly my least favorite cut with its dissonance and use of what sounds like electronic effects (possibly keyboard effects?). But then a quick cut to the bass clarinet introduces "Interlude". Siegel demonstrates outstanding range on the instrument and a very clean, woody sound in his lower register. His opening solo goes about a minute, then the tempo picks up and the band comes in, with the piano echoing the bass clarinet part very nicely and underlying support from the bass and drums.

"Fantasy in D" is the only song not written by Siegel -- it is a Cedar Walton tune. Introduced by a drum solo, this boppish tune is nicely played by the band. "Drone Job" closes the set, and begins with a droning bass which underpins the introduction of the other players. Lots of sounds provide a strange atmosphere over which Siegel plays his tenor -- cymbals, electronics, long bass notes, rising and falling in intensity back the droning tenor melody. Finally, about halfway through the tempo picks up, though the electronics of the keyboard and strange sounds still underplay the tenor. All in all another "unusual" song -- not hard to listen to but definitely not what I would call a "mainstream" sound. By the last minute, the sound has grown in volume and layers, and becomes increasingly electronic (versus acoustic).

All in all, this is one of those disks to take a chance on if you want to step outside the lines so to speak. I know my friends who are into "straight-ahead" jazz will not like it, but others willing to open up to the new sounds of this and might find a lot they like.