Gwilym Simcock“Gwilym’s an original. A creative genius” Chick Corea

Gwilym Simcock interview with Joanne Kee prior to his national tour with the Lighthouse Trio in October and November this year.  For more information see the end of this article.

Gwilym Simcock winner of the Perrier Award, BBC Jazz Awards 2005. British Jazz Awards 2005 Gwilym was the first BBC Radio 3 New Generation jazz Artist.  He was voted “Jazz Musician of the Year” at the 2007 Parliamentary Jazz Awards nominated for the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards as Best Instrumentalist. His impressive 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.

JK: When did you make the transition from classical music to jazz? Or do you consider yourself as still having a foot in both camps?

GS: Well I went to a classical musical school – Chetham's music school in Manchester – from the age of 9-18, and I think it was when I was about 14-15 that I was introduced to Jazz music, and that completely changed my life. I'd always sat down and improvised at the piano since I was a little kid, but until then I hadn't really realised there was a whole genre of music dedicated to improvising! So it was a huge discovery for me, and it provided a freedom of expression that I was struggling to find with classical music at the time. I found that Jazz could have all the beauty and emotional power of classical music, but that it had such a spontaneous spirit that I really loved. Also,  making music together as a band was something that really appealed to me, given that previously whilst training to be a concert pianist, I would spend hours every day in a practice room on my own – and that could be a little dispiriting sometimes.
 
JK: Where you when you first heard your favourite performer playing live?

GS: Well I've always loved Keith Jarrett, and it was only in the last few years that I finally got to see him live. It was a solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and actually the concert formed half of his 'Testament' album, so it's nice to know I was there when I listen back to that recording!

JK: You have worked with some significant artists, any comments about working with these artists?

GS: I've been hugely lucky to work with so many exceptional musicians, some well known, some not. It goes without saying that working with musicians like Dave Holland, Steve Swallow, Lee Konitz, Bobby McFerrin etc is such a great honour and always a fantastic learning experience… I hope that I can provide even a tiny  percentage of that inspiration to others in the coming years…

JK: When you decided that you wanted to be a full time performer did you make any lifestyle adjustments to make it happen or did you just fall into it?

GS: I totally fell into it! From 9 years at music school I went straight into 4 years at music college (the Royal Academy of Music in London) doing a jazz degree, and from leaving there I just got on with it really! The lovely thing about being at a music college is that you start to develop the musical relationships that will hopefully continue and develop through the rest of your life.
 
JK: Tell me about the things you like most about performing as a soloist and about performing with the Lighthouse Trio?

Solo is a great challenge and really makes you think about your relationship with the instrument itself, as well as how you can best connect with and engage an audience. That side of it is particularly important to me as I always want the audience to feel like they've been taken on an emotional journey through the course of a concert. Finding the best way to do that is always an interesting learning experience for me.

Playing with any group, and especially Lighthouse, is a very different vibe as it is so much about the communication and musical conversation between the musicians. Particularly with this trio, communication and the positive energy between us is absolutely paramount to the music. Jazz I think is very much an art form that really comes into it's own when in a live setting, as the spontaneous nature of the music offers a listening experience which I think is totally unique in the musical world.

I'm very much aware of how instrumental jazz can sometimes be difficult for the casual listener, so it's a very important thing for me personally that the music I/we make is accessible and engaging for the audiences. We have so much fun with Lighthouse when we play, as we're all such great friends and know each other so well that I think that connection and love for what we do hopefully always comes across in the music.
 
JK: What is your inspiration for composition and how do you split your time between playing and composing?

GS: The inspiration for composing can come from so many different sources. Sometimes musical, sometimes from general experiences, but I always want my music to tell a story. I think that is especially important when you don't have a singer in your group as you only have your instrument and the music you write with which to tell the tale. I also like to talk quite a lot during the concerts about the pieces, as again hopefully that allows the listener to have an idea in their heads as to what is going on with the narrative, and also why I'm making the musical decisions I'm making. Composing does take up a lot of time, but I do try to use it a lot of the time (especially with solo music) as a vehicle for helping me to improve my piano playing. Not necessarily making everything very technical or flashy, but certainly trying to expand on the palette of sounds and textures that I'm able to create on the instrument.
 
JK:  From the album which is your favourite piece? Is that also your favourite to play?

GS: I quite like 'King Barolo' as it's a very happy piece, featuring the very unusual Hang drum. It's also great fun to play and has developed the more times we've played it live, as tends to be the case with this type of music. Also it's always nice to play 'Tawel Nawr' as that is a very enjoyable moment of calm and simplicity during the set. To be honest I never listen back to albums after we've finished making them, as you always like to think that you're constantly progressing as a musician, and when you listen back to something you did a while back, sometimes you wish you could do it again and better! It usually takes for me about 5 years before I can accept things and feel happy to listen back to things and accept them for what they are. I guess I should probably chill out and not get so uptight but there we go!
 
JK: Tell us about your practise method?

GS: Hmm well I try to grab any practice time I can! It definitely gets harder as you get older… And as I write this I'm in the middle of a tour, and as a piano player it can be very hard as you, of course, don't have a piano in your hotel room, so a lot of the time you don't get to do any practice at all between gigs. Which is a drag. Yesterday I played a gig in a club that is open all day as a bistro, so it wasn't possible to even play a note before the concert started. So to start from 'cold' is an odd feeling. You have to find a way of making it work, and when you do get to be in a room with a piano you lock the doors, turn your phone off and make sure you make the most of it!
 
JK: Do you have a compositional routine or do you wait for external inspiration when composing?

GS: I wouldn't say I have a routine as such, but I do what I have to do, and every project is different. I write for orchestras, big bands, choirs, chamber ensembles as well as jazz groups, so every thing I'm working on I try to approach in a way which will be most effective and allow me to put the most into the music. When I'm just writing for solo piano the process tends to be very much tied up with my playing practice, so I'll probably have quite a few different ideas for pieces on the boil at the same time, chipping away and developing them a little bit each time.
 
JK: What do you like about performing live?

GS: Well it's such a huge privilege to be a performing musician. I love walking out on stage, sitting at the piano and feeling like that is my little work/play station for the next few hours. ANd of course when you're playing with a band you're spending your evening with your best friends, doing what you love doing, so that is always so so enjoyable. I do feel really strongly about trying to connect with the audience so when that works really well it's a totally satisfying and energising feeling.

JK: You are all in such demand, tell me about other projects you are working on at the moment?

GS: Well whilst we're away on tour I've been finishing writing the music for a new album under my own name that I'm making in mid November. That's going to feature a chamber orchestra as well as jazz trio, with two of my closest musical associates over the last few years, Yuri Goloubev and Martin France. A lot of work has gone into it so I'm very excited about getting it recorded.

As soon as that's done I'm back off on tour with a quartet I co-lead called the 'Impossible Gentlemen'. That group features Steve Swallow, Adam Nussbaum and an amazing guitarist from Manchester called Mike Walker. There's always a great atmosphere and fun energy to that band so looking I'm looking forward to seeing those guys again. I love variation in my musical life so I tend to embrace doing lots of different things as I feel that's how you learn and grow as a musician. I think it can be hard work for my manager who has to sell what I do and who I am as a musician, but I'm very lucky that she's so understanding and doesn't give me too much grief!

Gwilym’s influences include jazz legends Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and John Taylor and classical composers Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky, Mark-Anthony Turnage. Although principally a jazz artist, Gwilym is breaking new ground between genres and often uses classical reference points in his composed work.

Aside from his renowned solo piano work, Gwilym has worked extensively throughout Europe with the cream of British and international jazz artists including Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Bob Mintzer and Bobby McFerrin.  His own groups as leader range from trio to big band.  His debut album “Perception” featured his sextet with Stan Sulzmann (saxophones), John Parricelli (guitar), Phil Donkin (bass), Martin France (drums) and Ben Bryant (percussion). was nominated for Best Album in the BBC Jazz Awards 2008 and has been critically acclaimed at home and abroad. His most recent release "Blues Vignette" features both solo piano and work with his new trio with Yuri Goloubev (bass) and James Maddren (drums). The album has been universally praised as "sublime", "flawless", "impressive" "a marker that few others are likely to equal".

·         If you would like to see and hear the Lighthouse Trio, they will be on tour from 27 October to 3rd November, culminating in performances at the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz.

·         They will also be performing in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

·         27 & 28 October – Perth, Ellingtons – www.ellingtonjazz.com.au

·         Tue 30Brisbane – The Powerhouse – www.brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/view/lighthouse/

·         Wed 31 – Sydney, Venue 505 – www.venue505.com

·         Thu 1 – Melbourne – Bennetts Lane

·         Fri 2, Sat 3 November – Wangaratta Festival – www.wangarattajazz.com

·         For more information on the trio, or Gwilym

·         http://www.triolighthouse.com/gigs.php

          http://www.gwilymsimcock.com/index.htm

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