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February 2008
gig reviews

Phronesis
Barry Green
Dan Stern
Gwilym Simcock
Tangent

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February 2008 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Gwilym Simcock

Sunday 24 February

Sunday nights are notoriously problematic for music venues, listeners (understandably) wishing to remain at home steeling themselves for the approaching working week, but a few performers (John Taylor, Tim Berne chief among them) render such considerations irrelevant, packing the club no matter what night they appear in it; to this select band, pianist Gwilym Simcock must now be added.

The Vortex was positively heaving for his (birthday) appearance, during which he performed the first set with his trio (bassist Phil Donkin, drummer Martin France) and the second with his sextet. Beginning, as he does his recent Basho album, with the jaunty 'A Typical Affair', Simcock immediately demonstrated just why there is so much excitement abroad about him: his playing is packed with rhythmic and melodic subtleties and relatively complex, dexterous touches, but such is his technical assurance that the overall impression is of ease, grace and fluency.

His compositions, too, are often downright tricky, full of unexpected felicities, but their execution is always natural-sounding, Simcock's solos flowing elegantly but robustly from him, whether he's negotiating ballads (the touching 'And Then She was Gone') or more up-tempo material (an untitled new piece).

Balancing originals with a couple of standards ('The Way You Look Tonight' given a taut, nervy, rearrangement that particularly suited France's skittering discursiveness), Simcock once again showed that he is not only an almost extravagantly gifted musician but also a skilful leader/performer, his onstage demeanour businesslike but engaging, so that his audience Ø even a packed house such as this Ø is effortlessly drawn into a breathless hush, hanging on his every note.

 

 

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