by Colin May
March 12, 2025
/ LIVE
Simcock enjoyed playing with the OUJO very much and his soloing was dazzling. The talent in the OUJO shone through as did their enthusiasm and enjoyment in playing the music.
Gwilym Simcock and Oxford University Jazz Orchestra
JdP Music Building, St Hilda’s College, Oxford. 8.30 show
1st March 2025
Gwilym Simcock Piano
Oxford University Jazz Orchestra:
Saxophones;
Alto - Lulu Whittington and Holly Shearsmith
Tenor - Eva Fidler and Asha Parkinson
Baritone - Fraser Hauser
Trombones - James Thistlewood, Sheen Bendon, Eugenio Vecchi, and Topher Colby
Trumpets - James McQueen, Charlotte Ward, Guy Barwell, Peter Abeyawardene and Sophie Simpson
Piano - James Lawson
Double Bass - Adam Cole
Drums - Ross Baker
Vocals - Phoebe Holmes-Simeon and Isi Clarke
This was renowned pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock’s second visit to the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building (JdP) to play with Oxford University Jazz Orchestra (OUJO), the first occasion being in February 2024. I was unable to be there that night for what was said to be “one of the most thrilling and memorable concerts to have been given at the JdP in recent years” (JdP brochure 2024-25). It’s no surprise then that the OUJO which is run by the students, invited Simcock back this academic year.
The OUJO was formed in 1991, and trumpeter Mark Armstrong, now director of England’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra is a former member. It is a mix of music and non-music students who “are passionate about the music they make” (concert programme). They must be, for as far as I know the OUJO happens mostly in what free time Oxford students have outside of their intense academic studies. Jazz harmony is taught as part of the music degree, but as far as I know there is not a jazz stream equivalent to what’s available at several conservatoires.
The OUJO invitee Gwilym Simcock has earned many plaudits for his playing and composing, and is noted for moving easily between jazz and classical. While he has a long-established trio/quartet with double bassist Yuri Goloubev and drummer Asaf Sirkis to which sometimes they add multi instrumentalist Klaus Gesing, he performs across a very wide range of formats from playing solo to working with a full orchestra. His solo album in 2011, ‘Good Days at Schloss Elmau’ was nominated for the Mercury Prize that year (PJ Harvey’s ‘Let England Shake’ won).
He toured as part of guitar legend Pat Metheny’s quartet from 2016 to 2020, and his current projects include playing in a duo with tenor saxophonist Tommy Smith. Also he’s formed another piano/sax duo with fellow ACT recording artist Emma Rawicz that made its UK debut in November 2023 at the London Jazz Festival. With the BBC New Generation Artist scheme this year celebrating 25 years, it is a happy coincidence that their debut album ‘Big Visit’ will be released at the end of March as Gwilym Simcock was the first jazz artist to be given a place on the scheme in 2006-2008 and Emma Rawicz is the current jazz New Generation artist.
It is safe to assume Simcock enjoys the experience of working with talented students as he’s Professor of Jazz Piano at his alma mater The Royal Academy of Music. There’s a video available of him playing a pandemic delayed concert of his own compositions in 2023 with the Royal Academy Jazz Orchestra conducted by Nick Smart with Emma Rawicz in the front line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZjpVhDxGrU
Tonight’s concert with students started with several small group numbers. The opener saw Simcock in a trio with bassist Adam Cole and drummer Ross Baker, with them playing a very enjoyable brand new 13 bar blues ‘Baker’s Dozen’ that Simcock composed just a few days before after having heard the other two in rehearsal. It was a restless blues that had Simcock plucking the piano strings, strong attack from bassist Cole in his solo and power drumming from Baker. The slightly shifting end passage sounded like it might have been written by Steve Reich.
The trio then were joined by tenor saxophonist Eva Fidler for Joe Henderson’s ‘Black Narcissus’. It began with Simcock soloing and playing melodically in contrast to the jagged blues that came before. There was a double bass solo and another Simcock piano solo but this number belonged to the long flowing lines of the talented Fidler’s tenor.
Next came a piano duet composed by Simcock with input from the OUJO’s pianist and co- organiser James Lawson. It was called ‘Barber’s Blues’ not because of a visit to a hairdresser but because it is based on American classical composer Samuel Barber’s ‘Excursions’. This was a highlight, with the lead being swapped between the two pianists neither of whom held back. It is to James Lawson’s credit that he held his own in this exalted company.
The first of the full band numbers was Simcock’s ‘Weathered’ with an opening that combined tinkling piano and edgy baritone sax. A funky tune then emerged which opened the way for an impressive alto solo played by the band’s baritone player Fraser Hauser over harmonies from the sax section. After a burst from the full band Simcock took over with drummer Baker, the pair creating rumbling menace with Simcock rising up off the piano stool while striking the keys before he brought in the full band once more to close out what was another highlight.
Vocalist Isi Clarke sang confidently in performing Frank Loesser’s song ‘Never Will I Marry,’ initially as a duet with the piano and then with the full OUJO, with her voice strong enough to avoid being overwhelmed.
A rock-solid rhythm section, well drilled trombones and strong soloing were the foundations of a superbly tight band performance of Julian Arguelles’ arrangement of Dudu Pukwana’s very catchy composition ‘Mra Khali’.
This was followed by Simcock’s arrangement of the Burke/Webster classic ‘Black Coffee’ which he’d recorded in trio form on his ‘Blues Vignette’ double album (2009). The OUJO revelled in the slinky arrangement and the opportunity to play at their full power.
Appropriately the final orchestral number was a Simcock composition, ‘Snap.’ It opened as a piano duet with James Lawson on the Steinway and Simcock on the electric keyboard. The pace picked up with the entry of the OUJO and then accelerated some more till the music was going flat out with the sax line playing strong harmonies. A false ending of three successive chords caught out several of the audience, including myself, before a dynamic drum solo proved to be the actual ending.
After that an opportunity to relax a little was welcome and it came in a deliciously languid version of ‘Summertime’ performed by vocalist Phoebe Holmes -Simeon using vibrato accompanied only by Gwilym Simcock’s angular phrasing of the familiar tune. The overall effect was to give the jazz warhorse a fresh feel.
The hard work the OUJO and Gwilym Simcock must have done ahead of this concert certainly paid off. It was observable that Simcock enjoyed playing with the OUJO very much and his soloing was dazzling. The talent in the OUJO shone through as did their enthusiasm and enjoyment in playing the music. It was good to see they had broad smiles as they took their bow alongside Gwilym Simcock to warm applause from the very happy audience.
COLIN MAY