The 3rd annual Southport Jazz festival got off to an explosive start on Friday 31 January with the newly-formed duo of pianist Gwilym Simcock and soprano and tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz. They were the second of the three acts performing on the opening day, which had started with a Liverpool 5-piece group called The Weave and concluded with The Swingtime Big Band with vocalist, Emma Holcroft and pianist/singer/arranger, Anthony Strong. An impressive starting line-up for this ever-growing festival
The Simcock/Rawicz programme consisted largely of original pieces by the performers. Sometimes this approach can run the risk of personalising the repertoire too much for uninitiated jazz audiences, but here we had a collection which explored such a wide variety of idioms, colours and tempi, the listener was presented with an almost suite-like journey rolling the several pieces into one.
The only exception was Simcock’s arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s Visions (from the 1973 Innervisions LP). It resonated heroically, with Rawicz imparting liquid lyricism and real depth of passion in her delivery. Visions is arguably Wonder’s greatest song – deeply moving with its perfect marriage of melody and harmony throughout. Rawicz negociated through the wide melodic parameters and shape of Visions eloquently and seamlessly, while Simcock’s solo countered effectively, offering the listener a more spare and spacious quality resulting in a reflective glance to put things in perspective.
The duo’s opening number, Simcock’s His Great Adventure (for his 3 year old son) got things off brightly with its uptempo propulsive adventurousness, and each soloist gleefully chasing the other with fervent abandon. Four hands at their best. Similarly, Rawicz’s The Drumbledrone (North Devon parlance for “Bumblebee”) excited, with Simcock’s predilections for diving off into unexpected side roads and byways, while the saxist’s steadfast presence and musings kept visions of the apiary constantly in sight. The 80-minute set concluded with Simcock’s Optimum Friction, a bluesy rhythmic stomp affair replete with engaging chromatic chordal sequences that brought out Rawicz’s rollicking “gutbucket” side, clearly raising the roof of the venue on a high bright note.
As always, big plaudits to the organizers of the festival, Jez Murphy, Emma Holcroft and Cliff Ray and the fine and well appointed ballroom of the Grand Hotel in downtown Southport. Here’s to many more SJFs in the future.
Frank Griffith is a Liverpool-based saxophonist and arranger. His trio will be appearing at the Nantwich Blues and Jazz Festival on 21 April at 6-8PM.