THE HAMBURG SUITE

Gwilym works regularly with the NDR Big Band in Hamburg in Germany. His first commission was "The Hamburg Suite" in 2006.

the work has been recorded by the NDR and performed a number of times including at Jazzahead in Bremen in 2009.

NDR links

NDR links

NDR links

THE LICHFIELD SUITE

WORLD PREMIERE Lichfield festival 2006

This peice was written specially for the Lichfield Festival in 2006 and perfeomed again at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in 2007.

Cheltenham Festival 2007

"Gwilym Simcock put extra gloss on an already shining Cheltenham reputation (last year he was hugely impressive both supporting the enigmatic Lee Konitz and in his own right leading a band including Stan Sulzmann) by performing his ‘Lichfield Suite’ with a stellar big band, including Sulzmann, Mark Lockheart, Julian Siegel, John Parricelli, Laurence Cottle, Martin France et al. – a sixteen-piece outfit, including two french horns. Judiciously balancing carefully weighted composed elements with just enough solo space to infuse the whole with unpredictability and individuality – not to mention, at times, irresistible pep and infectious swing – Simcock, who sensibly devolved conducting duties on to Jules Buckley, while keeping an eye on proceedings from the piano, drew rousing yet elegant performances from all his soloists, contributed a number of characteristically cogent solos himself, and overall, proved himself to be a classy jazz composer in a medium that dearly needs such infusions of fresh talent if it is to be kept vibrant. Simcock’s arrangement of ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’, too, subtly and delicately brought out all the song’s gentle power without a hint of sentimentality – Simcock is a class act, and richly deserved his recent ‘Jazz Musician of the Year’ award from the All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group". Chris Parker, Vortex website