Gwilym Simcock at Toledo Museum Of Art

A virtuoso pianist and imaginative composer, Gwilym Simcock is a leading artist on the European music scene. Trained as a classical pianist from his youth, at the age of fourteen he turned his attention to jazz and composition, putting his musical foundation to work in a quest for a new and original sound. That his endeavor has borne fruit is confirmed by a myriad of awards, including the UK's Parliamentary Jazz Awards and the BBC Jazz Awards designation as “Jazz Musician of the Year.” Moving effortlessly between classical and jazz forms, he has been described as reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, complete with “harmonic sophistication and subtle dovetailing of musical traditions.” Chick Corea called him “a creative genius.”...

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A virtuoso pianist and imaginative composer, Gwilym Simcock is a leading artist on the European music scene. Trained as a classical pianist from his youth, at the age of fourteen he turned his attention to jazz and composition, putting his musical foundation to work in a quest for a new and original sound. That his endeavor has borne fruit is confirmed by a myriad of awards, including the UK's Parliamentary Jazz Awards and the BBC Jazz Awards designation as “Jazz Musician of the Year.” Moving effortlessly between classical and jazz forms, he has been described as reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, complete with “harmonic sophistication and subtle dovetailing of musical traditions.” Chick Corea called him “a creative genius.”

Among his newest fans is Pat Metheny, whose early albums were part of Simcock's inspiration to pursue jazz. While in a London radio station on a tour, a producer gave Metheny a copy of one of Simcock's albums and mentioned that Simcock had often remarked about the influence of Metheny's music. Metheny loved what he heard and, in 2014, the two met up. What was planned for an hour or two became an entire afternoon of music making, led to an invitation for Simcock to join Metheny's band, and worldwide touring in 2015, 2016 and 2017 with a recording due out later this year on Nonesuch. Simcock has caught the ear of another band leader and guitarist, Wolfgang Muthspiel, and toured this spring with his Rising Grace quintet with Brian Blade, Scott Colley and Ambrose Akinmusire. Between tours with these two esteemed guitarists, Simcock will give solo piano concerts in North America in June and July.

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