Norma Winstone & Will Bartlett
Release Date: 31 March 2023
Label: Jellymould Jazz
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5029385864279
Genres: Jazz Contemporary
Description
2022 marked Philip Larkin's centenary year and inspired by the work of this great British wordsmith, composer and pianist Will Bartlett has written a collection of songs and settings featuring vocalist Norma Winstone and saxophonist Tony Kofi.
Three tracks also feature narration by writer, poet and broadcaster Robin Ince. This is an incredibly intimate recording, impeccably captured by producer/engineer Curtis Schwartz at his studio in Ardingly, West Sussex.
The renowned British poet and novelist Philip Larkin was an avid jazz enthusiast and served as the jazz critic for The Daily Telegraph from 1961-71. He once said: "You might say I can live a week without poetry but not a day without jazz."
With only the piano for accompaniment, Norma Winstone's hallmark sensitive delivery is exquisitely featured on eight of the ten compositions - nine of which have been written by Bartlett, the tenth is a setting of Peter Erskine's tune "Twelve" to Larkin's words. Erskine has contributed some liner notes to the album.
Norma Winstone needs no introduction. She is one of the finest vocal talents of her generation and this recording captures her voice with a presence and closeness that gives the listener a very real experience of her sensitive and subtle treatment of lyric and melody.
Will Bartlett read music at St. Peter's college, Oxford, specialising in composition and musical analysis before completing his jazz studies at the Guildhall and Trinity Schools of Music in London. He has since become a regular on the London jazz circuit working with Stan Sulzmann, Claire Martin, Matt Ford, Jim Mullen, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Alan Barnes, Anita Wardell and many more.
Tracklisting
Norma Winstone & Will Bartlett
Matt Anderson's Wildflower Sextet
Kristian Borring
The Magic Hat Ensemble
The Tommy Evans Orchestra
Tim Thornton
Salerosa
Tommy Andrews Quintet
Nigel Price Organ Trio
Conrad Herwig
Norma Winstone & Kit Downes
Oded Tzur
Su Rossy Girod, Nat Su, Jorge Rossy
Jonathan Salvi Arugula Sextet
Bob Baldwin
Steven Nichols
