A story through music inspired by the Welsh rainforest fusing jazz, classical, contemporary and traditional Welsh music.

Acclaimed pianist Gwilym Simcock follows a sustained period of touring with legendary guitarist Pat Metheny with a brand new collaborative project. Combining Simcock's formidable skills in composition, arrangement and improvisation with the lyrics and melodies of Welsh/Bajan singer-songwriter Kizzy Crawford and an ensemble drawn from leading Welsh chamber orchestra Sinfonia Cymru, Birdsong tells a story through music inspired by Carngafallt. Carngafallt is part of the Welsh rainforest territory and home to a complex ecosystem. These new compositions take the form of bilingual songs and fuse jazz, classical, contemporary and traditional Welsh music.

Kizzy & Gwilym first worked together on a performance of Welsh music, arranged by Gwilym, at the Cardiff Millennium Centre in 2014. The same year they were approached by BBC Radio 4 to compose pieces about the Port Talbot Skyline.

BBC Radio 4 broadcast a documentary programme about the Birdsong project in January 2017.

The recording will be launched in London on 10 May 2018 as part of Hampstead Arts Festival, with a Welsh launch shortly thereafter (TBC).

This project was made possible by Sinfonia Cymru, Arts Council Wales, RSPB Cymru, Hampstead Arts Festival, Jules and Sheryl Burns, PRS Foundation for music and The Waterloo Foundation (The Waterloo Foundation is helping to fund the tour).

Track Listing

• Introduction - Birdsong Chorale
• Another Source / Tarddle Arall
• Where We Came From / Ble y Daethorn
• Wildlife / Bywyd Gwyllt
• Rhododendron
• Angelic Soul / Enaid Angylaidd
• Back To The Trees / Nol i'r Coed
• Into The Dark Mystical Beauty / Mewn i'r Hardwwych Tywll Cyfriniol
• Owl Song / Can y Gwdihw

Additional Details

Label: Basho Music

Genre: Jazz

Language: English

Run Time: 66:18 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 05/04/18

UPC: 5070000006772