I’m excited to announce my first release for solo piano, ‘My Soul Is A Strange Country’ out on 11 December. ⠀
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The piano is the first instrument I learnt as a kid, and I have always been inspired by piano writing, particularly the contemplative pianism of Bill Evans and the harmonic approach of composers such as Debussy and Ravel. ⠀
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But until now the piano has been an instrument I have played mainly for myself. I wrote these six pieces initially as private responses to the emotional upheaval of the past few years. I intended to release them in April but in amongst the initial pandemic chaos, it didn’t feel right. But now as the pieces must somehow be put back together I hope this music can be helpful in the rebuilding. ⠀
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As with all the music I make at moment, I recorded the EP whilst helping to care for my Dad with Alzheimer’s and without noticing it I found myself drawn to collaborate on with two older men – brilliant engineer Patrick Wood and artist Bryan Hawkins who created over eighty artworks in response to the music. This EP artwork is one of them. My good friend, the poet @jackmiguel_ also wrote a poem to accompany the EP. ⁣Big thanks to @campbellsibthorpe for the cover layout and design. ⠀
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The result is a study in masculine vulnerability and power of using space to convey the yawning depth of what’s being lost, among the fragile beauty of what remains. ⠀
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I look forward to sharing more of the project with you over the next few weeks. ⠀
‘My Soul Is A Strange Country’ is out on 11 December 2020. You can pre-save it now at this link: https://show.co/q7084wJ⠀
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Big love ⠀
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J x⠀