“Among the many many moods that Sean calls forth together with his music, maybe joyfulness is probably the most dominant” wrote one reviewer of Canadian pianist Sean Fyfe’s first album as chief. He has been based mostly within the UK since 2021, and is within the course of of creating fairly a reputation for himself as a bandleader right here. His subsequent concert events in Guildford and Luton will characteristic prime UK musicians taking part in the music from a brand new album, due for launch in early 2024. Characteristic by Lavender Sutton.

Sean Fyfe emigrated to London after a protracted stint in New York Metropolis and finding out at Manhattan Faculty of Music. Now settled within the UK, he has rapidly change into a mainstay pianist round London and has began touring underneath his personal title at golf equipment everywhere in the nation. 

Fyfe’s acclaimed debut album a frontrunner, Late Evening, was recorded again in Montreal earlier than he moved to London and options a few of Montreal’s finest musicians (Sam Kirmayer on guitar, Adrian Vedady on bass and Andre White on drums). As White mentions within the sleeve notice, Victoria, BC-born Fyfe has a “deep information of the custom, a hard-earned understanding of music’s mechanics, and the absorption of classes realized from previous masters.” It’s no shock, then, that since shifting to London he has tracked down a few of the finest London has to supply to play and file with.

Fyfe has been taking part in frequently with Luke Fowler on bass, Matt Fishwick on drums and Dave O’Higgins on Tenor Sax and determined it was time he booked the studio to file the forthcoming album to be launched on the distinguished Canadian label Cellar Music Group. The album shall be a set of his originals and a few well-known requirements and is about to come back out in March 2024. 

Main as much as this date, Fyfe has been busy touring and has a number of pre-Christmas gigs that may characteristic the music from this unreleased album. A daily performer on the Guildford Taproom “Growlers and Cans”, Fyfe has the band from the album booked (with Jeremy Brown on bass) for 1 November. Later within the month, the unique quartet are taking part in at The Bear Membership in Luton for the primary time. 

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Fyfe shared a few of his ideas behind the chosen choice of music and a little bit bit extra details about the gigs coming as much as give listeners an thought of what they may anticipate when coming to at least one (or each!) of the gigs. When you had been a fan of Late Evening then both of those dates shall be a particular deal with – to listen to this music stay earlier than the album comes out. 

With influences like Freddie Hubbard and Coltrane to glean concepts from, preparations of Candy and Beautiful and With out a Music find yourself with a playful harmonic adjustment right here or a borrowed lick there. The keen-eared listener would possibly catch musical gadgets pinched from different preparations as Fyfe used them to jot down his personal – virtually like mixing a magic potion. 

There will even be an authentic blues entitled Skitch and a motif-based tune known as Stepping Stones advanced out of an earworm – a type of compositions that you just suppose is one thing authentic, till you hear it again later and realise it’s the start of one thing else. With little effort, a small acquainted track takes the ‘stepping stones’ to change into one thing uniquely totally different. 

A couple of fantastically chosen ballads will make an look and should you’ve heard Lush Life, from the final album, you’ll know that little or no association is critical when a terrific pianist places their remedy on an equally nice ballad. You’ll have to purchase a ticket to search out out which of them he has chosen.

Fyfe is, of late, an enormous fan of Cedar Walton, and so has determined to not solely play all of the upcoming tracks from the album, but in addition embody a few of Walton’s preparations too. After all, followers will get a kick out of those tributes and if unfamiliar with Cedar Walton, put together for an schooling. 

With such a dynamic programme deliberate for these upcoming gigs, it can undoubtedly be an actual pleasure to listen to his new preparations and compositions for the primary time. These two dates will lead on to a extra in depth tour of the upcoming album after March subsequent 12 months. Try Fyfe’s web site and former album (should you haven’t already) for an inkling of what’s in retailer and make sure you come up with tickets to his gigs at Growlers and Cans or The Bear Membership for the primary sneak peak. 

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LINKS: Sean Fyfe’s web site

1 November : Growlers and Cans, 24 Chertsey Avenue, Guildford. GU1 4HD – BOOKINGS
23 November: The Bear Membership (Luton) – BOOKINGS