I confess I knew nothing about British saxophonist Emma Rawicz until I received this CD, which she recorded as a duo with Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock. Simcock needs no introduction, since the forty-something has established a solid reputation in Britain and Europe, not to mention his collaborations with Pat Metheny or Dave Holland.
Emma Rawicz, on the other hand, is a twenty-something musician who has quickly made a name for herself on her native island – where she has received a string of awards – and who is starting to make a name for herself on the continent.
And her reputation is well-deserved. Indeed, on both tenor and soprano, the saxophonist displays a fine mastery of the instrument and a personal sound full of nuances and quite remarkable.
What’s more, she has a very mature personality, which enables her to lead besides an acoustic quartet, an electric sextet and a large ensemble. And it takes personality to confront Simcock, whose breathtaking virtuosity could intimidate a neophyte. Indeed, the pianist deploys a lush playing style, making his instrument sound like an orchestra with an impressive rhythmic foundation and a sumptuous touch.
But Miss Rawicz is not one to let herself be impressed, and this duo works in perfect harmony, both in terms of solos and compositions, which the two partners share equally, the rest of the repertoire consisting of a standard and a Stevie Wonder theme that they both like.
What we have here is an excellent recording by two musicians with generous, virtuoso playing whose richness we never tire of discovering. It’s an album that introduces us to a saxophonist we’ve not heard the last of, and that confirms the reputation her pianist partner has built up over the years.
Line up :
Emma Rawicz: tenor and soprano sax
Gwilym Simcock: piano
Big Visit is a HIT COULEURS JAZZ and BEST OFTHE MONTH on Couleurs Jazz Radio. The album was released by the label Act, on March 28, 2025.
©Photo Header Gregor Hohenberg
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