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Greg Foat

Greg Foat
Symphonie Pacifique

Greg Foat 'Symphonie Pacifique'

STRUT212
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Release date: 3rd Jul, 2020
Format

Track Listing

A1. PRELUDE
A2. SYMPHONIE PACIFIQUE
A3. UNDULATION
A4. ANTICIPATION
A5. MU
A6. YONAGUNI

B1. ISLAND LIFE
B2. NIKINAKINU
B3. MAN VS. MACHINE

C1. BEFORE THE STORM
C2. AFTER THE STORM
C3. MEDITATION ON A PEDAL STEEL
C4. LAMENT FOR LAMONT

D1. POINTE-VÉNUS
D2. MOTHER’S LOVE
D3. EPILOGUE: THREE TENORS
PRELUDE
SYMPHONIE PACIFIQUE
UNDULATION
ANTICIPATION
MU
YONAGUNI
ISLAND LIFE
NIKINAKINU
MAN VS. MACHINE
BEFORE THE STORM
AFTER THE STORM
MEDITATION ON A PEDAL STEEL
LAMENT FOR LAMONT
POINTE-VÉNUS
MOTHER’S LOVE
EPILOGUE: THREE TENORS

"The prolific British pianist-keyboardist-composer’s work is centered on place, partnership, and circumstance. Mostly abandoning jazz, he crafts an idiosyncratic, pastoral opus." (Pitchfork)

Foat has become a versatile mainstay in UK jazz through an acclaimed series of albums on Jazzman and Athens Of The North, moving from soul-jazz workouts to library music to cinematic, haunting compositions and pastoral acid folk. ‘Symphonie Pacifique’ goes expansive and widescreen, building a lush soundscape using choral textures, harp and tubular bells. “It has been a hallmark of my previous albums to use choral voices and tubular bells to sound more like chordal instruments,” explains Foat. “I used pedal steel for the first time on these tracks.” All are showcased on the atmospheric ‘After The Storm’. “This piece was completely improvised during our last day of studio time,” continues Foat. “The assistant engineer had set up an arpeggio on the synthesizer as a metronome; the harp and guitar created an ostinato, myself and others soloed over it and we later added choir and strings. Eventually, we took the arpeggio off to leave a calm, serene piece of music.”

Upping the tempo, Foat brings in sensual groove-based tracks like the undulating ‘Anticipation’, the album title track and Groove Merchant-channelling ‘Nikinakinu’. “This was one for my stepson Nicky,” explains Foat. “I worked up this idea with him and my Zimbabwean drummer friend Sam Chagumachinyi so it has a slightly African feel to it and uses pentatonic scales.”

Other tracks include the languid, simmering ‘Island Life’ and a moving tribute to KPM library legend Duncan Lamont on the reflective ‘Lament For Lamont’. “Duncan was one of the unsung heroes of British jazz. He played with Sinatra, composed some incredible library music and his 1970 album ‘Best Of The Bossa Novas’ was one of the biggest selling UK jazz albums of all time. I recorded with him for my album ‘The Mage’ a few years ago and he was genuinely the nicest guy I have ever played with. He was looking forward to working on this album but sadly passed away a couple of months before the sessions, so we really wanted to record this tribute to him.”

The album is a truly international collaboration, recorded analogue and produced by Greg Foat at London’s Fish Factory studios with strings recorded in Edinburgh and choir in Gothenburg. The album was mixed by Mattias Glava at Kungsten Studios in Gothenburg. Cover artwork is based on a painting by early 20th Century Algerian / Parisian artist Henry Valensi.

‘Symphonie Pacifique’ marks another major step forward in Foat’s evolution as one of the UK’s leading jazz pianists and composers and is released on CD, 2LP and digital / streaming.

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Credits

released July 3, 2020

2020, Strut Records - a division of K7 Music GmbH

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