Jazz breaking news: Tim Garland’s Lighthouse signs to Edition
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Internationally recognised multi-reedist and composer Tim Garland has been confirmed as a major new signing to leading UK indie jazz label, Edition Records, and is set to release a new double album of music by his Lighthouse group in May 2014.
Marking a decade of music making with Lighthouse, this is a significant move for both Garland and Edition – as the saxophonist unveils a new line-up for the band that sees the departure of the trio’s star pianist Gwilym Simcock, who’s increasingly recognised as a notable solo artist in his own right. Lighthouse has enjoyed wide critical acclaim for its three previous albums and while Simcock is no longer in the line up, exciting Israeli-born drummer Asaf Sirkis remains and continues his pan-global percussive approach that also includes his use of Hang drum and Udu (the clay-pot drop-shaped hand percussion instrument).
The album is divided into two halves, the first a wide-screen string-led suite featuring Garland’s ‘Songs To The North Sky’ that’s performed with the 30-piece Royal Northern Sinfonia, stellar US bassist John Patitucci and drummer Sirkis. The work was shortlisted for the 2013 British Composer Awards. The second half features energised and expanded permutations of the group including three top-level pianists – Jason Rebello, Geoffrey Keezer and John Turville – plus two talented guitarists, rising star Ant Law and Garland’s former Lamas bandmate, Don Paterson.
Garland’s playing has gone from strength to strength over the last two decades, not least thanks to his ongoing work with jazz icon Chick Corea, since first working with him in his band Origin in 1999, he’s now his regular saxophonist – and was a standout performer of his recent world tour in support of Corea’s latest album, The Vigil. Garland is also Chick’s current writing collaborator and notable orchestrator for the pianist’s The New Crystal Silence with Gary Burton, for which he won a Grammy Award in 2009. The move to Edition marks a milestone for both Garland and the group's history and consolidates his experiences as one of the UK’s finest and most complete composer-performers with an enviable international reputation.
– Mike Flynn
For more info go to www.editionrecords.com