Great to hear from you! Thanks so much for coming over to Substack and for this really lovely question.
I do regularly play with lots of other musicians, although perhaps I don't share enough about it, certainly on Instagram/other social platforms. I do a lot of playing with other artists, accompanying on piano/keys which is really fun.
On a more creative level, I have two important other collaborators who I have worked a lot with in the last 5 years or so.
Firstly, Josh Semans, who you may have seen knocking around is an ondes Martenot player and producer, and we have done a wide variety of work together both recorded and live.
We have also been writing and recording new music together as piano & drums duo, which explores the intersection between composed and improvised forms via our shared interest in classical and jazz idioms. The duo is called Engawa, and we have an album recorded, which hopefully will be released at some point soon.
I've also collaborated with a cellist based here in the UK called Liz Hanks, who is fantastic, and I think the cello is one of my favourite instruments for sure. I also love the timbre of the french horn.
I'm also very keen on and interested in choral music, and would to be able to do more in that field as well.
Thanks so much for this lovely question! And maybe I need to start signing my name as SimEon 😊
Hello Siméon [that’s my French autocorrect at work! I’m leaving it in, it might amuse you 😉], many thanks for your comprehensive answer. I confess I hadn’t listened to the Deluxe version of Winnow, thank you for drawing my attention to it. I’m a big fan of Josh Semans and Laura Masotto too, so am thrilled to learn of these collaborations and will give them a listen.
I’m not familiar with Steve Hanley’s or Liz Hank’s work, they sound very interesting - more to discover on my list. I’m definitely a cello lover too, in fact during the confinements when a lot of people started making macrame or bread, I started learning to play the cello. I knew it was going to be challenging but had no idea of the wide extent of the challenge ! Still, I’m hanging in there, and what a joy it is when I manage to play a couple of notes right 🥳 And now that I know what’s involved I’m even more admirative of cello players.
I’d love to hear choral music with your piano, I imagine it would be a perfect combination.
Thanks again for sharing all these collaborations. It’s great to meander in individual artists’ worlds but also very enjoyable to get a new perspective when two musical universes merge, even briefly for a concert.
Thanks Mimi! I must confess I do love Siméon 😊 maybe I’ll start using that when I’m playing on the continent!
Yes indeed, Josh and Laura are brilliant. I’ve done a lot with Josh over the years and he done a lot of post-production for me. Laura and I played this version of ‘Captive’ when we played on the same bill at a show in Portugal so it only felt right to record it too (albeit remotely).
That is so wonderful about the cello. I love that you picked that up during lockdown - especially when everyone else was baking bread! It is such a lovely instrument, one of my favourites, and likewise, I have great respect for anyone playing it, it seems very hard.
Liz is a brilliant cellist and her album ‘Land’ from last year is superb. A lovely confluence of cello, ambient textures and field recordings. I think you’d love it!
Thank you so much for the recommendations ! I absolutely love Liz Hanks’ Land. It’s been looping obsessively in my headphones. Just reading the titles of the tracks takes me on an imaginary walk in nature. I’ve also listened to the Deluxe Winnow, and it’s a winner 😃 Beautiful ! I’m most partial to Captive with Laura Masotto of course but it’s all splendid.
Thank you also for sharing the choral piece, I really like how you turned this poem into music. And am grateful that the text of the poem is provided, otherwise I confess I wouldn’t understand a word 😉 It’s precious when an art form inspires another. My favourite example is The Breathing Hand by Jo Quail. The instrumental track inspired a poem to a listener, which Jo then converted into a choral piece that was added to the original instrumental - full circle! (Although that one is in Polish so even with the text I don’t understand a word 😂).
As always, thanks for all the beautiful sad piano music you make and the food for thought/emotion/réflexion in The Cut Theough
Hi Simeon, it’s Thomas here … I recently found one of your records in Vinyl Revival in Manchester. I was so happy to buy it and take it home … I even mentioned it to you on Threads. Then I felt terrible because it meant someone had given that LP up … it surely must be a rare occurrence but how does it feel to see your music in secondhand shops?
Hey Thomas, great to hear from you! This is such an interesting one, and in all honesty, not something that had ever crossed my mind. I’m so busy trying to sell my records myself, I’d never thought this might be a thing.
As I’m predominantly selling them myself direct (though there are a few in Piccadilly Records) I guess it is a little sad that someone decided to give it up. Maybe they wanted to move away from Sad Piano Music 😉
But…the positive side of it is I’d always rather it was in the hands of someone who will genuinely like and enjoy it, and I know it will be with you 😊❤️
p.s. I know it’s a way away but date for your diary: 15th February next year. Back at Glad Cafe for a cosy afternoon show 😊
Hi SimEon, do you ever play with other musicians? If so what is your favourite instrument to play together with?
Hi Mimi,
Great to hear from you! Thanks so much for coming over to Substack and for this really lovely question.
I do regularly play with lots of other musicians, although perhaps I don't share enough about it, certainly on Instagram/other social platforms. I do a lot of playing with other artists, accompanying on piano/keys which is really fun.
On a more creative level, I have two important other collaborators who I have worked a lot with in the last 5 years or so.
Firstly, Josh Semans, who you may have seen knocking around is an ondes Martenot player and producer, and we have done a wide variety of work together both recorded and live.
He was involved with the Deluxe version of 'Winnow': https://open.spotify.com/album/7LqCYBeAyAoSdcbItC044b?si=5cXZh6pdRtqTW6KGgjoIow
and there's also a live performance on some pieces available here:
https://youtu.be/JARG3QGe0Es?si=EkWoe3MYKkv-j2dt
The second one is Steve Hanley, who is a drummer. We've been working together for many years, and he played on the first recorded version of 'Saturnine' on Piano & Coffee Records: https://open.spotify.com/track/0THENFYGkPAdj0lLIfAdLp?si=03047190fb9c441c
We have also been writing and recording new music together as piano & drums duo, which explores the intersection between composed and improvised forms via our shared interest in classical and jazz idioms. The duo is called Engawa, and we have an album recorded, which hopefully will be released at some point soon.
I've also collaborated with a cellist based here in the UK called Liz Hanks, who is fantastic, and I think the cello is one of my favourite instruments for sure. I also love the timbre of the french horn.
I'm also very keen on and interested in choral music, and would to be able to do more in that field as well.
Thanks so much for this lovely question! And maybe I need to start signing my name as SimEon 😊
Hello Siméon [that’s my French autocorrect at work! I’m leaving it in, it might amuse you 😉], many thanks for your comprehensive answer. I confess I hadn’t listened to the Deluxe version of Winnow, thank you for drawing my attention to it. I’m a big fan of Josh Semans and Laura Masotto too, so am thrilled to learn of these collaborations and will give them a listen.
I’m not familiar with Steve Hanley’s or Liz Hank’s work, they sound very interesting - more to discover on my list. I’m definitely a cello lover too, in fact during the confinements when a lot of people started making macrame or bread, I started learning to play the cello. I knew it was going to be challenging but had no idea of the wide extent of the challenge ! Still, I’m hanging in there, and what a joy it is when I manage to play a couple of notes right 🥳 And now that I know what’s involved I’m even more admirative of cello players.
I’d love to hear choral music with your piano, I imagine it would be a perfect combination.
Thanks again for sharing all these collaborations. It’s great to meander in individual artists’ worlds but also very enjoyable to get a new perspective when two musical universes merge, even briefly for a concert.
All the best,
Mireille
Thanks Mimi! I must confess I do love Siméon 😊 maybe I’ll start using that when I’m playing on the continent!
Yes indeed, Josh and Laura are brilliant. I’ve done a lot with Josh over the years and he done a lot of post-production for me. Laura and I played this version of ‘Captive’ when we played on the same bill at a show in Portugal so it only felt right to record it too (albeit remotely).
That is so wonderful about the cello. I love that you picked that up during lockdown - especially when everyone else was baking bread! It is such a lovely instrument, one of my favourites, and likewise, I have great respect for anyone playing it, it seems very hard.
Liz is a brilliant cellist and her album ‘Land’ from last year is superb. A lovely confluence of cello, ambient textures and field recordings. I think you’d love it!
Here’s a video of a choral piece of mine:
https://youtu.be/7TIMj3B0fC8?si=aMCKXwgQoa7kw1x3
It’s not been released but it’s lovely to be able to share it with you. It’s unaccompanied but hope you like it 😊
Thanks!
Hello Simeon,
Thank you so much for the recommendations ! I absolutely love Liz Hanks’ Land. It’s been looping obsessively in my headphones. Just reading the titles of the tracks takes me on an imaginary walk in nature. I’ve also listened to the Deluxe Winnow, and it’s a winner 😃 Beautiful ! I’m most partial to Captive with Laura Masotto of course but it’s all splendid.
Thank you also for sharing the choral piece, I really like how you turned this poem into music. And am grateful that the text of the poem is provided, otherwise I confess I wouldn’t understand a word 😉 It’s precious when an art form inspires another. My favourite example is The Breathing Hand by Jo Quail. The instrumental track inspired a poem to a listener, which Jo then converted into a choral piece that was added to the original instrumental - full circle! (Although that one is in Polish so even with the text I don’t understand a word 😂).
As always, thanks for all the beautiful sad piano music you make and the food for thought/emotion/réflexion in The Cut Theough
All the best,
Mimi
Hi Simeon, it’s Thomas here … I recently found one of your records in Vinyl Revival in Manchester. I was so happy to buy it and take it home … I even mentioned it to you on Threads. Then I felt terrible because it meant someone had given that LP up … it surely must be a rare occurrence but how does it feel to see your music in secondhand shops?
Hey Thomas, great to hear from you! This is such an interesting one, and in all honesty, not something that had ever crossed my mind. I’m so busy trying to sell my records myself, I’d never thought this might be a thing.
As I’m predominantly selling them myself direct (though there are a few in Piccadilly Records) I guess it is a little sad that someone decided to give it up. Maybe they wanted to move away from Sad Piano Music 😉
But…the positive side of it is I’d always rather it was in the hands of someone who will genuinely like and enjoy it, and I know it will be with you 😊❤️
p.s. I know it’s a way away but date for your diary: 15th February next year. Back at Glad Cafe for a cosy afternoon show 😊
I look forward to seeing you at the Glad Cafe!!!
As for the LP, it has been lovingly rehomed ❤️ thanks for the answer, it was something I worried about.