15th September 2016: Euan Stevenson and Konrad Wiszniewski ‘New Focus’ at Eyemouth Hippodrome this weekend + reviews for ‘New Focus On Song’ including Financial Times, London Jazz, Jazzwise Magazine and ★★★★ from The Jazz Mann

Scottish pianist/composer Euan Stevenson and saxophonist/composer Konrad Wiszniewski continue their musical collaboration New Focus with a second album New Focus On Song. After the critical success of their first release which featured a blend of classical, jazz and Scottish Folk that was shortlisted for the 2012 Scottish Album of the Year Award, the pair have established themselves as leading lights on the burgeoning creative music scene in Scotland.

Much of the acclaim received to date for New Focus has centred on the pair’s ability to write beautiful, haunting melodies where every piece in the sequel balances emotional power with exquisite craftsmanship. Stevenson provides the majority of the compositions and orchestrations and largely employs the subtle palette of the first album (jazz quartet, string quartet and harp), further enriching these textures with the addition of woodwind. Wiszniewski solos on both tenor and soprano saxophones throughout, while on ensemble passages he and his wife Nicola Wiszniewska provide orchestral colour on clarinet and flute respectively with Alina Bzhezhinska once more featured on concert harp.

The New Focus Duo plays Cupar Blues & Beyond Club at Watt’s, Cupar on Friday, September 16; Craiglockhart Parish Church, Edinburgh, Saturday 17; and The Hippodrome, Eyemouth, Sunday 18. (For full details of these and all other dates click: here) 

Read the preview of the Eyemouth show in Jazzwise Magazine: Jazzwise Preview and in Herald Scotland (here)

Here are the highlights from the latest round up of reviews for New Focus On Song:

“Another impressive offering from the team of Stevenson & Wiszniewski…lush, rich colours and textures…if anything the synthesis between the three different strands of jazz, classical and folk is even more successful this time round”.
★★★★ The Jazz Mann (full review)

“The balance between the jazz instruments and the string quartet is such that they reinforce each other rather than competing for attention… The album stands on the quality of the writing, musicianship and the relationship between the two principals.”
London Jazz (full review)

“Acoustic jazz roots with a rush of strings…tuneful melodies and lyrical improvisation.”
Financial Times (website)

“Stevenson channels those Satie, Debussy and Ravel influences…his writing is consistently inventive and imaginative but always unfailingly melodic…a highly accomplished piece of work with the potential for considerable cross genre appeal.”
★★★★ The Jazz Mann (full review)

“A wholly convincing synthesis of musical styles which integrate not only strings but other instruments into an absorbing whole.”
Sandy Brown Jazz (full review)

‘Green Park’ from New Focus On Song