Website by Make a Spectacle From the flourishing curtain-opening piano structure and sax flowing into the opened landscape throughout ‘His Great Adventure’ you get a sense that both Emma Rawicz and Gwilym Simcock are taking listeners into this wonderful view and lovely picture-sque boundaries that are waiting for you to come on board The duo’s new album Big Visit is quite an astonishing debut marking the first beginning of a partnership between two musicians that have incredible chemistry that’s unleashed on the ACT label you just turn everything off and let the music speak and guide you into these possible voyages that hits you The album’s title represents the freewheeling abandon they’ve experiences while recording the album and its quite the marvel that they’ve endured during the sessions The morning rise for ‘The Shape of a New Sun’ brings some soulful resemblance to ‘Human Nature’ from Michael Jackson’s Thriller years with Miles Davis handling the production levels of the piece as Rawicz channels Mel Collins’ sax work during the ‘Bolero’ section from King Crimson’s 23-minute suite ‘Lizard’ as Simcock lays down some beautiful piano work as he climbs upwards to the rooftop in the streets of London waiting at the right moment for the sun to come up But its ‘The Drumbledorone’ that becomes a hefty-exercise for Rawicz as she pours her heart and soul throughout her improvisation’s I wouldn’t compare her to John Coltrane because that would be too much of a cop-out and Soft Machine’s Elton Dean that comes to mind It also has a Peanuts nod in which Simcock adds in his own flavour to Guaraldi’s score to the specials that were aired in the heyday of the late ‘60s into the early ‘70s in which he brought jazz to Schulz’s creation you can just imagine this piece being played on an ordinary day between Charlie Brown and Snoopy while ‘Optimum Friction’ gets your heart beat thumping There’s this intensive arrangement in which Gwilym adds enough flames on his grand piano so Emma can blare out those high notes on her sax It mixes in that seagull effect as they fly high into the clear blue sky waiting for their next adventure into the unknown with some bluesy punches that Emma hits on her instrument ‘Visions’ is the calmness set in this smoky night club in the 1950s set in black-and-white between the Greenwich Village area in New York or in Paris where you vision these two Friday and Saturday where all the shops are closed watching the duo relieving the stress momentum that is needed to clear their heads It opens with Emma setting up this lonely arrangement on her sax before Gwilym paints one last portrait on his piano almost saying farewell to each other echoing messages that drives the piece home and sending us a home-like wonder by heading off to bed This isn’t just a jazz album; this is an album that’ll really keep you coming back for more to see what you’ve been missing It’s this force of nature that carries the beauty and the mystery the duo has landed upon us when it comes to the Big Visit that’s waiting upon its arrival Regular visitor? 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More Info Website by Make a Spectacle It has been clear for some time that Emma Rawicz is the rising star of UK jazz but her jazz orchestra’s performance at Ronnie’s on 30 January 2025 has moved her into a new league We knew that she is a terrific saxophonist that she writes good tunes and makes fine albums that she can more than hold her own in small groups with the likes of Gwilym Simcock and that she is a strong stage presence with excellent communication skills At Ronnie’s we discovered how well she writes for jazz orchestra with total command of  the players and the music in live performance What’s more – and this is not always true of jazz musicians especially young ones – it was clear that she and the band were having a great time  I have never seen such a smiley big band or a leader who was so clearly revelling in the moment while directing the band with total discipline and precision The quality and diversity of her writing and arrangements were remarkable as would be expected of a recent graduate of the RAM but Emma’s personal voice came through loud and clear notably in some original and striking guitar voicings which David Preston handled sensitively and tastefully was particularly impressed by a workout for bass trombone; we were all knocked out by Emma’s use of Immy Churchill’s lovely voice as an integral part of the orchestral textures With one exception – Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock – all the pieces were Emma originals; this can be a risky strategy for a young musician but here it paid off 100%,  every number fully deserving its place on the gig partly because it gave Immy Churchill a chance to be a lead vocalist rather than an instrument To my ears she was a little down in the mix Among a mostly young band made up mainly of Emma’s friends from RAM and NYJO two senior players stood out – Mark Lockheart on tenor and Nick Smart on trumpet It was good to hear Emma thanking both for their influence on her playing and also Ant Law who was watching from a stool at the bar – uncomfortable but the best listening spot in the Club it’s no surprise that I enjoyed seeing an all-NYJO-alumni tenor trombone section James Copus among the trumpets and Tom Smith in the baritone chair including a bass clarinet part which made full use of that instrument’s unique texture Emma’s own playing had complete technical mastery but always with a very musical objective and a precise creation of the desired mood The ease with which she switched from soloing to directing the band was remarkable and the smile with which she did it lit up the room All credit to Ronnie’s for booking the Emma Rawicz Jazz Orchestra and giving them two separate houses; both were sold out and (at the first house at least) to an attentive audience which clearly appreciated  the quality of what they were listening to  Memo to the Club: please make this an annual feature Particles of ChangeA Portrait of TodayLa MadrugadaWoodstockRangwaliVoodooMiddle GroundVera Anima RisingA Portrait of TodayWoodstockWaldeinsamkeitRangwaliMiddle GroundLa MadrugadaParticles of Change and I couldn’t agree more with Nigel’s comments It was an outstanding performance of orchestra and leader I’m an old geezer who’s been listening to jazz since the 1950s and the one extra element for me in Emma’s approach is her youth and the refreshingly youthful feel of her sounds and her trio a couple of weeks ago and am also highly impressed at her easy ability to move between formats Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a64c9f7eeb8e13996fcb336ac1e19851" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Please check your inbox (and also your spam or junk folder We kindly request to oblige by fair use rules when quoting or sharing our content All original content is copyrighted unless credited otherwise but does take on work as a paid publicist and/or sell advertising packages Where a piece published after 26th 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The Polish warehouse market has finally stabilised after the post-pandemic boom but new challenges and opportunities are on the horizon for the sector UBM Development has been given the go-ahead for the first wooden office building in Poland: Timber Park in Poleczki Business Park in Warsaw The office market in Warsaw is currently experiencing a period of stability in terms of supply and take-up Recent data on overall tenant activity indicates that clients in the cap .. Receive all the latest information from the world of real estate by e-mail the construction of the Aura residential building designed by Robert Konieczny's office KWK Promes According to a report by research company Spectis “Construction companies in Poland 2025-2030” the total revenues of the 300 leading construction gro .. The Globalworth Foundation has provided the authorities in Bucharest with office space for a Covid vaccination centre Panattoni BTS and Commercecon together support the establishment of the second Centaurus Foundation centre in Poland to help horses and other animals intends to focus on operations in other reg .. Six class A office buildings in the PRO Portfolio which is jointly owned by PineBridge Benson Elliot and Sharow Capital have been granted BREEAM In-U .. Who won this year's 14th edition of the Eurobuild Awards The jury and guests gathered at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Warsaw chose this year's .. Enjoy the last set of recordings with comments straight from this year's MIPIM we asked experts from our home country for their input will take place on 9-10 April 2025 at the Norblin Factory Event Hall in W .. we invite you to hot episode of the "Eye to eye" podcast The UN Nansen Refugee Award award will go to Poland for the first time According to the office of the UNHCR High Commissioner this year's regional wi .. Czech developer CTP has been granted a EUR 200 mln loan from the European Investment Bank for the roll-out of its large-scale solar panel installation .. while the ADR has finally surpassed the milestone .. Jarosław Szanajca plans to resign from the position of president of the management board of Dom Development at the end of the year and join the superv .. The Polish and Danish governments have entered preliminary discussions for the construction of a tunnel between Szczecin and Copenhagen underneath the .. Viterra has moved into its ​​new 1,500 sqm offices in Olivia Prime part of the Olivia Centre business complex in Gdańsk Panattoni has acquired two properties near Gothenburg The brownfield sites will be replaced by a modern 43,000 sqm facility Contemporary cities are grappling with the challenge of fostering dynamic growth while alleviating environmental pressures Colliers has taken over the management of the Studio B office building located in the Warsaw Wola district The property is owned by Stena Real Estate .. The University of Warsaw has signed a contract with the general contractor for a project at ul The new building will house the faculti .. Velis Real Estate Tech is officially changing its name to Singu adopting the title of its property management product the construction of the Panattoni Park Unterfranken has officially started Twenty years ago or so I recall a happy Lee Konitz introducing Gwilym Simcock at the Pizza Express in Soho as the “wunderkind” at the piano Now here’s mid-career Gwilym as half of a duo featuring a next-generation player Simcock and the saxophonist have much else in common including studies at Chetham’s School and the Royal Academy and finding a home at the same record label so the compatibility that is immediately apparent is no surprise A few concerts together and two days in the studio have produced an impressive debut recording with a level of communication that only the best improvising duos achieve Two compositions from each player plus treatments of Steve Wonder’s ‘Visions’ and one standard add up to a 45-minute set that allows both to shine in a variety of ways Simcock’s piano has truly ferocious rhythmic drive emphasised on the rolling ‘Optimum Friction’ where Rawicz’s soprano saxophone takes flight Rawicz’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ benefits from a satisfyingly Jarrett-esque Simcock solo Simcock’s lush accompaniment allows Rawicz to float over the piano or punch out unison lines as the mood dictates the piano carries more musical weight: Simcock comps attentively when Rawicz solos But it would be hard not to hear this as an equal partnership there is a feeling they are surprising and challenging each other that enlivens the whole set It’s an album with a delightfully positive vibe the work of two enviably gifted musicians relishing each other’s writing and playing – and the prospect of the work they will go on to after this first rather brilliant collaboration "a3df391df3122ab6cf28d01112440b92" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" First let me tell you why: it’s because it is ‘spiced’ with jazz has combined the roles of restaurant and jazz club the venue has acquired a cult status and is held in high esteem by audiences and musicians alike and the list of stars who have performed there is impressive On a weekend in late July the musical ‘spice’ was exceptional was at Pizza Express for a two-day residency Last year she joined the renowned ACT Music label Over two days in the club atmosphere of Pizza Express Jazz Club Emma Rawicz played no fewer than five times 26 JULY – DUO WITH GWILYM SIMCOCKThe first evening was devoted to a duo with pianist Gwilym Simcock The pair have toured together for a short time and immediately after these two London concerts were due to record tracks for an album which will be released later this year Their programme consisted of original compositions by both musicians most of them written specifically for this project The duo also played an interesting interpretation of a Stevie Wonder hit Rawicz and Simcock excelled in the intimate setting both in the calmer pieces and their more energetic forays Their communication and conversational interaction were superb 27 JULY LUNCHTIME – WITH ELLIOT GALVIN AND STRING QUARTET The second concert took place the following day at lunchtime This time Rawicz appeared on stage accompanied by pianist Elliot Galvin and a string quartet Prominent in the quartet’s line-up was violinist Dominic Ingham whom we remember (in Poland) for his participation in the Zbigniew Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition in 2020 and two pieces featuring him were presented in a piano-saxophone-violin trio format There were also intriguing passages highlighting the violin and cello played by Cubby Howard in the foreground The quartet was completed by violinist Jenny Clare and violist Abby Bowen The repertoire consisted mostly of premiere compositions (one was written only a day before the concert) by Rawicz and the whole was complemented by two pieces arranged for this unique line-up: one from the aforementioned album Chroma and one written for a duet with Simcock The whole concept of jazz music with classical elements was a pleasure to listen to 27 JULY EVENING – EMMA RAWICZ JAZZ ORCHESTRA Rawicz’s residency was rounded off with a concert by her Jazz Orchestra Rawicz stated in one of her announcements that big band music is particularly close to her heart and there was no doubt that she has a great feel for the atmosphere of a jazz orchestra performing brilliantly in her compositions and arrangements and leading a large ensemble on stage Most notable in the solo parts were guitarist David Preston percussionist Ananda Brandao and vocalist Immy Churchill superb both in her vocals and in two beautifully performed songs.The other members of the orchestra were: Ruta Sipola – flute Tom Smith – baritone saxophone/bass clarinet Scottie Thompson – piano and Freddie Jensen – double bass Rawicz’s considerable skills as an orchestra leader are appreciated by the musical community with both young and more estalished musicians willingly joining the line-up The two-day concerts demonstrated the versatility and class of Emma Rawicz Newly graduated from the Royal Academy of Music admiration and awards that she has been receiving are right and fully deserved are published with the kind permission of Krzysztof Komorek "a9aa34275e01e87d744cb37fd2a5c8df" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" (ACT)After the success of her teenage breakthrough Incantation the saxophonist’s new album continues her warp-speed evolution but her new album confirms how inventively risk-embracing a bandleader Rawicz is becoming she lets classy playing partners stretch out within her expanding compositional world of vocalised Latin-dance hooks The artwork for Chroma. Photograph: Jutta Stolte/PR handoutEach of the nine original tracks is named after colours (Rawicz has synaesthesia) Opener Phlox prefaces a high-energy horns-and-guitar hook with drummer Asaf Sirkis’s percussion-mimicking vocals (much like those of Zakir Hussain) before Rawicz’s spiralling tenor solo erupts Three short anchoring interludes (Xanadu 1-3) share the same spacey six-note motif recast in contrasting moods while the vocally vivacious Rangwali quickly mixes airy voices multi-reeds counterpoint and flying improv conversation from pianist Ivo Neame Rawicz’s close rapport with freewheeling guitarist Ant Law is evident everywhere and the fast-passing ensemble patterns of the punchy closer Falu Rawicz has reportedly already written all the music for her next chapter: she hit the ground running when Incantation dropped in 2022 and the warp speed of her evolution is showing no sign of slowing a testament to exactly why Duke Ellington described the neglected Williams as “always contemporary” The 3rd annual Southport Jazz festival got off to an explosive start on Friday 31 January with the newly formed duo of pianist Gwilym Simcock and soprano and tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz They were the second of the three acts performing on the opening day which had started with a Liverpool 5-piece group called The Weave and concluded with The Swingtime Big Band with vocalist Emma Holcroft and pianist/singer/arranger Anthony Strong An impressive starting line-up for this ever-growing festival The Simcock/Rawicz programme consisted largely of original pieces by the performers Sometimes this approach can run the risk of personalising the repertoire too much for uninitiated jazz audiences but here we had a collection which explored such a wide variety of idioms colours and tempi that the listener was presented with an almost suite-like journey rolling the several pieces into one The only exception was Simcock’s arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s Visions (from the 1973 Innervisions LP) with Rawicz imparting liquid lyricism and real depth of passion in her delivery Visions is arguably Wonder’s greatest song – deeply moving with its perfect marriage of melody and harmony throughout Rawicz negotiated through the wide melodic parameters and shape of Visions eloquently and seamlessly while Simcock’s solo countered effectively offering the listener a more spare and spacious quality resulting in a reflective glance to put things in perspective Simcock’s His Great Adventure (for his 3 year old son) got things off brightly with its uptempo propulsive adventurousness and each soloist gleefully chasing the other with fervent abandon Rawicz’s The Drumbledrone (North Devon parlance for “Bumblebee”) was exciting with Simcock’s predilections for diving off into unexpected side roads and byways while the saxist’s steadfast presence and musings kept visions of the apiary constantly in sight The 80-minute set concluded with Simcock’s Optimum Friction a bluesy rhythmic stomp affair replete with engaging chromatic chordal sequences that brought out Rawicz’s rollicking “gutbucket” side clearly raising the roof of the venue on a high bright note big plaudits to the organizers of the festival and the fine and well appointed ballroom of the Grand Hotel in downtown Southport Frank Griffith is a Liverpool-based saxophonist and arranger His trio will be appearing at the Nantwich Blues and Jazz Festival on 21 April at 6-8PM "ad6a4dfefa879bf155025a8c7fa1d589" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" She might have grown up in rural Devon but the virtuoso saxophone playing of Emma Rawicz has put her at centre of metropolitan attention ‘I would find an unusual colour online I’d look at it for a really long time and then suddenly I’d start hearing music and ideas and then I’d use those ideas to create the pieces’ She describes herself on Instagram as “Emma Rawicz (ra-vich) That might sound like another of those fanciful slogans that abound in the arts but in her case it describes a reality: the visual dimension implied by “architect” actually informs her music meaning she sees specific colours when she hears certain sounds This inspired her approach to writing for Chroma on which all but one of the tracks are named after obscure colours such as rangwali and viridian “I would find an unusual colour online,” she says “I’d look at it for a really long time and then suddenly I’d start hearing music and ideas and then I’d use those ideas to create the pieces This might sound rather abstract but in fact Rawicz’s music is solidly structured and rhythmically propulsive often reminding of the fusion and hard bop associated with such as Michael Brecker though she reckons she listened most to Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter She’s clearly delighted with the latest record Asaf Sirkis (drums) and Immy Churchill (vocals) She says: “The most exciting thing about playing improvised music is everyone having their own voice come across and I’m very happy that the band have been able to express their identities that the compositions are imbued with their ideas That’s something I was aiming for with the tunes and I think it happened really well.” Rawicz (the name came from her Polish paternal grandfather who arrived in England in the 1940s) didn’t differentiate between different kinds of music but when she began playing jazz it offered something other music didn’t really fascinating and I didn’t draw a distinction about what was cool and what was popular and what wasn’t,” she says of her childhood listening “But when I discovered jazz it grabbed me because it felt like a music I could enjoy listening to and enjoy playing just as much and that was a balance I hadn’t found [before].” She had heard a big band at a Dartington festival as a younger child “I just knew I loved the sound and in particular the saxophones in the band I got my first saxophone (it was an alto) at around 14 and the teacher at my school was purely a classical sax teacher She wanted me to take the ABRSM sax exams and so my repertoire was all classical at this stage Within a few months I moved to another teacher when I asked a few months after starting with him agreed to teach me a bit of jazz as well as the classical sax I was originally enrolled with him for.” it was her experience from age 15 at the Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London that really opened her eyes – and ears – to jazz She would go on Saturdays by train from Devon She says “This was my first serious exposure to jazz in terms of playing it or listening to it in any serious way. I very quickly decided that I wanted to play tenor sax and managed to get one part way through that academic year.  I auditioned for Chetham’s on tenor sax and went there aged 16 to study for my sixth form.” National Youth Jazz Collective courses in 2017 “The main thing for me that was valuable was getting to meet other people my age who were really interested in jazz because growing up in rural north Devon most people weren’t All of a sudden I was in this great environment with people my age who also loved it and that was great.” After Chetham’s where her sax teacher was the renowned Iain Dixon she went to the Royal Academy of Music in London Rawicz plays bass clarinet and flute on Chroma “A lot of the time I’m not thinking about the notes I’m going to play as much as how I’m going to respond to what the other people in the band are doing so I get ideas from the way Ivo might be playing a chord or the way Asaf might be playing a rhythm like ‘I’m going to play this note on this chord’ or ‘I’m going to play this rhythm’ – it’s mostly intuitive She acknowledges that presenting new music to her band can be nerve-wracking “[They’re] really experienced and have played with some of the best musicians in the world so it is a bit scary presenting a new musical idea to them I normally give them the music on manuscript paper but if I can play the general idea on the piano or even sing the groove to give them an idea about it then I will do that as well and then we play it and see what happens But sometimes I’ll have a really specific idea in mind and I might say ‘This is what I thought of when I was writing this let’s see if it comes out that way.’ But if it doesn’t that’s fine.” Several tracks feature Immy Churchill’s vocals “The only reason there were vocals on the first album was because when we recorded all the instruments I realised there was this nice vocal quality to some of the music and I kept singing along as we were listening back to the takes I decided it would sound better with voice on the top but of course I hadn’t asked a vocalist so I had to do it myself!” ‘As a woman when you go out people expect you to do your hair or put your makeup on and performing is no different But I really like getting ready for a gig and thinking about how you present yourself’ Rawicz is often the only woman on the bandstand when she gigs and is judged on her appearance more than her male colleagues are While male jazz musicians as often as not perform in jeans and T-shirts women seem to be expected to look groomed and glamorous “But I also think that that’s just the case in life – as a woman when you go out people expect you to do your hair or put your makeup on and performing is no different But I really like getting ready for a gig and thinking about how you present yourself because people are watching you perform as well as hearing you That’s part of how they experience the music So I think it would be good if the guys also maybe took a bit more time to choose their clothes!” Despite being a young woman on a male-dominated scene Rawicz doesn’t feel she has suffered any major mistreatment “There’s always the odd thing but the great thing about being a bandleader is that you [choose] the people you work with and the people I play with are very respectful and really good fun to work with.” ‘I think one of the things about being a jazz musician is this idea of always being a student and learning the whole way through your career because if you’re not then you’re not really embracing the point of improvised music’ it’s mind-boggling to note that Rawicz is still a student Isn’t she tempted to pack it in to free up more of her time for gigging who is really supportive and always tries to find a way for me to go out and take opportunities when they come up Great musicians come in and speak to us and we’re encouraged to compose and play in different lineups that maybe wouldn’t come up as often if we weren’t there And I think one of the things about being a jazz musician is this idea of always being a student and learning the whole way through your career because if you’re not then you’re not really embracing the point of improvised music.” Another element of the jazz business away from the bandstand is the ever-proliferating awards system Rawicz reflects on being a finalist in the 2022 BBC Young Jazz Musician competition which was won by bassist Ewan Hastie: “I’m not a fan of music being a competition because the greatest opportunities come when we work together,” she says one of the great things about that competition is it gets jazz back into the mainstream and helps people to understand that young people play jazz and can listen to jazz Because there’s this idea that if you’re young it’s not for you.” with critics comparing her to legends like Wayne Shorter and Chris Potter ‘I could never see myself on that level,’ she demurs with critics excitedly comparing her playing to that of legends like Wayne Shorter and Chris Potter “I could never see myself on that level,” she demurs Are you sure?’ It’s lovely and I’ve been very grateful for the positive response but I do have to pinch myself sometimes!” Joni Mitchell and Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell never afraid to change from one album to the next And some of the way she approaches harmony on the guitar has informed the way I approach playing the piano when I’m composing so she’s definitely had an impact on my compositions “And Baden Powell’s Os Afro Sambas is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve ever heard They’ve really inspired the way I approach composition because they’re so memorable and infectious and that’s a quality I’d really like to capture in my music.” Rawicz believes her music has developed in the short time between Incantation and Chroma My playing has improved and I’ve been able to be more adventurous with composing and also the different improvising situations I’ve put myself in And a big part of that is playing with such amazing musicians who have pushed me to be the best musician I can and to improve as much as possible.” Leading bands that comprise many musicians older and more experienced than herself doesn’t faze Rawicz “I love being able to put different people together and see what happens because with improvising so much of one’s personality comes out and those combinations can be super-interesting.” “Certainly the first time I stood in front of a big band for a rehearsal was nerve-wracking because it’s intimidating to have 20 people look at you wondering what you’re going to say But my band are very supportive and if I feel out of my depth or don’t know something or need advice I know I can ask them without them thinking that it’s silly that I don’t know something.” Rawicz has some idea of how her music might develop “Since the release of Chroma I’ve written a lot of new music and some of that explores different styles There are some rock influences and chamber jazz influences and maybe some slight Brazilian influences I hope I carry on being inspired by all different kinds of things – and I hope to surprise myself with the direction that I go in in future.” Mark Gilbert supplied additional material for this article drawn from Emma Rawicz’s website and email correspondence with her © Unless otherwise indicated, all content copyright Jazz Journal 1948-2025 the financial planning software firm behind CURO has announced that co-founders Mitchell Philpott and Roland Rawicz-Szczerbo will retire from the business on 30 April 2025 He will assume the role on 31 March 2025 and lead the business into its next phase supported by a newly formed leadership team The move aims to strengthen strategic alignment with IntegraFin Group (IHP) Philpott and Rawicz-Szczerbo founded Time4Advice in 2010 and launched the original CURO platform on Microsoft Dynamics the business has focused on developing CURO for the Microsoft Power Platform (CURO PP) with the latest cloud-hosted version now in production who has been with Time4Advice since 2013 and became a director in 2019 brings extensive experience in Microsoft-based software for the UK advice industry He is expected to lead the company as it continues to grow and deepen its integration with IntegraFin and Transact IHP Group CEO Alex Scott commented: “We thank Mitch and Roland for all they’ve done for Time4Advice and for their hard work since IHP acquired the business we are delighted that Richard will step up as managing director He is a highly capable technology leader and will have strong support in taking the business forward.” Brian said: “I’m very pleased to be leading Time4Advice as we bring the benefits of the Microsoft Power Platform to the financial planning industry “I’d like to personally thank Mitch and Roland for their vision and commitment We see significant opportunity to expand CURO and deepen our collaboration with IntegraFin.” Philpott said: “It’s been a privilege to work with such an exceptional team whose industry and technical insight make him ideally placed to lead the business.” Rawicz-Szczerbo added: “CURO on the Power Platform marks a step-change in adviser technology I’m confident that under Richard’s leadership the business will continue to make a lasting impact on the industry I’ve been proud to serve for over four decades.” You must be logged in to post a comment You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Emma Rawicz’s career is anything but conventional In contrast to most musicians who try to perfect their instrument as children the Londoner only came into contact with the saxophone in her teens but was soon to turn it into her second voice and quickly catch up with her peers she can already look back on two studio albums and a wide range of musical projects and ensembles while at the same time completing her jazz studies at the Royal Academy Her first self-produced album Incantations already garnered some attention from the thriving British jazz scene she started composing her new project Chroma Apart from the first-class line-up of her band - Ivo Neame on piano and up-and-coming singer Immy Churchill - Emma devotes this project concept to her chromesthesia a certain kind of synaesthesia in which people perceive sounds with coloured sensations incidentally named after the ancient Greek word for colour Emma Rawicz makes her debut on the famous German independent jazz label ACT Music and more than rightly deserves our Qobuzissime This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times BBC Radio 3 has announced its next cohort of New Generation Artists for 2024-2026 among whom is saxophonist/bandleader/composer/arranger Emma Rawicz Emma becomes the ninth jazz musician to join the scheme LIST OF PREVIOUS BBC RADIO 3 JAZZ NEW GENERATION ARTISTS The others in the new 2024-26 cohort are classical musicians: Julius Asal "a398c76e105fb79d00b5a4fe3f23f8b7" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" There’s something special about listening to high quality live music in a community venue It’s the sense you get in good local jazz clubs with sold-out gigs attended by a predominantly local audience ran from 18-21 May with big crowds at all the events over the weekend This Saturday matinee concert was another complete sell-out The show started with a 30-minute set from a hugely talented 17 year old pianist and composer from Suffolk The young band – at least one of whom had to rush off to revise for an A-level exam later this week Lyons clearly has a future as a composer as well as a pianist and George Johnson on tenor has a really rounded and mature sound The rhythm section of Chris Diamond on bass and Luke McCarthy on drums made major contributions too She handles long extended solos effortlessly interacting cleverly with interjections from Ant Law‘s guitar and Ivo Neame‘s piano Meanwhile Conor Chaplin on bass and Asaf Sirkis on drums provide a constantly shifting rhythmic underpinning All the band members get a chance to shine What’s most impressive though is the interaction These are musicians who listen to each other and interact to great effect Rawicz’s compositions can sometimes be spiky or sometimes lyrical and they bring out some terrific music from the band Throughout the event she manages to combine a polished band performance with an engaging personality This was only the second year of the Watford Jazz Junction and this was just one of the sold out concerts The future of live music is always stronger when it’s centred in a community so this suggests a solid future for this festival which has hopefully now established a firm place in the jazz calendar Peter Slavid broadcasts a programme of European Jazz on mixcloud.com/ukjazz and various internet stations "ac7d5bd50676a26dbd0cf5cc1f4c915a" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Saxophonist Emma Rawicz’s second CD release bristling with the self-confidence indicated by the simple note: “music composed The production brings together a starry quintet featuring Ivo Neame on keys Conor Chaplin on bass and beautifully integrated drumming from Asaf Sirkis Rawicz’s contemporary Immy Churchill contributes wordless vocals on several tracks in a fashion reminiscent of Pepi Lemer in Jeff Clyne’s Turning Point long ago You’d doubt that she’s referencing that band but there’s a jazz-rock feel to some of the pieces although this doesn’t matter especially to the non-synaesthete listener Phlox opens with some percussive vocal from Sirkis leading to what could well be a ‘70s jazz-rock riff soon overtaken by vigorous exchanges between tenor sax and guitar and a cooler electric piano solo There follows one of three brief takes on Xanadu before a muted guitar rhythm a la Lionel Loueke leads into Rangwali which uses Churchill’s voice against Rawicz on bass clarinet At nine minutes it’s the longest track on an album that runs just over 40 Some of the other pieces are just a touch bland though the ballad Middle Ground is redeeemd by Neame’s and Rawicz’s contributions and the closer and its changing moods display the whole band to good effect This album certainly shows promise fulfilled on the part of the young leader she is still at a stage where measuring up to one or two strong compositions from the contemporary jazz repertoire would be welcome in a set like this Rawicz focussing exclusively on her own creations is still interesting and she is served exceptionally well by her band here but perhaps this side of her work still needs to develop to be consistently convincing Jon Turney writes about jazz, and other things, from Bristol. You can find him on WordPress and Bluesky This is a musician who has a lot to say and she says it with a boat load of confidence and power Looking forward to following her career to the top of the jazz heap "ab887b870d99a50e39891c8450763db3" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Three Polish friends covered over 4,000 miles across Russia to raise awareness about what they (and Soviet prison records) call falsifications by Slavomir Rawicz the author of The Long Walk: A True Story of a Trek to Freedom The Long Walk is a survival bestseller about the an escape from a Soviet labor camp and the limits of what humans can endure (The book was written by a ghostwriter after conversations with Rawicz) “Our aim was to show that the real hero of the Great Escape was a Polish man named Witold Gliński,” Tomasz Grzywaczewski told ExplorersWeb There is also a movie based on the original story due out in January and tech with access to unlimited digital content from Outside Network's iconic brands I am staring at a pile of papers on my desk it's just a rather tedious heap of orange and blue folders it represents a period in my life when I became utterly obsessed with making a single radio documentary So obsessed that at one point my boss feared that I was losing my marbles It all started about 5 years ago. I heard about a legendary tale of escape and endurance, a book called The Long Walk. It tells the story of Slavomir Rawicz a Polish cavalry officer captured by the Soviets in 1939 He was tortured and sent to Siberia then made a dramatic escape from the gulag and started a mind-boggling trek south He and his companions walked 4000 miles across Siberia the Gobi Desert and even traversing the Himalayas before reaching the safety of British India The book had been a bestseller and stunned readers across the globe I thought with the BBC's investigative resources we could find out sending out letters and emails and visiting potential interviewees The brilliant reporter Tim Whewell was presenting the programme and as a Russian speaker Conversations with elderly survivors of appalling atrocities - but of no relevance to our story Some of the blind alleys were not surprising - such as the polite but firm rejection of requests for information from the French Foreign Legion Others were entertaining - such as a sheaf of confidential wartime intelligence reports from across South Asia As I leafed through the documents at the National Archive I noticed that each month's despatch was accompanied by a comic poem written by the anonymous compiler A hand-written note in a card file in Hammersmith An amnesty paper from a Californian library I remember jumping up from my desk and charging into my boss's office eyes flashing as I told her the earth-shattering news of our latest discovery.. The whole thing was probably made worse by the fact I had a comrade in madness An independent American researcher called Linda Willis was on the same trail Was it her incredible energy and resourcefulness that led her to write to hundreds of people email many more and dig around in dusty archives across the globe over the course of 10 years And I finally managed to produce a documentary Now Tim and I have made a new version of the programme One reason is that the great director Peter Weir has made a film inspired by The Long Walk He decided to direct his movie after listening to our documentary and consulting us about what was true and what wasn't is that since 2006 we have made some tantalising new discoveries Hugh Levinson is producer of The Long Walk Sign in or register to comment did you surprise me!I read the book "The Long Walk" and assumed that it was true because the cover said it was true and of I remember correctly there was some implication that a movie was being made or had been made.It's been quite a while now since I read this book but to the best of my recollection Slavomir Rawicz was captured by the Red Army in 1939 (He had gone home for leave.) He was sent to the Siberian Gulag along with a contingent of other captives - Poles he and a few friends escaped and traveled on foot thousands of miles south to (I think) British India where came the biggest surprise: Rawicz re-enlisted in the Polish army and fought against the Germans It seems to me that Rawicz ate snake meat in order to survive (I mean who could forget that little detail!) thanks for refreshing my memories about Rawicz Complain about this comment (Comment number 1) Just read your article " a long way back" you may be intrested to know that the chirldren and familys of the interned officers were also sent to the gulag's I know of at least 3 people who completed the same trek through russia to iran and then to india they are all now in their seventies but will tell their stories willingly Complain about this comment (Comment number 2) I read this book with increasing incredulity a young girl picked up along the way and a lot of welcoming locals who have well-stocked larders Last week the temperature somewhere in Russia reached minus 54 degrees Celsius - you do not walk in weather like that Complain about this comment (Comment number 3) This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain Complain about this comment (Comment number 4) as I have recently been researching the extraordinary personal history of Leo Kuzmicki a Polish automotive engineer who worked for Norton motorcycles where he was credited with designing the Imp engine The story as I gathered it was that he attempted escape from Poland following the outbrteak of WW2 and fell into the hands of the Soviets He was sent to a labour camp (possibly Siberia) but escaped and found his way to Bombay I have contact details for a writer who got the story from Kuzmicki'sd widow (an Englishwoman)a few years ago Complain about this comment (Comment number 5) and it reminded me of a german POWCornelius Rost who's epic tale was made into a film As far as my feet will carry meToo many people claim to have made this journey for my money Complain about this comment (Comment number 6) about a german officer after ww2 sent to lead mines in siberia who escaped and over several years of amazing adventures and hardship got to Turkey.Unfortunately the book is gone I cant recall the title or the author of this"true" tale.It was a good read Complain about this comment (Comment number 7) Complain about this comment (Comment number 8) I was given The Long Walk to read by my father as a child I later found a copy at a jumble sale which I still have I have read the book numerous time over the past fourty years,I have never let it out of my possession in case I never see it again Whether it was Slav' or he heard the story from someone else and used it the whole experience has facinated me for years Complain about this comment (Comment number 9) my parents began a written correspondence with the author because they were so fascinated by the story He wrote to them on a couple of occasions and included a drawing of the yeti Complain about this comment (Comment number 10) All this user's posts have been removed.Why? 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Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayojazz fmstationfeaturesWATCH: Emma Rawicz's live performance of 'Vera' - Jazz FM SessionWe invited the up-and-coming saxophonist Emma Rawicz to the Jazz FM Studios.. up and coming saxophonist Emma Rawicz joined us recently for a special Jazz FM Session where she performed 'Vera' following the release of her debut album Incantation As well as treating us to an enthralling performance Emma also chatted to Ruth Fisher about her project You can also hear what Emma had to say about the album with Ruth Fisher below: By aged 19 Emma had recorded her eagerly awaited debut album made up of her original compositions called 'Incantation' Emma Rawicz's website states that her influences 'range from modern jazz and fusion to folk and soul key figures in her musical development including Chris Potter You can follow Emma Rawicz on Instagram - @emmarawiczmusic You can follow Emma Rawicz on Twitter - @ESzczerbo WATCH: Robert Glasper discussing taking on the jazz police with 'Black Radio' WATCH: Fatima & Joe Armon-Jones - Tinted Shades - Jazz FM Session WATCH: OMAR + QCBA take on 'The Man' - Jazz FM Session Listen to Jazz FM across the UK on your digital radio, the free Rayo app, via the play button below and by asking your smart speaker to "play Jazz FM". Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) and currently an undergraduate at the Royal Academy of Music is already making waves on the London scene Her debut album “Incantation” will be released this spring In a wide-ranging interview ahead of her debut at the recently re-opened Polish club Jazz Café POSK her Polish roots and the huge Instagram following she has built UKJazz News: How and when did you discover jazz Emma Rawicz: It happened when I was 12 and my parents took me to an international summer music school in Devon called Dartington Music Summer School I saw a big band concert there and begged my parents to let me play saxophone The saxophone seemed like the coolest instrument ever and I instantly wanted to play it I guess… And the first time I played it I was like “ok then I started buying CDs and listening to Charlie Parker and Miles Davis… I didn’t really understand any of it but I knew it was the music I wanted to learn more about growing up in the country in the middle of nowhere so it was all about just listening to loads of music UKJN: What other musicians were key figures and influences in your musical development I am sure it has influenced my writing.  The jazz musician who probably had the biggest impact on me was Joe Henderson I remember hearing his Double Rainbow record in particular his tune No More Blues – it had such a profound influence on me that I knew I wanted to start playing tenor saxophone Apart from that I came across some Brazilian music because of the percussionist Adriano Adewale who introduced me to it I also started finding out about some Cuban music I guess I just wanted to listen to everything… that Joe Henderson record led me down many different musical paths UKJN: What fascinated you in Joe Henderson’s music When I heard him play the track No More Blues it was visually beautiful And rhythmically so strong as well; everything about his playing was just captivating UKJN: Synaesthesia – that’s fascinating it’s shapes and colours changing while I’m hearing music and all aspects of the music contribute to it UKJN: You’re 19 now; it’s hard to believe you didn’t pick up the tenor saxophone till you were 15 People have mentioned musical maturity and confidence in your playing and I am far from being “a finished package” – not that there ever is any “finished package” for a musician Ever since getting my hands on a tenor saxophone and realising what I wanted to do I’ve worked really hard When I went to Chetham’s School of Music for 2 years I practised 8 or 9 hours a day I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of “I want to sound like this person or I would like to be able technically to do this thing or play this difficult tune…” but you get so much just out of doing it you’re learning and improving all the time UKJN: Your debut album of original compositions – “Incantation” – is to be released this spring What was your approach when you were creating it ER: The album is quite diverse in terms of style: there are elements of fusion more traditional and modern jazz styles as well.I wrote Voodoo colourful piece of art; I just experimented with sound and found the composition out of it Then I chose other words based on this theme – like incantation – and used those words as prompts for composition then try and make a sound of what this word means and see what happens…The most special track for me is  Vera I wrote it for her after she passed away trying to communicate what a lovely person she was and how much I loved spending time with her and it’s my first musical statement that’s going to go out into the world my grandma sometimes played organ in a church It was mostly me figuring it out on my own UKJN: You are very active on Instagram and have collected a huge following there…  ER: I started it when I was still in Devon to try and connect with other people who loved the same music as me I used it as a bit of a practice tool; I’d say “I am working on this what records do you like?” I carried on posting bits of me playing and things I was up to musically… And then suddenly especially during lockdown when I started posting even more as I had loads of time to make videos and practise UKJN: What are some of the positive – and possibly negative – effects of that ER: I like to make sure to include the real stuff on Instagram because so often (especially with music) you just get a finished product things that have actually taken ages to look as though they just came out like that straight away I started sharing things that I was working on or finding difficult to start a positive conversation around learning music And now lots of younger players will say to me I am going to work on this now too” or “you’ve made me realise it is ok not to be perfect straight away”.There are always people online who are going to be negative or less welcoming but in general I think you can use it as a positive thing especially if you view it as a kind of community just to support each other UKJN: On 22 January you will play for the first time at the Jazz Café POSK in London My Polish connection is not something I know a lot about but it’s something I’m really interested in especially to Warsaw where my family was from to try to understand a bit more of where I came from and my history.  UKJN: What will you play at Jazz Café POSK ER: We are going to be playing music that I’ve written over past few months that’s based on colours I’ve basically been trying to find colours you don’t see very often in everyday life and write music based on what I hear when I look at them it’s kind of trying to really explore the synaesthetic angle of looking at music for me we’ll be playing some music from my upcoming debut album as well Emma Rawicz Quintet will be playing at Jazz Café POSK on Saturday 22 Jan "acd8de5b5cf4798620434aab32eaa9fe" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" Cleo Egnal holds a B.A in Written Arts from Bard College and is weirdly knowledgeable about anything vaguely British and historical where she is just trying to figure out post-grad life He claimed to escape and walk 4,000 miles to India it turned out there was no evidence Rawicz himself took the famous long walk from Siberia to India may have been the one to accomplish the feat The story, if real, is one of strength, bravery, ingenuity, and pure luck. To even escape the devastating Gulag in itself is a nearly impossible feat — to do so and then trek through a blizzard and across a desert to freedom is remarkable Here's what we know about how this insane endeavor was accomplished In 1955, Daily Mail reporter Roland Downing ghost-authored a book called The Long Walk. The book was based on a series of events put forth to be true by Slavomir Rawicz the man who supposedly took the brutally long walk after which the book was named.  Rawicz and Downing wrote about Rawicz's harrowing journey from the Soviet prison to freedom in India starting in February of 1941 Rawicz and his companions trudged through blizzard and more to reach their destination.  The Long Walk is an incredible story — the only issue is that no one is sure if it's true And even if it is true — or partially true — we're not sure if Rawicz is telling his own story or if he just stole it from somebody else As improbable as the story of the long walk is, it's possible it was achieved, just not by Rawicz. When director Peter Weir was doing research for his 2010 movie The Way Back, he found so many discrepancies in Rawicz's story further investigation led him to Witold Glinski the man who claims he actually did take the famous walk.  In 2009, Glinski came forward with his story Glinksi believes Rawicz found his story in documents housed in the Polish embassy in London Glinski — similar to Rawicz — has almost no evidence to corroborate his supposed escape journey A former schoolmate has even said the two were at school together at the time of the escape Whoever it was that escaped, be it Glinski or some other Gulag prisoner, the escape itself was remarkable. Glinski recounted tunneling under the wire during a terrific blizzard one which rendered guards completely unwilling to even poke their heads out of their doors.  After he reached the other side of the wire he saw that six men had followed behind him. He told The Mirror The group of seven men described in the book consisted of Glinski/Rawicz They broke out of the Gulag and trekked 4,000 miles to India they traveled based off of a map of Asia he had memorized.  A 4,000-mile journey across the Gobi desert was not going to be easy. The group had to endure all that nature threw at them: From the immensely cold Siberian winters to the suffocatingly hot desert; the thin Himalayan mountain air; and the less-than-friendly nomadic people of China.  the seven men even encountered a young Polish girl named Kristina Polansk who was fleeing Russians who had slain her family Polansk was only 18 and her foot was infected with gangrene. The already haggard men carried her as far as they could on a stretcher made of grass