Saxophonist Phil Bancroft brings his new trio, The Beautiful Storm, to the St Bride’s Centre on Orwell Terrace this month as part of a tour to mark the launch of the group’s first album, Finding Hope (When All Seems Lost).
The album features Bancroft with Delhi-based percussionist, Gyan Singh, and leading Scottish guitarist, Graeme Stephen, as The Beautiful Storm which released Finding Hope (When All Seems Lost) on Bancroft’s Myriad Streams platform towards the end of last year. The album has received enthusiastic responses from critics and radio presenters internationally.
The saxophonist’s fellow musicians in the trio have considerable histories on the Scottish scene. Gyan Singh first came to Edinburgh audiences’ attention with the Delhi fusion band Mrygya, who lit up the Fringe in the noughties and won a Herald Angel award for the excellence of their exciting performances. He has since worked with several Scottish bands, including Bancroft’s twin, drummer Tom’s In Common, and he recorded the duo album Birth & Death with Phil Bancroft before joining The Beautiful Storm.
Guitarist Graeme Stephen, who has made a specialism out of composing new scores for vintage films, has led his own groups as well as working with multi-instrumentalist Fraser Fifield and the Dutch string quartet, Zapp4. For the past ten years he has also been a core participant in the regular Playtime sessions taking place at the Outhouse in Broughton Street Lane.
“I’m really looking forward to playing some live dates with the trio,” says Phil Bancroft. “I was happy with the way the album turned out and I’ve been really pleased with the reaction it’s had. We’re already looking ahead to playing further dates later in the year.”
To listen to the album and access more information, go to: https://www.myriadstreams.com/
The Beautiful Storm at St Bride’s on 21 March 2025.
