Seonaid Aitken Ensemble releases 'optimistic' jazz album Chasing Sakura
The presenter of BBC Radio Scotland’s Jazz Nights, Seonaid Aitken, is to perform her latest album Chasing Sakura in the Ardgour Memorial Hall and Skye Gathering Hall this year.
Chasing Sakura is the 'hopeful' new album from the Seonaid Aitken Ensemble, influenced by jazz, classical and folk music, and due for release on Friday April 29.
The album, which features an all-female ensemble, is violinist, vocalist and composer Seonaid's first record of entirely original material.
It features Seonaid Aitken on violin and vocals, Katrina Lee on violin, Patsy Reid on viola and Alice Allen on cello.
Seonaid’s fellow improvising members, Emma Smith on bass and Helena Kay on tenor saxophone and flute, also bring their musicianship to the album.
Seonaid said: 'In the spring of 2021, I was recovering from a serious horse-riding accident where I broke my pelvis, ankle, small vertebrae and ribs.
'I would go for walks around Glasgow chasing cherry blossoms and it reminded me of my time in Japan and how I was inspired by the way they celebrate the beauty and symbolism of the sakura season with Hanami - the traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of the flowers.
'The record draws inspiration from the lifespan of the cherry blossom to symbolise overall themes of hope, optimism and impermanence.
'The record is crossover music which doesn’t adhere to one particular genre - rather takes influences from many. I wanted to document the work which I wrote with the skillsets of this incredible team of musicians in mind.'
Tracks such as Hanami, a positive, folk-infused melody, and Chasing Sakura, a driving and triumphant composition, draw inspiration from the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers.
Fife-born Seonaid is a versatile, multi-instrumentalist session musician and orchestrator based in Glasgow, specialising in Gypsy Jazz.