Simon is fast becoming one the UK's top up and coming crooners and jazz composers. Since 2001 Simon has been writing and performing swing jazz in London venues including 606 Club, 100 Club, Soho Theatre, The BBC Club, The Big Chill, The Crypt, Hoxton Hall and Jazz After Dark. He has also performed for top corporate clients including Pepsi, Prudential and DeBeers Diamonds.
Although Simon enjoys singing jazz standards, what he is really about is writing his own original jazz songs inspired by the writers he loves like Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and Jimmy Van Heusen. In this way Simon is hoping to create jazz songs for a new generation without them being 'pop jazz'. His songs have had great acclaim within the industry, sound timeless and fit in beautifully amongst the standards at gigs.
His song 'I don't love you (but my heart does)', has been extremely popular at gigs and on the internet where it has been played on some of the worlds top podcasts.
For the past two years Simon has been performing and collaborating with the 'first lady of beat poetry' and jazz lyricist Fran Landesman. Simon is recording and performing some of her classic songs that artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey, Chet Baker and Anthony Newley recorded.
Simon wrote the haunting ballad 'All My Songs' which uses the lyrics of Fran Landesman and also put music to Fran's hilarious “Crazy Days” lyric, and her poignant 'Beautiful Ruin' lyric. Simon joins a list of top composers who have put music to Fran's brilliant poems and lyrics. Fran, who has just celebrated her 80th Birthday, called Simon's song 'I don't love you (but my heart does)' a “jazz classic”. The new album will have Fran Landesman songs on it.
Check out his myspace site to see when Simon is next performing.
PLEASE NOTE: The Simon Lawrence link on 'lastfm' on this page on 'all about jazz' is NOT this Simon Lawrence. It is a different person. I don't know why it links to it.
Awards:
Farrago Poetry and Music Award 2006 "Best performance by a Band", held at RADA in London.
