With 6 Days in Leysin, Greg Foat, one of the UK’s most inquisitive jazz pianists and composers, broadens his palette in a series of recordings set against the serene backdrop of the Swiss Alps. Each day, Foat and a handpicked group—including steady collaborators from the British and European jazz scenes—gathered to improvise, compose, and capture new music, eschewing grand gestures for a subtler, more introspective approach. The collection bears traces of Foat’s diverse influences: the impressionistic colorings of European soundtrack composers, the spacious chord voicings of British jazz’s classic era, and the meditative attention to detail familiar from his previous albums.
The studio—situated in the mountain resort of Leysin—proved transformative. Throughout the album, listeners encounter crisp contemplation and melodic restraint: acoustic piano is foregrounded but often intertwined with gentle synth pads, brushwork on drums, and brass that emerges as commentary rather than flourish. Programming on pieces such as “Mountain Air” and “Quiet Departure” is patient and deliberate, capturing the slow drift and sudden clarity of alpine light. The ensemble’s textural sensitivity allows room for breath; each musician contributes not only notes, but a sense of spatial listening, making the album as much about environment as it is about narrative.
Lyrical without being sentimental, Foat’s compositions balance structure and openness, echoing his ongoing dedication to melody and simple, memorable arrangements. The small ensemble setting brings renewed intimacy—solos are concise, interaction fluid, and the mood stays grounded, inviting repeated listening. The Swiss sessions yield not only new music but a blueprint for approaching jazz as a living, responsive practice immersed in place, time, and collaboration. 6 Days in Leysin thus feels as much like a field study as a formal album, offering new ways to hear contemporary jazz’s intermingling of tradition and innovation.