Sony Classical is proud to present chart-topping pianist & composer Alexis Ffrench’s new album ‘Classical Soul Vol. 1’, released on the 27th September 2024.
The album is a collection of original compositions for piano and orchestra, interspersed with snippets of Ffrench arrangements of beloved soul anthems. Alexis Ffrench is one of the UK’s most distinctive and groundbreaking artists, who pioneered the genre ‘Classical Soul’ and has amassed over 1 billion streams of his catalogue. The new album is inspired by his late Father’s record collection and was recorded at Brad Pitt and Damien Quintard’s renowned Miraval Studios. Alexis brings piano to the mainstream.
Whether it's performing at the King's Coronation Concert to an audience of over 18 million viewers, hosting his Apple Music show after Elton John's Rocket Hour, performing at major music festivals and sold out venues worldwide, hosting nationwide music education masterclasses, or posting covers of today’s hits by Central Cee, Billie Eilish and more to an enthusiastic social media audience, Alexis is passionate about music being accessible to all.
Of his new album, Alexis notes: “Classical Soul Vol. 1 draws inspiration from my dad’s vast record collection. Growing up, our home was filled with a rich soundtrack of Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack – some of whom I consider to be my earliest teachers. As I played ‘imaginary’ piano on the kitchen table, to classics like Superstition and at last, I was transported to a place of wonder and felt a calling. And as I listened, I absorbed the passion, pride & purpose of these soul icons and dreamt of a parallel pathway - informed by the storied lives of these soul greats and their wider mission.” A pioneering superstar of Classical Soul, Alexis’s sound refuses to be penned in by genre, time period, or by expectations of the kind of musician he should be.
Rather than leaning into the narrow, traditional understandings of ‘classical’, Alexis instead leans outward, expansive in his perspective, drawing on a multifarious mosaic of influences that takes the listener by the hand and leads them on a journey through a world of possibility.
