Bristol based Progressive Jazz collective Al Swainger’s Pointless Beauty return with their new single ‘The Shrug’ taken from their upcoming album ‘Hearts Full Of Grace’. A composer, producer, digital artist and multi-instrumentalist, Al Swainger is a musician that is full of innovative ideas, often blending elements of Electronica and Chillout with his Jazz exploits to create a strikingly unique sound.

The first single to be taken from the upcoming album, ‘The Shrug’ sees Al Swainger’s Pointless Beauty lean on their Jazz roots, offering a gentle and restrained first peek at an otherwise experimental collection of tracks. Building an emotional soundscape of gently rolling drums, grounding bass and delicate, atmospheric piano under emotional lead brass and guitar that switch roles as the track progresses and builds, ‘The Shrug’ is at once beautiful, subtle and melancholic.

Speaking about the single, Swainger explains: “The Shrug is a gospel jazz ballad representing how sometimes we can only have non-verbal responses to trauma. Sometimes we're just so sad that when someone asks a well intentioned 'how are you doing?' all you can do is shrug, I wanted it to communicate that melancholy but also the optimism that it doesn't last forever and things do get better.”

No stranger to performing at venues including Ronnie Scotts and the Royal Festival Hall, Al Swainger has had a hugely successful career playing and recording with a whole host of jazz nobility including Peter King, Jim Mullen and Alan Barnes as well as performing at national and international jazz festivals such as Love Supreme, London Jazz Festival and Krakow Jazz Festival. Having won fifth place in the British Jazz Awards three times, Al has fully established himself as a top level Jazz musician. Now focusing on his Pointless Beauty project, ‘Hearts Full of Grace’ represents the 5th studio release for the collective and once again shines a light on a hugely creative composer and a group of highly skilled musicians.

‘The Shrug’ is released 13th April via Other Compass Records.

‘HEART OF OF GRACE’ ALBUM CREDITS:
The Way Back (7.19)
Sunship Travelling (8.02)
Pause to Breathe (3.38)
Relentless (3.31)
The Shrug (4.10)
Stir Crazy (3.01)
Existential Blues (2.47)
Hour of the Wolf (0.56)
Two Steps (5.39)
Remember the Sky (8.22)
Al Swainger - Bass (1-10) Synths (1,2,4,6)
Jon Clark - Drums (1-6,8,9,10)
George Cooper - Piano (1-5,9,10), Rhodes (2,4,6), Synths (3,9,10)
Ant Law - Electric Guitar (3-6, 9-10) / Acoustic Guitar (2, 10)
Gary Alesbrook - Flugel (1,2,3,5,10) / Trumpet (4,6,8,9)

All compositions, arrangements, production, original photography, artwork
and sleeve design by Al Swainger

Recorded by Al Swainger at Other Compass Studios (August 2020 to 2021)
Damon Sawyer at Crescent Records Studio (May 24th to 27th 2021)

Mixed by Alex Killpartrick (1,2,4,5,6,9,10) and Al Swainger (3,7,8)
Mastered by Alex Killpartrick