Hexham Jazz Festival: Rachel Sutton + The Ushaw Ensemble @ Hexham Abbey - May 12

The 2023 Hexham Jazz Festival got underway in the splendid setting of Hexham Abbey with performances by Rachel Sutton and The Ushaw Ensemble. Taking a pew alongside a sizeable audience, the installation of several screens relaying the on-stage action proved to be a welcome innovation given that the sight lines aren't the best. Some came prepared with cushion in hand designed to give some relief from the unforgiving hard-as-teak (quite possibly teak) pews.

Rachel Sutton (vocals); Roland Perrin (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums) 

Vocalist Rachel Sutton is a favourite on the London jazz scene and here in Hexham Abbey she was introduced to the congregation by Jazz FM's Nigel Williams. Up from the 'Smoke' with her regular accompanist Roland Perrin, Sutton's impassioned, theatrical performance embraced a selection of standards and original compositions. All of Me, Comes Love, But Not for Me, Ms Sutton's expressive vocals were backed up by the impressive Perrin at the grand, alongside two of the north's finest, the 'Champster', that's bassist Andy Champion, and from Yorkshire, the ever-reliable Steve Hanley, drums. The cavernous venue's acoustics aren't particularly conducive to intimate, cabaret-style performance, credit to the musicians for somehow making it work.

The Ushaw Ensemble: Paul Edis (MD, piano); Emma Fisk (violin); Andy May (Northumbrian pipes); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Graeme Wilson (tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute); Paul Susans (double bass); Rob Walker (drums)

Earlier, Paul Edis returned to his native north east to revisit his Arts and Words Festival commission The Lindisfarne Gospels. Given the subject matter, there could hardly be a more suitable venue than Hexham Abbey. The Ushaw Ensemble is an occasional project, joining Edis to perform a continuous suite of music were out-and-out jazz musicians and a Northumbrian piper. Comprising nine parts, Edis no doubt wrote the music with specific musicians in mind. 

At either end of the 'frontline', violinist Emma Fisk and piper Andy May created other worldly sounds, sounds which would have been heard in ancient times. In the sonically challenging space of Hexham Abbey it was, perhaps, Graham Hardy's brass instruments which fared best (trumpet and flugelhorn) alongside Graeme Wilson's flawless contributions, principally on tenor sax with some bass clarinet and flute adding colours to his palette. Local lad, bassist Paul Susans, and first call drummer Rob Walker anchored and enhanced Edis' musical vision. 

The Hexham Jazz Festival is well and truly underway. Further concert performances are scheduled across the weekend in Hexham Abbey, Queen's Hall Arts Centre and the Forum Cinema. Full details at: www.queenshall.co.uk. Russell