Living
in Northumberland means that it is not as easy as it used to be to pop out from
Newcastle to local jazz gigs, but this is more than compensated by the
beautiful Northumberland countryside and coast, particularly during a summer
like this one.
© Russell
However,
jazz fans exist in all parts of the country so I have found jazz gigs in
Rothbury, Warkworth and Hexham and others I couldn't get to in Amble, Alnmouth,
Berwick and Blyth.
Having heard a lot about Joe Steels and been to a few of the jazz gigs he has curated at the Queen's Hall in Hexham, the jam session he organises in the Tannery pub seemed like a good opportunity to find out more about jazz in Hexham.
As I
approached the pub I could hear the music drifting out into the street, which
is always a good sign. It was a sultry evening and the doors of the room where
the session was taking place were open with some people outside having a smoke.
The audience had a good proportion of younger people but with a welcoming space
for the more mature like me.
Like all good jam sessions this seemed to organise itself. In general performers seemed to know when to sit in and play two numbers before handing over to someone else. The rhythm section was consistent throughout the evening with Steels sometimes playing guitar and nicely restrained solos leaving plenty of musical space for the other performers.
A
couple of people at the bar asked me if I was a player but I had to sadly say
no. However if I had been I would have been happy to participate in what is
obviously a very supportive session for players of all abilities.
The
musicians who sat in during the evening were all competent performers,
including a trumpet player, saxophonist and a singer and I was having a
perfectly enjoyable evening. However, then a guitarist came forward with a rather
lovely light coloured semi-solid guitar and he played with such easy fluency
and technical ability I was immediately entranced. He also interspersed his
solos with rhythmic chord progressions of high quality that made clear his
playing would stand out in any setting. I spoke to him briefly afterwards to
say how much I enjoyed his playing and he said his name was John who was from
Hexham but now lived and worked in Cardiff.
All
I can say is to look out for John and his honey-coloured guitar, especially if
you are in Cardiff (or Hexham). And the jam session at the Tannery on the
second Wednesday of the month is well worth a visit - like all good sessions it
can produce musical surprises. JC
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