Well, I think its only right that I start this blog by welcoming our brand-new bass player to the fold…Mr Sam Jackson!
Sam’s in his final week of the 3 year jazz course at Leeds College of Music (LCM), from which he’ll hopefully be graduating with a solid BMus in June! Sam is a brilliant player and has rightfully been building a reputable name for himself, particularly on the northern jazz scene – regularly playing the best Jazz venues in Leeds – such as Sela Bar, The Wardrobe, Seven Jazz, etc. So when Sam decided to come along for a rehearsal with my trio – I was very excited! Many of my latest compositions have been written from the outset, with an upright bass in mind – and so its been very important for me to find such a competent player who can commit to the trio on a more permanent basis.
And what a start it has been for Sam! We had our first gig on Friday 11th May back at the South Square Arts Centre, in Thornton, Bradford. This was to accompany an exhibition in the Gallery, playing some atmospheric jazz, as part of the centre’s 30th Anniversary weekend. But rather than simply being background music – I was startled to see that people were pulling up chairs to sit down and listen to us! And they listened with such intent – staying perfectly silent during the performance, and clapping with such vigour after each final note faded to its timely silence.
This was a fascinating experience – and one which really sympathised with my compositions well. Indeed we premiered 2 brand-new pieces at the event – ‘Silently Evolving’ and ‘Into the Spring’. These are two very soft pieces – heavily influenced by the work of Tord Gustavsen – but really groove in places. David’s drumming was really fitting for them – and despite us having never even rehearsed the latter piece together – he clearly knew the sound I was after! The acoustic was perfect for them too – with every note resonating cleanly off the white-washed, stone walls.
We also played the material from my Candescence EP – which seemed to go down a treat, selling many copies of the EP! Sam played some awesome counter-melodies in these, and his soloing really suited the mood well. I simply cannot wait to get some of this new material recorded!
So I hope that’s given you an idea of what to expect from my New Trio. If you want to hear us next time, we’re playing at the Gaslight Club, at Oporto Bar on Call Lane, Leeds on 28th May – I hope to see you there!
Finally, I’d like to just wish Sam all the best for his final recital, which is on Wednesday! Good luck Sam! And also I’d like to thank the South Square for having us back here again – it was an absolute pleasure to play!
R