JazzSoc Jam
Thirst Lodge; Thursdays, 9pm; £1
Harry Thompson
Upstairs at Thirst lodge and a handful of drunken people are involved in a poor imitation of what I presume is Salsa, whereas downstairs the air is close, the fingers are clicking and JazzSoc’s thursday night jazz jam is in stylish swing.
The format is essentially this: turn up with an instrument and get on the stage. For all your humble writer’s alleged musical knowledge, his skills at playing it are limited to whistling and rocking a mean air drum, so I did not perform. But those who did bring their saxophones, basses – double and guitar – trombones and trumpets produced some brilliant impromptu performances.
All comers played from Real Books, using jazz standards as a jumping off point to endless riffing and improvising on both solo and group efforts. A highlight was one trumpeter hitting such audaciously high notes that I can only assume left his lips in a pulpy mess.
The Thirst Lodge’s basement venue isn’t particularly spacious, but there’s a well-stocked bar and still enough room for eager jazz punters to get in the standard jazz appreciation moves – the ubiquitous finger click, the involved foot-tap, the expressive nod accompanied by over-bite – and I can’t help but indulge in all of them.
Saxophonist Peter Daunton, who played a great set with fellow bandmates of local group The Oxford Tubes, says, ‘It’s a great opportunity to play in a friendly atmosphere and have the ability to freely experiment on stage’.
The night is undeniable fun for performers, aficionados and Jazz-virgins alike and, for the princely sum of £1, a cheap and thoroughly enjoyable way of spending an evening.
Jazz & Sausages
The Big Bang Restaurant, Jericho; Tuesdays, 8pm; main meal and jazz £15
Alex Watson
There are those who say that jazz is an outdated relic. They’re wrong. I would defend in particular the British ‘new school’ of Polar Bear, Soweto Kinch et al. as a community still able to innovate intelligently and productively, while keeping true to the jazz ‘message’ pioneered by Davis, Coltrane and Parker – that of improvisation and soul.
However, the Big Bang Sausage Restaurant (pictured above), huddled between glitzy cocktail bars and expensive restaurants along Marston Road in Jericho, is, predictably, not the place to find evidence of this.
In an atmospheric basement, the enthusiastic restaurant staff serve excellent portions of bangers and mash while a house band of Martin Pickett and Paul Jeffries on keyboard and bass, augmented by local talent, forge on through some easy-listening jazz, all for the fair price of £15.
It’s hard not to recommend this ‘jazz night’, since the food is so appetising, and the opportunity to listen to jazz and have a candle-lit dinner in such a cosy locale seems so enticing. Unfortunately, for the jazz enthusiast at least, the music is pretty standard fare.
Of course, this jazz night is designed to perform a function, and it certainly does so with aplomb. The music enhances the dining experience and is not so intrusive as to totally stop conversation. However, when I visited I left with the impression that the band had never even grazed the limits of their abilities and were very comfortable churning out sweet, unchallenging versions of jazz standards.
In short, this is a great concept, and many will be utterly satisfied with the experience. Just don’t expect the music to be as fresh and spicy as the sausages.
OU Big Band & The Oxford Gargoyles
Magdalen Auditorium; Saturday 7th week, 8pm; £5
James Archer
Most people’s contact with Oxford’s student jazz scene is the University’s three big bands. The Donut Kings can claim to be Oxford’s hardest working student ensemble, and few would dispute that they are the most fun, while the OU Jazz Orchestra will be showcasing an exciting range of repertoire at a Varsity contest in Hilary term.
Meanwhile, the Big Band has cemented its place as Oxford’s flagship jazz ensemble with an unprecedented series of foreign tours. The OUBB’s joint concert with the European a cappella champions, the Oxford Gargoyles, promises to be the jazz event of the term.
Both ensembles will bring down the house at Magdalen auditorium with a mix of classic and contemporary material and exciting original compositions.
Really, there’s never been a better time to look beyond that infamous turtleneck jumper and discover the talent of our best student musicians. ‘Nice!’, I’m sure you’ll agree.
