Pete Oxley, left, and Nick Meier (photo: Jazz Hastings).

Magical guitar duo hit Hastings jazz scene

A memorable evening is in store for jazz lovers, guitar lovers and music lovers in general when a formidable duo of jazz guitarists come to Hastings. Jazz Hastings’ Julian Norridge sets the scene.

The next Jazz Hastings session on Tuesday 7 March will bring together two of the most respected jazz guitarists in Europe. Pete Oxley and Nick Meier both have huge reputations as individual artists, but together they reach new heights as the magical combination, the Oxley/Meier Guitar Duo.

And their playing goes well beyond pure jazz. Their sources include Pat Metheny style songs, Hot Club swing, Latin cool, Turkish music, Indian influences and rock. Between them, they will play at least 10 different guitars.

Not just for buffs

As one critic recently put it, “Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that this is something exclusively for guitar buffs, or even jazz buffs. If you love music of any kind, you’ll probably fall for this.”

Suffolk-born Peter Oxley is a graduate of Leeds Jazz College. He began his musical career in Paris in the mid ‘80s before relocating to the UK in 1997. Shortly afterwards he helped open The Spin jazz club in Oxford which in 2012 won the Parliamentary Jazz Award as ‘The Best Jazz venue in the UK’.

Photo: Jazz Hastings.

Pete regularly performs with some of the world’s leading jazz artists. In 2003, he formed his own touring and recording band Curious Paradise. To date he has released 14 critically acclaimed CDs which feature his own original compositions.

Nicolas Meier was born in Switzerland and studied at that country’s prestigious Conservatoire de Fribourg before winning a scholarship to Boston’s illustrious Berklee College of Music. He has now been based in the UK for some years.

Drawing on a love of Turkish, Eastern and Middle Eastern music, flamenco, tango and more – all mixed with jazz – he has carved out a reputation as one of the UK’s most original and talented guitarists.

Touring with Jeff Beck

His catholic musical taste even extends as far as rock and heavy metal – so much so that he caught the attention of rock guitar legend Jeff Beck, who subsequently made Nick a mainstay of the Jeff Beck Group, taking him on two world tours during the course of the last three years.

Nick has also toured extensively around the world with his own band, the Meier group. They recently won the overall prize for ‘best band’ at the Juan-les-Pins jazz festival.

Pete and Nick first teamed up in 2015 to release the album Chasing Tales, which received many four-star reviews and led to a 60-date tour that year and a 25-date tour the following year.

Their latest album The Colours of Time was released last month to coincide with another UK spring tour (35 dates). It is their most ambitious project to date, a double album with one disc in duo format, the other featuring a quartet with bass and drums. Hastings is one of the early stops on their new tour.

Oxley/Meier Guitar Duo Jazz Hastings concert at East Hastings Sea Angling Association (on the Stade behind the lifeboat station) on Tuesday 7 March. Doors open 7.45pm for 8.30pm start. Tickets £10 on the door.

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