John Etheridge/ JazzHastings

Sean O’Shea continues his initiation into the world of jazz by visiting East Hastings Sea Angling Association Social Club to hear a performance by the John Etheridge Trio organised by JazzHastings, Tuesday 3rd March 2015. He was accompanied by HOT editorial group member and jazz enthusiast Paul Way-Rider who agreed to contribute to this review.

On my arrival I met Reg Hendrickse on the door. He was one of the founding members of JazzHastings along with jazz musician John Donaldson.

There was an impressive turn-out to hear jazz fusion guitarist John Etheridge and the atmosphere was described by one devotee as ‘a bit like Ronnie Scots in the sixties – without the smoke’.

As I chatted with Reg however I couldn’t help but notice that many in the audience were people ‘of a certain age’ which made me wonder to what extent jazz is appealing to young people nowadays. Reg acknowledged that there is a challenge in attracting younger people, and felt the educational system where music was ‘at the bottom of the class’ was partly to blame for this.

The programme was varied and the highlight of my evening was John’s performance of one of my favourite songs Tennessee Waltz. Afterwards I managed a few brief words with John Etheridge explaining that as I was yet somewhat untutored in the finer distinctions between the different styles of jazz, I was at a stage where I could just concentrate on enjoying the different sounds presented to my ear. Echoing the views of Benn Clatworthy (Not about Jazz, HOT, SOS 9^th Jan 2015) he confirmed his passion for playing music he enjoys and which people enjoy without being overly concerned about where it might be placed on the genre spectrum. Overhearing my conversation another enthusiast subsequently chirped in, quoting jazz musician J.J. Johnson, ‘Jazz is restless. It won’t stay put and it never will’ Much like ourselves I thought to myself.

I didn’t manage to meet John Donaldson (JD) but he kindly agreed to answer some of my questions via email. These were his responses

SOS: Could you tell us a bit about JazzHastings?

JD: The club is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. During that time we’ve had many great evenings featuring some of the greatest players around. Everyone told us it couldn’t work in Hastings but it has. We just wanted to bring more good music to the town.

SOS: How do you survive financially?

JD: We’re a not for profit organization and over and above the piano tuning and the soundman the band takes the door. We have been helped by the generosity of Lianne Carroll and Roger Carey who have done fundraising gigs for us and those gigs have helped keep us afloat. We also have a small group of volunteers who help with the door, website, publicity etc. Also EHSAA have been great by letting us use the space.

More people are hearing about the club and slowly the word gets out and new faces appear. We haven’t tried social media but we do a monthly mail out to around 500 people. We have a lot of regulars who really appreciate the music and the club.

SOS: How do you cater for jazz aficionados and wider audiences including young people?

JD: It’s sometimes hard to strike a balance in the programming to appeal to our core audience and to try more contemporary stuff. We had ‘Polar Bear’ which could be called a ‘contemporary’ band and we had a full house with some regulars but many more young people. It was a great night but it’s a challenge to strike the right balance between breaking even, offering bookings to lesser known cutting edge bands, and appealing to as wide an audience as possible. We hope to introduce an inexpensive entry fee for under 18’s from next July and hope that local schools will help us put the word out.

SOS: What’s your message to residents and visitors to the town from JazzHastings

JD: If you’re interested in Jazz, please check our website or pick up one of our brochures which we produce twice a year covering the coming 6 months programme.

Paul Way-Rider

Jazz/fusion guitarist John Etheridge is highly respected in the jazz/rock world. He was part of Soft Machine in the late 70’s and later played with Stephane Grappelli, John Williams and Nigel Kennedy as well as fronting numerous collaborations and music projects.

The East Hastings Sea Anglers Association filled quickly as Etheridge and his band members filed on and off the stage for a few minutes with instruments, drinks and even stage clothes to change into. The band was an informal trio of John Etheridge (guitar), Roger Carey (bass) and Mark Fletcher (drums). The three have associations with each other going back to the 70’s and this carried them through a two hour set for which they had only little or no rehearsal.

The trio played a wide range of material from a jazz blues jam to jazz standards through ballads, original pieces such as the mystical Distant Voice and quirky offerings such as the Tennessee Waltz and a driving Shadows style 50’s number. John’s playing was technically excellent throughout and lyrical at times. He played slow passages with grace and some incredibly fast runs with fluidity and accuracy; though at times his guitar effects produced harshness in sound that detracted from his playing. Personally, (I have followed John since his Soft Machine days) he didn’t disappoint but I could sense that others in the audience were expecting something more along the lines of traditional jazz guitar playing.

Roger Carey played with his usual brilliance and even though he was often battling with his bass guitar’s tuning, managed to produce a virtuoso performance. Roger underpinned the overall sound with a fullness that is usually difficult to achieve with a three piece outfit and his solos were thrilling.

Between numbers John chatted enthusiastically and joked with the audience which added lightness to the proceedings. One point of note was that the overall volume of the band was at level which made it easy to listen to – something most bands fail to achieve. It was a pity that Etheridge’s guitar effects sounds were frequently harsh because he is a jazz guitarist, whose playing at its best, is beyond compare.

• For more information on John Etheridge, please see his website http://www.johnetheridge.com
  
• Jazz Hastings website

SOS April 1^st 2015

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