Oxford's oldest student newspaper

Independent since 1920

Live Jazz at the Mad Hatter

In the packed Mad Hatter bar on Iffley Road, dim lighting and special cocktails help set the atmosphere for JazzSoc’s weekly jazz and jam evening. The young Alex Bone, first ever winner of the BBC Young Musician Jazz award two years ago, steps onto the narrow stage at the back of the room with a trio of Oxford jazzmen.

The first notes Alex blows in his saxophone are already enough to tell that the Royal Academy of Music student is at least as talented as the long list of his achievements suggests. Together, the quartet play a young and soulful jazz with a slight experimental edge. The drums are particularly present, working with the saxophonist to produce an almost aggressively dynamic sound.

Moving on to some slower tunes, the musicians are visibly enjoying the evening as much as the small crowd that has built up in front of them. Bass and keyboard continue supporting the other two, with a neat distribution of solos. In between two songs, Alex tells us that they were only able to spend about an hour practicing together before the gig, a surprising fact considering the harmonious balance they have got going.

Breaking from speedy rhythms sending a particular electricity across the room into smooth jazz, our quartet handles a ballad with the same control. Dreamy syncopes bring back the sadly long-forgotten pleasure of entirely instrumental songs lasting longer than the conventional 3:48 minutes of a pop track.

An intro with an appreciated hint of progressive rock allows all four musicians to prove that they are perfectly at ease with a range of different styles. In this subtly varied selection of tunes, of which some, such as the final ‘Spider’, were composed by the saxophonist himself, Alex eventually picks up his soprano and the skilled drummer settles into a rhythmic counterpoint with the bouncy keyboard. Transitions from energetic and definitely modern jazz to more intimate sounds are spotless, and altogether not a single foot can be stopped from beating the measure along with the quartet.

“Chill” is the word of the evening.

Check out our other content

Most Popular Articles