Horsley Live Music Club proudly presents
HEJIRA
A celebration of the greatest music of legendary singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell,
by a seven-piece band of outstanding Jazz musicians. A seated concert in an atmospheric and historic setting.
THE GREAT HALL, HORSLEY TOWERS, SUNDAY APRIL 21st
HEJIRA
A celebration of the greatest music of legendary singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell,
by a seven-piece band of outstanding Jazz musicians. A seated concert in an atmospheric and historic setting.
THE GREAT HALL, HORSLEY TOWERS, SUNDAY APRIL 21st
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HEJIRA AT HORSLEY TOWERS, SUNDAY 21st APRIL
‘Hejira’ is a seven-piece band set up to celebrate and honour the very best work of genius singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell. This excellent band of top UK Jazz musicians fully captures the poetry, passion and beauty of Mitchell’s masterpieces. There are some live video links to the right. Joni Mitchell released four albums that became known as her 'jazz period' - ‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns’, ‘Hejira’, ‘Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter’ and ‘Mingus’. Joni then toured with a band drawn from the absolute crème de la crème of US jazz musicians (Metheny, Mays, Brecker, Pastorius and Alias). The tour was recorded, producing the excellent live album, ‘Shadows And Light’. It is from this album that the band Hejira draws the body of its repertoire. Comprising seven highly-experienced jazz musicians,' Hejira' is fronted by outstanding vocalist/guitarist Hattie Whitehead, who has not only assimilated the poise, power and beauty of Joni’s vocals, but also plays guitar with Joni’s stylistic mannerisms. Expect an evening of the greatest songs from Mitchell’s back catalogue, such as ‘Amelia’, ‘Woodstock’, 'A Case Of You’, ’Song For Sharon’, 'Edith And The Kingpin’. The band members are: Hattie Whitehead ~ vocals & guitar; Ollie Weston ~ tenor & soprano saxophones; Chris Eldred ~ keyboards; Pete Oxley ~ guitar; Dave Jones ~ bass; Rick Finlay ~ drums; Marc Cecil ~ percussion. There is more information on each of the band members below. This will be the twenty-first concert organised by the Horsley Live Music Club, which has now established a reputation for high-quality shows and top class performances from some of the UK's best musicians. Every show has sold out and we are sure that this one will be no different. This is a seated concert, in the atmospheric and historic setting of the Great Hall at Horsley Towers. With a small capacity, this means that the audience can enjoy a superior evening out, comfortably seated in top quality surroundings, with the band up close and personal. Add professional staging, lighting and sound and you will appreciate that there is nothing quite like this in Surrey. The bar will be open from 7.00 until 11.00. The show will start at 8.00 and the band will perform two sets, with an interval. TICKETS ARE £25.00 (PLUS BOOKING FEE). CLICK HERE TO BOOK IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHOW
TO BOOK TICKETS, CLICK HERE. INFORMATION ON THE MEMBERS OF 'HEJIRA' Hattie Whitehead: vocals and guitars The band is fronted by the extraordinarily talented Hattie Whitehead, who not only sings masterfully with Joni’s pitch-accuracy, poise and dignity, but she also plays guitar much with the mannerisms of Mitchell (incorporating various open tunings - which lend an instant authenticity to the colour of the songs). Hattie grew up surrounded by music and musicians - her father is the outstanding saxophonist, Tim Whitehead - and has a career as a singer/songwriter outside of this band. In 2016, she won the ‘Emerging Talent’ competition at Glastonbury Festival. Her original songs have been listened to hundreds of thousands of times on various streaming platforms. Pete Oxley: guitar Pete grew up in a family of classical musicians, fell for jazz in his late teens, went on to study jazz at the Leeds College of Music, then moved to Paris in his mid twenties. It was there that he began gigging intensively and developing his career as a guitarist, composer and bandleader. He has produced 16 albums of critically acclaimed original music (including 7 with the Swiss guitar virtuoso, Nicolas Meier) and is one of only a handful of British composers to have their works included in the ‘European Real Book’ (Sher Publications). The Oxley-Meier Guitar Project continues to record and tour extensively throughout the UK and Europe. Ollie Weston: saxophones Since graduating from Leeds College of Music, Ollie has had a diverse career which has included education, session work and live performance. In the former of these, Ollie teaches at the Guildhall (London) and has major tutorial books published by Schott Music under the heading, ‘Exploring Jazz’. In the latter, Ollie has toured all over the world with such outfits as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He has also worked extensively in the West End, performing in Chicago, Dream Girls and in two critically acclaimed seasons at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Chris Eldred: piano and keyboards Chris first came to prominence while playing in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), from 2008 to 2014. In the midst of that period, he was winner of the 2011 Yamaha Scholarship Award for Outstanding Jazz Musicians and graduated in the same year from Trinity College of Music with first class honours. With NYJO, he performed many high-profile gigs (such as at the Albert Hall Proms) and came to the attention of such established masters as Mark Lockheart, Jean Toussaint and Salena Jones, with whom he subsequently worked. He is now a regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s and is one of London’s most in-demand pianists. Dave Jones: electric basses Dave is one of the most brilliant bass players - on both electric and acoustic basses that the UK has produced! His deep musicianship has led him to work with, amongst others, John Etheridge, Bill Bruford, the BBC Big Band, Jacqui Dankworth, Willard White and Scott Hamilton. He is bandleader, arranger and composer of the ‘Dave Jones Nonet’, comprising the creme de la creme of UK jazz musicians. Dave is continually active in jazz education leading many courses at Richmond Jazz School where he also previously led the faculty and he is also regularly invited to teach on a number of international jazz summer schools. Rick Finlay: drums Rick’s career has seen him being perpetually occupied, dividing his time between London’s West End, education and performing as a jazz musician. In the former, Rick held the drum chair at Blood Brothers for twenty years and also played for The Little Shop of Horrors and Chess Time. As a freelancer, Rick has performed on many prestigious TV shows, including Parkinson, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and The Late Show. Rick has, for several years, been hosting the ‘Just East Jazz Club’ in North London, where he has accompanied most of the UK’s jazz glitterati! Marc Cecil: percussion Marc Cecil is a musician whose career has seen him work in myriad styles, performing at all sorts of premier venues, such as The Royal Opera House, Wembley Arena, The 02, Glastonbury Festival, The Jazz Cafe - Camden and Ronnie Scott’s. He was a member of "King Salsa”, the UK’s premier 12 piece salsa band for 17 years. His extensive theatre work includes seasons with: Blood Brothers (west end), Billy Elliot (west end), Saturday Night Fever (west end), Footloose (tour), Streisand The Story (tour), The Chicago Blues Brothers (tour), Million Dollar Quartet (west end) and The Carpenter’s Story (tour). In the jazz arena, Marc has worked with a ‘who’s who’ of top UK musicians, including: Jason Rebello, Neil Angilly, Nigel Price, Art Themen, Jim Mullen, Picante, Jacqui Hicks, Snowboy, Noel McCalla, Liane Carol, Lily Dior, Geoff Gascoyne, Laurence Cottle, Alan Barns, Henry Lowther, and the Derek Nash Quartet. Marc’s extraordinary drive, groove and use of sonic colours is an essential element of the whole Hejira soundscape. |
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This event is promoted by the HORSLEY LIVE MUSIC CLUB. We are a not for profit group of local music enthusiasts - all volunteers - who put on regular music events in the Horsley area. Members make it all happen and get booking priority. Join us here. Contact us here.
