Andy Davies: "I want that sports crowd rowdiness of people enjoying themselves"

Andy Davies’ jam session has garnered a reputation as an intense, yet effective, training ground, where young players come to cut their teeth, push their playing to new heights and get to know the standards inside out. All of this makes it something of a mecca for straightahead jazz-heads looking to get the inside track on emerging players in the London scene.

That said, Davies is also well aware that many of those in the room are not jazz aficionados. “A lot of people who show up, they’re not necessarily jazz people, they’re just up for a good night, but they’re being potentially thrown into a lions’ den.” Here, the lions are players like Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Joe Henderson – musicians whose output, while beloved of its devotees, may be somewhat intimidating to the newcomer. Davies views his role as that of a go-between, someone to build up connections between musicians, audience and the music, as well as a fun and engaging atmosphere. “I’m not a big fan of people being quiet during gigs,” he says, “I want that sports crowd rowdiness of people enjoying themselves.”

A consummate showman, Davies revels in this master-of-ceremonies role he takes on for the sessions, which run late into the night. He says he’s never had any issues with nervousness on stage, even in the early days. He may be helped in this respect by his parallel careers in acting and television voiceover work. In Ronnie’s, one hand on the instrument and the other beckoning the crowd, he often ratchets up the applause as he nears the end of solos. At other moments, tapping out the rhythm on the bar at the side or leading the cheers, his palpable enthusiasm for the music and other players' solos helps keep the mood lively.

Back in The Piano Bar, dressed in a bowtie and swish suit, glass of red in hand, he is self-aware about his passion for the image of jazz. “One of the things I love about being a jazz musician is that you can dress up eccentrically and get away with it. It’s fun to dress up, you know...” An image clearly seen in some of his trumpet heroes, players like Miles Davis and the late Roy Hargrove. The latter, whose 50th birthday would have fallen on the day I meet Davies, is an icon for the Welshman, not only for his cool threads, but also his ability to weld real hard-bop chops with a talent for writing a catchy tune.

When Davies is writing new material, the aim is clear: to write something that could become a new jazz standard. For him, that means a nice chord structure, with changes that expedite improvisation wedded to a catchy melody in the head that you can whistle back. The philosophy is woven through his latest release, Rise of the Spidermonkey, an album recorded by the Andy Davies Quintet at The Piano Bar’s in-house studio. The group came together naturally, with the players all developing together over the years, hopping from one Soho jazz club to another.

Growing up in Swansea, Davies’ musical education initially came aged 13 to 18, when he played in Glenn Miller-style groups in the working men’s clubs of the city. Aged 18, he made the move to London and started getting serious about jazz at Trinity School of Music. Jazz vocalist and fellow Welshman Ian Shaw was the first person to start introducing him into playing at Ronnie Scott’s. ‘Taffia’, comes the quip in response to a cheeky question about whether there’s a Welsh mafia operating at the heart of the London jazz scene. Davies is passionate about the role of Ronnie Scott’s (which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year) within that scene and also within the wider tapestry of UK jazz. He views it as a rare place where players don’t necessarily have to turn up with a fully-finished and polished product to sell – a demand he perceives in all too many other venues. For him, it is an essential breeding ground for diamonds in the rough, just like himself when he first moved to London.

This article originally appeared in the December 2019 / January 2020 issue of Jazzwise. Never miss an issue – subscribe today!