He's the foodie broadcaster you know from Radio 4, BBC One, The Guardian and The Observer, but did you also know he's a jazz musician - specifically a pianist? We asked Jay Rayner 5 questions about his upcoming show on Saturday 19th October and found out all about stories in the show, his favourite '80s songs and sleeping with the lead singer...
WMC: Nice to meet you Jay! You’re well known as a writer, restaurant critic and food broadcaster, but your musical talents are less well known. Tell us more…
JR: I’ve been playing piano since I was a child: first thumping me way through a few (but not quite enough) classical grades, before diverting briefly into synthesisers. Then, bit by bit, I put myself together as a jazz pianist. There were various tutors and a night-class and then I became part of the music scene at a private members’ club, where I got to play on Friday night jams with some of Britain’s top musicians. They knew me through my reviews and were therefore prepared to tolerate my then meagre knowledge. I learnt enormous amounts. Eventually it led to the offer of a one-off gig in 2012. I put together a quartet from the musicians I met in that room, and we’re still playing together 12 years later.
WMC: What’s inspired you to put on this show? Why jazz? Why ‘80’s pop?
JR: I met Pat Gordon-Smith, the singer in our band, at Leeds university in the 80s. We’ve been married for over 30 years so I’m allowed to say I sleep with the singer. The love of 80s music is therefore part of the story of our relationship and we’ve been always fascinated by how so much of it wasn’t just jazz inflected but basically jazz. It just happened to have charted. In 2022 we celebrated a decade of playing an eclectic repertoire of standards by moving from being a quartet to a sextet and diving head first into this 80s groove. Our guiding principle is that we are not covering these tunes: we are treating them like classics from the Great American Songbook and giving our interpretation of them.
WMC: What can people expect from your show?
JR: I’m a firm believer in total entertainment. Or to put it another way, I live in fear of an audience being bored. So yes, there are lots of stories: of my life as a journalist both in food and not, of growing up with a mother who was a sex advice columnist, of my life in the 80s. The jazz musicianship of this band is top of the tree, but this is not the kind of jazz gig where you are expected to nod solemnly and clap politely occasionally. You’ve paid for the ticket. My job is to show you a good time and I take that job very seriously.
WMC: What are your top three ‘80s tunes and why?
JR: It may sound like a platitude but I love every single arrangement we play. If I don’t love it, the tune won’t go in to the set list. But if you forced me to name three that have a special place in my heart, the first would have to be Moon Over Bourbon Street by Sting. Apart from the fact that it comes in quiet and goes out loud, a dynamic I’m fond of, it was the first one we arranged and the first one where we realised the project was a goer. Then there’s The Tide is High, itself a cover by Blondie. Having listened to the original, which is reggae, I suggested to our guitarist Chris Cobbson that he draw on his Ghanaian Heritage and take us in an Afro-Beat direction. And oh, what joy. Finally, I adore a full on stomping swing tune and it doesn’t get more stomping and more swinging than Walk Between the Raindrops, by Donald Fagen, originally of Steely Dan. But asking me to choose three like this really is like asking me to choose between my kids. I guarantee a great show of great tunes.
Book tickets for the Jay Rayner Sextet, Saturday 19th October, 7.30pm
This event includes a special food offer of Garlic Chicken or Wild Mushroom and Black Truffle macaroni cheese and tomato, onion and herb salsa. £14pp please order at checkout
