Monday Jam Nights supported by Dawsons Music.
For the past two years Matt & Phred’s has opened it’s doors to musicians at all levels to take part in the much loved Monday Jam nights. Originally starting off with a Jazz Jam and Blues Jam, this has recently grown to include a Funk Jam and Latin Jam. So whatever your music preference we have the Jam for you!
There’s a whole mix of people who turn up to the Jams, some of whom are professional musicians and some who are amateurs who pluck up the nerve to perform. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the house bands are there to encourage and nurture as well as showcase their own and everybody else’s talents.
The Jam nights caught the eye of Dawsons Music, the best musical instrument stores in the UK, who thought the Monday Night Jams were a great way of bringing musicians together and promptly donated a brand new Drum Kit & Symbols for everybody to use on the Jam Nights.
On Monday 16th July the Drum Kit will have it’s first outing on the M&P stage during the Manchester Jazz Festival Jazz Jam, held every year at Matt & Phred’s. And we have a very talented young drummer who is going to take the inaugural ‘hit’ on the drums.
Johnny Hunter is a northern UK-based drummer who comes from a background of both the Avant-Garde and the more mainstream Jazz. He has performed and recorded regularly with such musicians as Benn Clatworthy, Nat Birchall, Mick Beck, Pete Fairclough, Walt Shaw and Ed Kainyek to name a few. He is currently the house drummer for the Matt & Phred’s Jazz Jam night and is also heavily involved in the Reggae and Dub scene.
Johnny currently plays with Marley Chingus, a Liverpool-based quartet playing heavy modal Jazz inspired by John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and the like; the Dub Jazz Soundsystem, a mash-up of heavy Dub and psychedelic modal Jazz; Skamel, Johnny’s own Ska/Jazz/Dub ensemble inspired by the French Reggae group Raspigaous; and a number of other projects including a pianoless quartet set up to explore the freedom and challenges of having no chordal instrument, a Free Jazz group with sax, double bass and two drummers, and even a full 17-piece Ska Big Band playing his own arrangements.
The Jazz Jam starts at 10pm on Monday 16th July with a solo performance on the new drum kit by Johnny Hunter, followed by a session with the Jazz Jam House Band, led by Dave Spencer. Come down and put your name on the list to play. It’s going to be a great night and who can resist having a go on the new Jam Drum Kit!
For more information visit mattandphreds.com or call the office on 0161 839 7187.