S6, E7 Hannah Horton | Saxophonist, composer and band leader

In this episode, we hear from an award‑winning saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Hannah Horton, a rising force in contemporary UK jazz. An official Selmer artist, Hannah is celebrated for her bold, melodic soundscapes that blend jazz, folk, and funk with striking emotional clarity.

Described as a “melodic maverick” with a distinctive tone and boundary‑pushing style, Hannah shares the evolution of her voice. 

Episode recorded on 16 February 2026. 

Website: hannahhorton.com
Instagram: @hannahhortonsax

Podcast details:
Podcast email: artiststalespodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.artiststales.net
Instagram: @artists_tales_podcast
Threads: @artists_tales_podcast

Transcript

A quick note before this episode. The Music used is a new single called Whisper from Hannah Horton's new album, stories of the Wind. The artist has generously given permission for the song to be used in this episode.

In this episode of Artist Tales, I'm joined by Hannah Horton, who's a true music maverick. She's an award-winning composer, a Selma artist and a band leader who's fronted the same quartet for 15 years. Welcome, Hannah. Hello. Thanks for having me, Heather. Well, it's amazing to have you and you know, you are just telling me just before we started to record that you've had an an incredibly busy day.

So you've, you have a new single out, don't you? And it got airtime. Yes. So tell me a bit more. I wasn't expecting it at all really. I, um, my single whisper came out last week and I wrote the track for my now fiance. He was my partner at the time, but we've recently got engaged and, um. It's, it's a slow track, so ballads I feel don't usually get played on air.

So to get it as featured track on jazz FM breakfast all week, which I found out this morning is amazing. And as I said to you, I'm just having to kind of take some deep breaths and, and enjoy the moment because we are always striving for the next thing and actually. You know this, if it was one of my friends, I'd go, wow, this is amazing.

You need to celebrate. And, you know, so I have to give my own advice, I think, on this one. Take my own advice. Definitely, definitely savor the moment. Yeah. Yeah. It's just been a busy, a busy day in my head getting excited really. And that's well deserved. So, you know, savor the, the joy, savor, the, you know, excitement of it.

So that's fabulous that you're, you're getting airtime for, you're single, but tell us a bit more about yourself and how you got into jazz. Um, I've got into jazz in a kind of roundabout way in the end with what I'm doing now. I, um, I started playing the saxophone when I was 10. I had played a few instruments before that and.

I used to play, I ended up playing in jazz bands, like youth, youth bands and school bands. And um, and I went to junior music college and I did a lot of jazz style of music, but it never really. Captured me as it does now. I, it, it's been a long and winding journey to where I am as an artist now. I think it feels like the right thing now.

I, when, when COVID hit, I kind of had a reassessment of like, I think many of us did, of what was going on in our lives. And I was teaching a lot the saxophone and clarinet and flute, and I loved teaching. But there I, there was something inside me that said. Come on, Hannah. Now's the time. Now are changing to try and see what happens.

So I found my kind of my own way back in kind of, I guess an unusual way really. And so far so good. That's really, yeah, no, so far so good. And made that continue as well. So you play the baritone and tenor sax. I have to say, I don't really know much about the saxophone. So could you tell us a bit more about those two instruments?

Gonna sound a right geek now. Please do so. Uh, I mean with my kind of professional teaching head on, usually I started with the alto saxophone, which is the one that most people start with 'cause it's quite small and you can carry it around easily. And although it's a bit heavy. You can still take it on trains and, you know, carry it to school and whatever.

But pretty early on, even at Sary school, I was kind of attracted to the low sounds of the saxophone, the lower registers. Um, so my teacher had said, why don't you get a tenor, which is a bit bigger than an alto, so the bigger the saxophone, the lower it goes. So I got my tenor. And actually I was playing that for ages.

I sometimes played the baritone saxophone at Junior Guild Hall if we needed, if there at one point we were doing Star Wars and things like that and they needed a baritone sax. So I volunteered and loved it. But baritone saxophones are super expensive and they take a lot of room to store. Like they're basically as long as a sofa the case.

So you need to have enough room. Whereas other instruments pack down, you know, you can, you, we call them, break them in half, but you're not really breaking. You're just taking them apart. The saxophone doesn't really go down at all. So I didn't get a baritone until I left college and moved out of home. So that would've been 2002.

So I actually didn't play the baritone for a very long time. And I saved up. And I saved up and I saved up. And I got my first baritone, which I loved. And then just, uh, after I released my studio album inside out in 2021, I, um. Got Instagram stalked by Selma, which is like, that is a saxophone player's dream.

And uh, I ended up going to Paris a few times to uh, kind of work with them. And now I have a Selma baritone. I have a vintage Selma 10, which I already had and a summer baritone. So that's how the artist came about. So I was invited over to Paris, tried out different saxophones, and I went back there last summer to play for there.

Think I'm right to say it was the hundred and 40th anniversary. Um, so I played in an all star big band. I was the only UK jazz artist there, which was, um, kind of cool. And so that's how I ended up with a baritone. And I think everybody says to me, which is your favorite? I can't really say I write. The music for the specific saxophone.

So what I write for the baritone feels wrong to play on the tenor and vice versa. It's almost like eating chocolate when you're expecting salted crisps or something. It just doesn't work, you know? It just feels really odd. So that's generally how I. Use the two instruments. That does make sense because as I, when I was growing up, I first was playing the violin and then got into playing the viola, and most people would know the violin or cello or something.

But it's one of those instruments where you can go from the violin all the way down to the double bass and you know, they do increase in size as well, but you wouldn't write, it's not interchangeable like you're saying. You wouldn't write. Same thing for, you know, violin versus a, you know, cello. Yeah.

They're two different, they have different colors. They have different tomba, don't they? And, and they have different characters and different souls. And you, like I'm saying, it's almost like, I think they're human, you know, they definitely have a personality and a sound. And someone asked me recently about how I write for the tune.

I just couldn't, I just could not play what I've written for the baritone or whatever on the tenor. No, I completely agree with you. And as I say, they may not be human, but. They've, they're very different characters. Yeah. You know, very different characters and very different sounds. So I've never come across Selmer.

So could you tell us a bit more about, about smr? Yeah. I mean, I think probably the best way to describe Selma is it's a bit like having a Rolls Royce car. So, um, there are low, there are other, I'll say manufacturers of saxophones, but generally if you go to music college and you become a pro. A lot of jazz is either play a really old vintage instrument or a Selma and I play on a vintage tennis Selma, which is made in 1965, and then my new baritone.

So the Selma is just like. The best saxophone to have really. But it comes with when you're a student, a very expensive price tag, which is, you know, why, I guess what it's sought after. Why we, we don't all have one when we're students because it is a lot, it's a big investment. So, and they play beautifully o obviously the newer instruments are like silk to play compared to a vintage one.

But my vintage one has so many. Emotions when I play it. For me, I got it a time when things weren't going the best for me and it was kind of something that I needed to have to make me believe in myself more. And so it is hard to play and it is sometimes out of tune, but I couldn't not play it. It's been with me.

It sounds like that you really have a, a relationship with it. Yeah. You do with your instruments. And I couldn't just play someone else's. Oh. Would feel weird. I can imagine. And I think going back to your comment about, you know, the different instruments, the different types of instruments of different sort of characters.

It also sounds like the newer, like if you took two baritone saxophones. The kind of older one has its own character versus the new, you know, it's almost, they're like individuals. They are, definitely, they are. And I mean, if you play vintage saxophones, then each one had some kind of handcrafting in it. So each one has its own kind of idiosyncrasies.

The newer ones have more machine manufacturing in them. So in theory they should be similar, but they're not. Like, when you try them out, they speak to you differently. They feel different. Even though it's the same model, you should always go and try an instrument out. Some people just buy them online. I'm like, whoa, how can you do that?

Although I did do that with my vintage tenor. It came from America and I was, they said I could send it back if I didn't like it, but I loved it, so it's okay. Fair enough. Yeah. But it's, it's like most things, you know, whether it's a piece of clothing or, you know, I'm also into cameras because I'm a photographer.

Even as I said, you know, I used, I grew up learning how to play the violin, and viola, you, you do need to try them. You know, like you wouldn't, I mean, I know a lot of people buy, let's say, clothes online, but I find I actually prefer trying them on, or trying, you know, a camera or. An instrument because you get the feel of it.

So, yeah, no, I agree with you on that one. Yeah. I think your first instrument, like the first clarinet I had was a standard plastic buffet, and I'm sure the majority of them all played the same. But I think if you are moving past a a learner instrument, you should definitely go and see if it feels part of you, if it feels comfortable.

Hmm. That is so important. It's so important what you said, what you said there. Now I'm a bit curious because in my mind, jazz has traditionally been very male dominated, and I'm just wondering what your experience has been, you know, as you've gotten into jazz and playing in jazz, you know, how, how you've experienced the, the jazz scene as a, as a woman.

It is very male dominated. Uh, and there are some moves actually to. Address the, the imbalance. What I find hard is that I think generally men are remembered more, or if you're gonna call a player, oh yeah, so and so who happens to be a man who's called and, and I think if you were to ask. I dunno. Let's say someone who was 10 or 12 or something to draw a saxophone player, I'm not too sure they would draw it as the lady.

They would probably draw probably a hat on it and it would look like a man. Probably the same for a trumpet. Same for a double bass. Probably not the same for a singer. So I think we are always going against a stereotype, um, environment. And even now sometimes I, I went to a gig. I was, it was a few years ago now, I was playing a duo gig and it was with my guitarist and we arrived and even though my poster was on the wall behind the sound engineer, he still said, oh, girlfriends shouldn't be down here.

They should be in the green room. Hang on. That is, I'm actually the main artist here, so, uh, it is, I do find it tricky. I think that's probably partly why I started writing my own music so I could express, express myself through my instruments. So it kind of felt more personal to me to, to get into this space.

But my, all, my, my quartet, so me and the other three, the other three are men and they're amazing. So there are a lot of men who are very accepting of us. But there's a lot of work to do. And how has the audience received you? How, you know, how have they reacted to, to you and your quartet? The audience have been really, really amazingly lovely.

When I, I sort of started as an artist with my 2021 album inside out, and that was just after COVID. So I was lucky enough to get quite a lot of gigs where people were just. Going out 'cause they could, which meant that loads of people were going to jazz clubs and into theaters and things. 'cause it was suddenly like we were free, wasn't it?

So I, I, I gained a lot of followers at that time, which was lovely because I was new and they were discovering things for new. And it's been, it's been growing ever since. Like that really, with me, it's, it's been very well received mainly because people feel as though they can, uh, see something in their lives, in my music.

'cause it's all written about different stories or different emotions or things that have happened to me. And I often get really, really lovely messages. For example, there's a lady who's having chemo at the moment and she says, she plays my album and it really cheers her up when she's having treatment.

And I, and you get, you get, you get messages from all around the world and to have helped somebody's life or to have touched them with your music and for them to feel the story in Fritz. Resonate with them really means so much. I had a, had a bit of a bump in the road with this album that's just coming out that, um, I'd been approached by a label to, uh, release with them and then it wasn't feeling right and in the end it didn't happen.

But he'd committed me to the studio and to the musicians. About 10,000 pounds worth of debt before it started. Oh gosh. Yeah, and that was in, I was in Paris playing for summer at that time, so in the summer, just before I was due to go to Wales in August to record. But. My followers raised the money, they crowdfunded me, which I never thought would happen, and I've never ever asked for money before.

I just felt, I felt really awkward doing it, but quite a few people in the industry said to me that this happens and nobody's gonna think, oh, you know, bad of you. They're gonna be like, wow, we wanna support you. And I couldn't believe the support that I got. So, so lovely. 'cause I wouldn't have been able to do the album without that.

So I've actually written them a tune called The Fortune Teller, which is on the album. And I've done some artwork, which has all their names, creating the piece of art inside the booklet for the cd. 'cause without them wouldn't have happened and they really mean so much. And how well, how lovely are they to have done that?

Well, it, it really shows the appreciation I think people have of your music and how you touch people, but also I think it's really quite powerful to, to kind of reflect that back in a, in a song or to, you know, have something to appreciate that because I think it kind of shows that relationship you have with, with your friends.

It's a funny thing to call them fans. 'cause I, I feel like fans maybe isn't, I'm not, don't feel it's in, it's enough of a nurturing word for them really. But, you know, I've grown to know some of them through this. Yeah, I used the word fans may, you know, maybe it's not the right word. So how would you describe to people who appreciate your music?

I know you're gonna say that. I dunno. I, I honestly dunno what I'd call them. It when I send my newsletter out, I sometimes I call them the insiders 'cause they get to know what goes on inside. I don't know, but I've. I had some really interesting conversations with people saying, I've never, ever had the opportunity to be, to be part of something I really care about.

And another, another really kind gentleman who comes to the jazz club I run, said, but if you don't record your tunes, no one else will ever hear them. And just, just these lovely. Lovely words and really heartfelt messages has, um, has kept me going through that mega bump in the road, as I said. Well, I think it, you know, it, it sounds like a two way street.

You know, it, it sounds like the importance of the insiders, you know, the people who support you. But also, as you were saying a bit earlier, the woman with cancer who is just finding comfort in your music. So it, it sounds like a really, like a, a, a really authentic two-way street or almost conversation in, in a way.

Mm. Yeah, you're right. And sometimes I think, oh, do they know that How grateful I am? But I'm sure they do. They, I sent as soon as the, as soon, the track that came out last week is called Whisper. As soon as that came out, I sent them all a message to thank them and hope that they liked it. And they all did.

So the pressure's on. I hope they do. You know, like they've helped me get there. I'm sure they do, and I'm sure they will And, and I think, you know. It's so powerful in today where we can send out messages like that to people who support kind of what what you're producing and to do that does show that you have that relationship or that dialogue with the people who support your music, which I think is quite powerful.

And you, it kind of keeps you connected. Yeah, you're right. And it's, it's hard to describe how much it means. I can imagine, maybe there's a tune, I don't wanna say tune tune's the the wrong word. I think maybe there's a story you can tell it with your music. Yeah. Yes. That's a good idea. The next one I write, perhaps.

Yeah. Yeah. Not to influence you, but if I do want to touch on the quartet you're in and the type of music you play. So I'd like to talk about, you know, the group you're in. Yeah. So, um, my bass player, Rob, is. My longest standing member. I'm just trying to think. I think now it must be 19 or 20 years. Gosh, we've played together.

Oh gosh. I know. And when I started playing with him, I really didn't know what I was doing with jazz at all. And he has really helped me, gave me tunes, ideas, and different things. And then now I'm settled with a great drummer, Steve and Sam, on piano. They're all three of them are really creative. So when we play, we play.

For those of you who don't know much about jazz, we have this thing called a head, which is basically the tune, like let's say verse and chorus. If you were talking a music verse, chorus verse, and then we improvise over that. So probably if you go to a jazz gig, each tune is probably at least 70% made up on the spot.

So you'll never see, well hear that same improvisation again. And they're all extremely creative and we, we all leave a lot of space for each other. So there's, there's like conversations between us when we're improvising and they pick up on rhythms that I play, and then we kind of build it up and then it's a, it's a really lovely thing when you've got a band who.

I have really good energy and a supportive vibe on stage and these, these guys really do, and it was lovely being in the studio with them. This time I went to the studio with pretty firm ideas. I think I've grown as an artist since 2021, which if somebody had said, try this, I'd have gone, oh yeah, okay. But there's so much had gone into these tracks that if someone said, are you sure about this?

I'd be like, yes, I'm sure. Which is, which is a nice journey for me to have been on, to feel more confident about my, my decisions of the writing and the arranging. But actually we arrived on the Sunday. They were there until the Thursday, so we had all the tracks down by then. They left on Friday morning, and I then added in the sax backings.

So on some tunes there's another two or three saxophones playing, which is me, and they hadn't heard the backings until last week. Ah. I know, because I just thought, what do they do if they don't like it? So I left it as as late as possible. Like I've had the CDs back a week or two weeks, so it was too late if they didn't like it, but they did.

So that's good. It's nice to have such a creative vibe between them all, us all. It sounds like you're you. Yeah. You have that really good core relationship with them and you can work together and collaborate together and kind of. Produce things that come out really well and sort of polished. Yeah, definitely.

It's, um, and also on stage, sometimes things go wrong, like someone might forget a chorus or someone might forget speed or whatever. And we all have to beat each other's safety net. And if, if you are not musical friends on stage, that's not gonna happen. And obviously things go wrong. Like I went to see. A very famous London orchestra last night at the Barkin.

Something went wrong, like someone played a wrong note. These things happen. We are not machines. And so it's gonna happen. You just, you just need the right team behind you. And this team is definitely lovely, warm and fuzzy and bright. Yeah. But I think what you're describing, I mean, in a way that's why we kind of go to live performances, because I'm sure some people will be like, oh, they've made a mistake.

But it's kind of nice sometimes that. Okay. You notice, and it, it can be mortifying if you do make a mistake, but it reminds you that it's human. And quite often, probably most people don't notice it. Yep, that's true. Most people wouldn't notice it. Probably if it was an improvisation section or someone just didn't do a repeat or something.

'cause the, the other guys would hear it and, you know, cover it up. And you're right, it's all about. It's a live experience and, and also when we are on stage, sometimes I think all these people in the room, let's say it's like a hundred or 150 or 200 people, they're all sitting next to each other and they don't know each other.

So they're all in this dark room together, experiencing something that will never turn out the same again. You know, like that's really special. I agree, and I think even classical music where we, you have a score, it's never the same choice because it depends on the conductor, it depends on the people in the room, and it is, although it's, you know, hallelujah or whatever they're playing, you kind of know roughly what it sounds like.

It's never the same choice, which is the beauty of it. Definitely. Yep. And sometimes I might count something faster than normal, or slower than normal or quite, sometimes I say to Sam, my penis, do you want to do an introduction? And he's, he will, he's been known to go, give me an idea, and the audience suggests something, and then he creates this soundscape of what he's thinking from that idea, and then he has to then white kind of weave his way into the tune that we're meant to be playing.

Wow. Yeah. That's cool. That takes a lot of talent and to particularly to make it sound natural as well. Yeah, it's different every time. So he definitely has not pre-prepared. No, no. Which is really cool. I, I'd like to actually get onto some of the projects you're, you're doing, and I know it. When we spoke before recording, you mentioned J Steps, which is a program supporting young women in, in jazz.

So could you talk a bit more about that and, and what you're doing with, with that group? Yeah. J Steps are awesome. They're, um. They're a group that I started just as we came out of lockdown, mainly because, uh, when I was growing up. There were jazz bands that I played in, as I mentioned before, but they were quite competitive.

Like you always felt as though maybe you weren't good enough or someone was sing better than you and, and you could have done a better job. And even if that's not how everybody else felt, that's how I was made to feel and it wasn't that supportive and you couldn't really try out ideas or go wrong without somebody kind of poking at you.

So I really wanted to. Encourage more improvisation in, in young girls. So improvisation, you know, you're stepping away from the dots that are written in front of you and, you know, some people might not realize, but improvisation does have a lot of rules. You need to know what notes generally would work over the course you're playing and, and have done a bit of theory beforehand.

So this group, um, enables them to come along, learn. I teach them about improvisation. We do a bit of theory. I write pieces for them, and we play some well-known jazz pieces that I arrange. We started out under a music school, which was brilliant. Uh, but we kind of needed to have a bit more autonomy in what we were doing.

'cause they wanted to go out and do gigs. So we actually played jazz clubs with them, which is like so cool. Wow. So you must have been like 12 and you say, well, I was playing at to lose the trek last night, which is why I'm really tired at school. It's just so cool. Uh, so, uh, that's the environment that we've created.

So we meet once a month for two hours and we go out and do gigs. And then, um, about two and a half years ago, I put in for arts Council funding, if you've ever done one of those funding forms online. Oh my goodness. It takes hours, weeks, it takes to do it. So I did it once and we got thrown out, did it again, and we got it.

So the kind of culmination of that. Application is that we are off to Abbey Road in April to record an album for three days with J Steps and um, they get to be involved in all the projects. That kind of make up the big thing. So they, we are doing a documentary, so they get to be involved with that. Uh, they get, we, they came around here, a few of them, and we composed a piece together.

So they've written a piece. It's gonna be recorded. They're doing the newsletter, they're doing the social media. They are gonna help out with the recording. I always give a shout out to Emily, who is very good at organizing, which really helps me. Um, so it's great they have got all these opportunities to do other creative roles because they don't, you know, J Steps isn't about, you have to be a musician at the end of it, it.

It's amazing how much confidence you see them growing up and, and, and they become really stronger in themselves just by playing in a supportive group, improvising, which just feels uncomfortable and then gaining more and more from it. So we are kind of giving them loads of. Opportunities within the project and the documentary will be released first, I think, before we release all the tracks.

And we've just found out that women in jazz media have a amazing photography exhibition that's going on tour to different jazz festivals. And they are, they are going to include the documentary. So J Steps will be. You know, their film will be played alongside the exhibition, which is really cool. That's such an amazing experience, I think, for, for young women to, to, to have, and like you say, it's, you know, even if they're not continuing as you know, musicians afterwards, it's the experience of it.

It's the confidence building. It's the. Kind of being exposed to this. And to be fair, like who wouldn't want to go to Abbey Road and record something? I mean, it's such a fabulous experience. I'm even jealous, you know, and I, I haven't played a musician probably for quite some time now, but I'm even really jealous on, on that.

And it's just so wonderful. You are getting the support from, you know, women in jazz and that sort of thing. A couple of things. Is the, um, documentary gonna be on general, general release at all? It is, it will be on YouTube and I haven't yet thought much further than that, but we will be released and I think there'll be short, shorter versions to try and keep people's attention.

Um, but the whole point is that I wanted to create a type of time capsule that would show how. Good young people can be how creative they can be. And this is what J Steps was about this time. So there'll be a documentary and we will release the tracks, but I just don't know when, because I don't want to give them a lot of pressure 'cause it won't really be ready to be released until they head into their GCSEs and A Levels which.

I don't wanna distract from that. Yeah, I can imagine. Because that was my next question is when you're gonna release the album, but I can understand you want to kind of be sensitive to, to where the, the young people are and not really it when they're busy doing exams and things. Yeah. I'm hoping to also might need to try and get some more funding, but I'm hoping to release a workbook with it that would make it easy for.

Music hubs and schools to have a go at what we do in J steps and guide them through the process of talking about the, the, a little bit of theory and creating some improvisation because it's, it's tough in music, doing music in schools because you know the teachers to know about all styles and it's nice, it's nice for the one school I teach here, they've got me and I can take the jazz groups and explain things, but why should everybody know everything?

Just because they are teaching music, there's so many different styles, so many different instruments. So hopefully the workbook will be able to, will kind of give people the opportunity to dip their toe in the water and um, it should pretty quickly start to sound good, which it does with J steps in my Hannah method as I call it.

So it would be lovely if other people gave that a go too. It's, it's really good that, you know, there's a few things coming out of this in terms of not only giving young, young people the experience of, you know, producing music, you know, producing something also like the documentary, but also giving those resources to schools and other educational institutions to help them kind of like, you know, with, at least with jazz, you know, some of the theory as you say, and practical stuff of how to do it.

I'm also conscious too that like a lot of different types of art, music included, there's all, you know, we we're seeing quite a lot of cuts in schools when it comes to arts and you know, including music, which I find really disheartening because how do we nurture, how do we foster creativity? In people.

And that's, yeah, that, those are the kind of, I don't know if they're softer skills, but those are the skills that people do need in, in the workforce. Definitely. They, they do so much for, I think people who don't play an instrument or aren't involved in the arts don't get how much extra the arts bring to people as a whole.

And I, I know from the music department that I'm in and my students and J Stepss, that music. With what I do becomes a safe space for those who are having struggles at school. Um, maybe challenged in maybe autistic ways or friendship ways, or, um, there's, you know, there's some of them are hyper intelligent, which means actually they shy away from social situations and music and the arts gives them a way of sort of being themselves and creating something and being with others.

Don't think they're anything other than just who they are, which is really what I think music is about. My mum always used to say, blesser the odd bods will do music classing me as an odd bod. Well, I'll take that, you know, I'm happy to be there. The token odd bos and wave the flag for um, us. I think it's really important for everybody to have something that they can do to make them feel.

Them and just accepted. Yeah. And when it sounds like it, you're creating that safe space for them to do that really, which is I think is really important. Yeah. I think I'm, I'm really passionate about it and quite often we have J Steps and in other groups I've run, you do have some students whose parents will say, oh, sometimes they get overwhelmed and they might need to go and sit down and, but you often find that those children are the ones who actually don't because they're doing something that they really love and it's kind of, it doesn't even come into their heads that they're overwhelmed or whatever.

They're just. Being them. And it's giving them time out from all those other things that are running around their heads. And it's probably giving them the sense of they're good at something, they can be themselves. Do you know what, they usually are really good. They just, they just need a tool and they're off.

You know, they just need a bit of a guidance. So yeah, that's what I really love about it. And do you think J Steps will continue? Is it a kind of short term project or is it something that you think might continue for a while? I really hope it will continue. It's been going for, I don't know, at least five years now, and we've got some who will leave in probably after the Abbey Road Project because then they're doing their A Levels and they go off, so they'll be too old.

But anybody in full-time education is, uh, welcome to join and we get new members each time. We, I had to say nobody knew from. November last year, just because we were starting to practice the tunes for the recording and we had gigs, and I don't like new people to come along and literally have to learn 12 lots of pieces, loads of repertoire for us to go out and gig the following weekend.

Like that's not really fair on them. I, I like for them to settle in. Mind you, we have had a few and they've just taken it on the chin and been amazing, but I, I, I like for not to feel rushed and for not to feel. Two theory based, where new people come along because it's new to them. Not many people do improvisation in their lessons at school.

And I can imagine if you've not done it before, you do need a bit of time to To pick it up. Yeah. And to want to give it a go in front of others. But my, the J Steps group are so supportive of everybody and. Each one of them is developing their own sound. So if they closed their eyes, they would know who was playing the, the solo, the improvisation, just by how they were doing it.

I can imagine. It's an amazing group to, to listen to and I, I personally can't wait till their music gets out because I'd like to to listen to it. I did also want to touch on Swinging Cat Jazz club, so I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about that. Yeah. We love the Swinging Cat. We had a great gig on Saturday.

There's a local art center to me in Haven Hill. That's, uh, I used to do a few gigs at a year, and then COVID happened, so it was shut, and then we went back and it had a new, I don't know what the name is, let's say CEO, but I do, you don't have a CEO of an arts theater. You have like a director. There we go.

Director. Yeah. And um, Dan, I had a meeting with Dan. It was one of those meetings that I'm very good at, thinking things are gonna go negatively. I am definitely a glass half full person. And he said, well, what can we do to get this up and running? What do you want? So I said, well, could I possibly have one?

One night a month? He went, yes, of course. I was like, wow, this is going great. Should I say we could we have a name? And he was like, yes. So it went from there, really. So he. We called it the swinging Cat, and we got a logo, which is this cool cat with sunglasses on. Basically it's my jazz club once a month and we've built it up.

It's lovely. The theater used to be the old town hall. It's a beautiful building and it was left to Haven Hill under the kind of proviso that they had to keep using it for the community and the arts, which is fantastic facility for us. So we are there once a month and. It starting. I'm starting to mix it up.

So it always used to be my quartet with a guest, so Sam, Rob, Steve, or whoever, whoever was around me, and a vocalist or a trombone player or something like that. But now sometimes we get actual bands come up and I sit in with them. We did. I did do one where I didn't play. The audience was not amused Heather.

They were like, why aren't you playing Hannah? This is your club. You should be there. So I've learned, now I have to make an appearance, so I always welcome the band, but I have to play more. And it's gone from strength to strength. We've had some amazing artists. So we opened with Na Williams and we've had, who can I call out?

Uh, Joe Har George, Gina Jackson, Villa Rowe. Tara Minton, uh, Ray Gelato. Ian Shaw. Dennis Rollins. Yes. It's been fantastic. Joe was up on Saturday, which is great. It was a soda gig. And, and we did that as her duo plus me. So that was kind of her duo band. And then I sat in and, um. What's really nice there is we have cabaret seating, so they sit round, um, tables with black tablecloths and candles on.

But what I've loved to see is that there are a lot of older generation people who are on their own, you know, their other halves of passed away or other otherwise, and they come on their own and they. Have made friends there. So they book the same table to sit with their friends. And um, one table on my stage left always have rose wine and malteses without fail.

And there's a lovely couple on that table. Other lady's called Pauline. And my mom comes on her own 'cause my dad has passed away. And Pauline always sends me a message, says, tell your mom same seat, same table. And it's just so lovely. You know, I know a lot of them now by their names. A lot of them actually contributed to the album, the crowdfunding, and it's been so lovely to see that community grow.

There's lots of regulars that come in If I'm out and about, they go, hello, Hannahs coming to see you next week. And I'm like, oh, isn't that just the best that we've created this jazz community that wasn't there before? That's really looks out for each other. It's just. Lovely. You know, really nice. It just is a testament to, you know, music or any sort of form of art bringing people together.

It's that focus, it's that is to draw. And it's such a heartwarming thing to hear about people making friends. And because, you know, circumstances today, and particularly if you're old and your lost a loved one, you need a partner or a loved one, or you, you know, perhaps you're separated. And I think increasingly there's, there's a, an issue with loneliness, whatever your age.

So it's a really nice. Avenue to kind of get together, meet people and you know, form friendships and over, I don't know, rose malt teasers and listening to jazz. Yeah. When I was single, I, I used to quite like going to concerts on my own because it's one of those things, I guess it's the same if you were to go to the cinema on your own, there's something happening in the room, so you wouldn't be talking anyway.

So for the majority of the time, you don't feel necessarily lonely. And then when the lights come up, usually someone will go, oh, wasn't that good, or, oh, I really enjoyed that. And it starts a conversation and it, and it is a way of. Making friends and having con unusual conversations that about something that you like anyway.

So I think you leave not only having enjoyed. Enjoyed the music or the art that you've been to see at the theater, but also you've had some proper conversations with people rather than just, how are you? Fine. Which I think is very important because it's very easy, and I mean, even I do it of how are you?

And often the re you know, 99.9% of the time here I'm fine. It's like, are you? Mm-hmm. You know? Yeah. Do we actually talk to each other? Not very much. Yeah. I've written a tune all about that. It's true, it's true. I, I actually made a point if, unless it's like a, someone I'm mentoring or coaching, somebody says, how are you?

If I'm not having a great day, I do say, oh, it's not the best today. I think people should, should say that. 'cause it, it does spark a conversation and quite often it's a really nice conversation and someone has an idea or is going through it or we're not all meant to be fine all the time. No, and I think quite often you're right, you know, if you think, oh, not quite, not quite great today, quite often, you know, sometimes it is, oh, you've opened that door, and people say, actually, I'm not all that great either.

Or, you know, I have this going on. The weather's really horrible. It's really depressing me. Someone goes, oh yes, do you know what happened just when I hit a pothole? And you know, like it's a, it's a nice bond. Even if it is a little bit of a grump, you, you generally feel better after you do. Yeah, generally.

Generally you do. Well, it's been lovely having you on this podcast, and I'd like to ask you a LA one last question before, um, we finish what's next? What do you see on the horizon? I think what's next and what do I hope is next is a different question really. Um, can I ask, you can answer both. Yeah. I mean.

I am hoping that this album builds on what I've got so far and that I can, it will reach a lot of new people because it's, there's a lot of work gone into it. Not just by me, but everybody, everybody who's been involved with it. And it would be lovely to sell more for the first time I've done finals, so we are gonna set LPs as well.

So it'd be lovely if we could sell to that, um, new audience really as well. And um, I would love to. Get some sounds horrible, better gigs, you know, like some more prestigious gigs and to possibly travel outside of the UK With my band. At the moment, I only travel outside the UK on my own to play for other people or festivals and things, so that'd be really nice to take my band and, and do more music.

And then personally, I'm going to get married. Congratulations. That's quite exciting. So I think, I think that's probably it. And also for Jay steps to keep growing, I really, um, it would be lovely if it was almost too big and we had to have two. It would be lovely to have like a younger developing one and an older one where they can show the young ones the ropes and they can still gig together, but it would be even more of a.

Community environment. I think that would be lovely. I think that's it for growth at the moment. That's quite a lot for me. I'm, but I'm a baby steps person, you see. But it's good to have these big dreams, even if it's baby steps, because I'm, I'm with you on that. I, it's easier to think in, you know, break it down and.

Do the baby steps and oh my gosh, I have this big project, but it's good to aim high, I think, you know, and you do have some really good aims and really good projects and things you want to to do, which is always really good. Yeah, thank you. And I should mention the albums called Stories on the Wind. Sorry, I should have asked.

No, it's fine. I'm just thinking come on Hannah, with your professional hat on, what should you be saying? Stories on the Wind? Yeah, so that's, that's the, so we've got three singles and then Stories on the Wind will be out in May. I really hope everybody loves it and I would love to know what they think. I love hearing their stories about it.

Definitely. And we'd encourage people to, to let Hannah know what people think, what you think. Yeah. Yeah, I do. I'd love that. So great. Thank you for being a guest on, on my podcast. It's been wonderful speaking with you. Thank you so much for inviting me on, Heather. It was a real treat to get your, your email start and invite me on, so thank you.

Thanks for tuning into my conversation with Hannah. Don't forget to check out and buy stories of the Wind. More information about Hannah's in the show notes. The music used in this episode is Hannah's new single Whisper and is from the new album. In the next episode, I'll be speaking with Russell Barrett.

He's a textile artist known for creating quilted artwork from second hand fabrics and repurposed clothing. You won't want to miss it.