Rupert Parker Enjoys A Jazzy Take On The Songs Of Joni Mitchell by Hejira At The Jazz Café.
I’ve been coming to the Jazz Café, in the heart of Camden Town, for over 30 years, so I know what to expect with Hejira. The venue is a converted Barclays Bank and it’s become one of my favourite London venues. It works on two levels: upstairs is a restaurant with tables overlooking the stage while downstairs is standing room only. It’s quite small, so you’re never far from the musicians, and the acoustics are good.
When it first opened it was purely a jazz venue but it now presents an eclectic range of music seven nights a week. Funk, soul, blues, reggae, world and even rock are all represented. Personal highlights over the years have been blues guitarist Otis Rush, country singer Emmylou Harris and African star Baaba Maal. Of course there’s been some great jazz and tonight is an interesting mix.
Hejira was set up to celebrate and honour late ‘70s Joni Mitchel, aptly described as her “jazz era”, on her 80th birthday. Musicians are Pete Oxley (guitar), Ollie Weston (saxophones and bass clarinet, Chris Eldred (keyboards, Dave Jones (fretless and fretted bass), Rick Finlay (drums) and Marc Cecil (percussion). Hattie Whitehead handles the Joni vocals and guitar duties.
On a Tuesday night the place is packed – many are repeat visitors from Hejira’s gig here last year. Some have come from as far afield as Hull and Sunderland and this is an attentive crowd. The band comes on stage and immediately it’s apparent this is no covers band. Although Hattie Whitehead has a voice similar to Joni’s, she has her own unique vibrato. She interprets rather than emulates,
The same is true of the rest of the band, all accomplished musicians, and the intelligent arrangements of the tunes by Pete Oxley give each member space to breathe. Tonight we hear selections drawn from The Hissing of The Summer Lawns (1975), Hejira (1976), Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977) and Wild Things Run Fast (1982).
Many of the songs also featured on the 1980 live album Shadows and Light, where the band included jazz stars Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays and Jaco Pastorius. Mercifully Dave Jones on bass and Ollie Weston on saxes bring their own distinctive approach to the music rather than trying to emulate Pastorius and Brecker. Weston’s bass clarinet, in particular, brings a deep resonance to the texture.
The programming is also imaginative. I particularly enjoy a sequence which starts with Amelia, then morphs into Pat’s Solo, from Shadows and Light and finishes with the song Hejira. Pete Oxley, looking like a jazzier version of Ken Dodd, also entertains with his quirky introductions.
It’s obvious that the audience is familiar with the material, sometimes joining on favourites like Woodstock and A Case of You. They’re also attentive, listening in rapt attention and there’s no noise from the bar. We also get our money’s worth – two 45 minute sets still leave us wanting more. I’m slightly disappointed that there are no selections from the Mingus album, but that gives me reason for going to see them next time they’re here.
Tell Me More About The Incredible Sound Of Hejira At The Jazz Café, Camden. London.
The Jazz Café 5 Parkway, Camden London NW1 7PG
Here’s a list of upcoming gigs at the Jazz Cafe
Hejira is on tour around the UK through much of 2025.
