Freddie Gavita won the 2017 British Jazz Award for Best Trumpeter. He holds the Trumpet seat at Ronnie Scott’s and has featured at the BBC Proms. His album of original compositions, Transient, was released in 2017 and this year he released an album entitled “1959” as part of the Ronnie Scott’s Quintet.
I got the opportunity to sit down with him and ask him some questions about politics, the state of the world, the economy…no, only joking…I asked him about jazz and his excellent name.
So, Freddie, I first saw you performing your show “Freddie plays Freddie.” The obvious opening question then…were you named after Freddie Hubbard?
No! I was named after my grandfather. It would probably be great if I was for the benefit of the show.
But, I do remember a jam session when I was a kid and someone said to me “you sound like Freddie” and I replied “I AM Freddie!” I was very confused, as I’d never heard of Freddie Hubbard at that time.
Do you think you sound like him though?
I “can” sound a bit like him so I think most Hubbard aficionados would know who I was going for, even if it’s not perfect. I love doing impressions of other trumpeters. Musicians talk a lot about having their “own sound” but it’s a little bit like your own speaking voice—you rarely decide how it sounds. It’s influenced by where you come from and those around you and the people you love. And I think music is the same. I love Freddie’s playing so I inevitably have a little bit of his style in my voice.
How did you get into jazz?
Through my first schoolteacher, David Amis. I grew up in Norfolk (in the east of England) in the early 1990s. He recommended a Louis Armstrong recording to me. My mum bought it for me and I was hooked pretty quickly!
Why the trumpet?
In the 1990s, many primary schools (elementary schools) in England would offer free music lessons. I actually thought the teacher said trombone when they were offering lessons, so was a bit disappointed when I was given a trumpet, but it seems to have worked out okay!
Did you ever veer away from jazz and get into a rock band? Did you go wild?
Not massively. I played trumpet in an indie band for a bit. It was good fun. And the nature of freelancing means you end up playing in all sorts of situations. So I’ve done pop tours (Paloma Faith, Jess Glynne) and recorded with prog rock legends like Gavin Harrison (Crimson Tide).
What’s your typical week like?
If only I knew! It can be anything from completely empty to completely full. Usually a big band gig of some sort, an afternoon of teaching too. I arrange music as well so that takes up some time. As much practice as I can fit in. Maybe a corporate gig or a wedding. And I play most weekends at the Ritz which is quite funny/cool! And I teach online. I’m actually helping one of my trumpet friends and colleagues Louis Dowdeswell set up his online trumpet school, which is bonkers and brilliant!
What’s it like holding the trumpet chair at Ronnie Scotts?
It’s been a wild old ride, I’m not there as much as I used to be, and to be honest it’s probably for the best with a young family. I’ve been in the big band since 2007—we’ve played with so many greats and seen some hilarious things!
Working with Michel Legrand was interesting. He really threw his weight around but was inspirational to work with. I’ve seen people try to get on stage to join in with the band and I’ve seen people get punched on stage as a result! But my favorite moment was when Stevie Wonder showed up at Ronnie Scott’s at 1am and started playing harmonica from his seat with a radio mic!
What’s the state of British jazz at the moment?
Depends what you mean by jazz I suppose. It’s so hard to pin down. I think British musicians and bands have never had as much reach as they have now, particularly with people outside of the traditional demographic of jazz fans, which is wonderful! The scene is healthy in some aspects, but there are still more musicians than there are gigs. There are fewer venues and musician-run grassroots projects than there used to be. New places keep popping up though and promoters are working hard, often for free, to promote the music. We are horribly underfunded compared to the rest of Europe, but still produce incredible musicians and have a vibrant scene. It just makes me wonder what it would be like if the powers-that-be recognized the good that music does in people’s lives.
Your album “Transient” is great and you feature on the latest Ronnie Scott’s Quintet album but when is your next album out?
Haha! When I’ve written and recorded it! No plans at the moment, although I have an EP which I recorded in 2018 that I’ve been sitting on for various reasons, procrastination being one of them.
Gavin Milnthorpe is a published author, with three books published to date. He has also had some modest success in the theatre, including two professionally produced plays, and also featured on the BBC Radio Norfolk New Comedy Show. He lives in Bury St. Edmund, UK.
