Rising jazz star Dominic Ingham to perform the excellent album Role Models at The Lescar, Sheffield, in February

Lauded as one of the rising stars of the UK jazz scene, and quite rightly, Dominic Ingham is a multi-talented, multi-faceted, musical mecurio. He’s a violinist, singer and composer to give him a few labels but most strikingly is his wonderfully humble and calm demeanour, especially when discussing his own work.

We began by discussing his new album, Role Models, which was released in 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic. Something which halted his ability to take his show onto the road as was the original plan.

One of the gifts from the pandemic I noted was the ability to be able to slow down and listen to music with much more patience, a time where we could take the time to absorb and unpick the layers of a musical piece.

“I certainly hope that some people were able to do that and that’s the sort of effect that it had on them. The response that I got was really positive and I think people really seemed to enjoy it.”

“The sound is really different I’d say,” a positive assault on the senses I noted, “Well there’s not a lot of violin within jazz and the approach that I like to take is more so replacing the parts that would usually be taken by saxophone or drums. I was trying to be more in line with that sort of sound.”

And, it shows… especially so on the album’s opening track, named after the title, Role Models where Dominic’s violin playing segues effortlessly over the track in a style reminiscent of the part a saxophone would usually play. It’s a compelling yet quite extraordinary showcase of his dexterity with the instrument.

“I don’t really enjoy listening to jazz violin to be honest, I find it kind of jarring, so this what I’m trying to do is bring in my jazz influences like saxophone, trumpet and piano players. That’s what I’m trying to do with the violin.”

The album is an opportunity for Dominic to showcase his brand new quintet, featuring Jonny Mansfield (2018 Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize winner) on vibraphone, Scottish pianist David Swan, Will Sach (NYC) on bass and Boz Martin-Jones on drums.

“It doesn’t really matter what instrument I’m playing, it’s just the sound that I’m trying to get out of my head, if that makes sense?” You can’t deny that he has a point here and all through the album, Dominic and his quintet seamlessly jam in unison, each part fitting together adding multiple layers to the jam-esque vibe that’s prevalent throughout. In a good way.

“These musicians aren’t just my role models, they’re some of my closest friends who I’ll continue to play with for the rest of my life’, says Dominic.

His multiple musical influences are present throughout the album with folk-elements in the second-track, which is eerily reminiscent of a James Blake song, just without the synths and driving reverb at moments. Dominic’s subtle harmonies intertwine with the track, adding a welcome element to the mostly instrumental driven album.

“As an artist, I feel it’s sort of me to express what is going on in my life.”

“I guess when I was writing it (Role Models), I was going through some injury issues and problems which started off as playing the violin too much with an awful posture, so I had to take a break.”

“But then I slowly started to realise that the way I use my body is not ideal, I got into bad habits which do not help, especially with hypermobility. It’s been a long old journey to getting back to playing normally, for as long as I want.”

“When I was writing the album, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to keep playing or how long. I was sort of clueless and no one was able to give me a definition for what was going on.” Frustration of being unable to play at his regular pace plus the misunderstanding of his condition no doubt further enhanced his feeling of helplessness, no doubt tying up into the tension of what he was doing.

“Absolutely the tension tied up with anxiety, so I’m kind of exploring those things now. The aim was just to write music and get it out there.”

“I wanted to make something and get it out there in spite of what I was going through.”

The Dominic Ingham Quintet will be performing at The Lescar, Sheffield on February 23, 2022. Find out more here: http://www.jazzatthelescar.com/

'Role Models' album is now available on all streaming platforms and you can buy the CD here - http://www.dominicingham.com/store