Hejira – Celebrating Joni Mitchell
Fri 14 03 2025 @ 8:00 pm - 10:45 pm
Hejira – Celebrating Joni Mitchell
14 March at Crookes Social Club
8.00-10.45 pm, doors open 7.20 pm
Hattie Whitehead: vocals & guitar
Ollie Weston: tenor & soprano saxophones
Chris Eldred: keyboards
Pete Oxley: guitar
Dave Jones: bass
Rick Finlay: drums
Marc Cecil: percussion
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Hejira, a band of highly experienced jazz musicians who celebrate the work of singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, mostly from the late ‘70s, put their own stamp on the material, whilst remaining true to the spirit of the originals. They’ve enjoyed sold out shows, standing ovations and acclaim from press and radio reviews. Founded by guitarist Pete Oxley, the band is fronted band by Hattie Whitehead who has earned high praise for her vocal prowess, having, in her own way, assimilated the style of Joni’s vocals and plays guitar with Joni’s stylistic mannerisms. Expect an evening of great songs from Joni Mitchell’s back catalogue.
From the late ‘70s when, having released ‘The Hissing of Summer Lawns’, ‘Hejira’, ‘Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter’ and ‘Mingus’, Joni Mitchell then toured with a band of top jazz musicians (Metheny, Mays, Brecker, Pastorius and Alias). The tour was recorded, producing the outstanding live album, ‘Shadows And Light’; it is from this album that Hejira draws the body of its repertoire. https://www.hejira.co.uk
“Not only did she capture Joni Mitchell’s distinct vocal phrasing, so important in conveying the emotional content of the songs, but also Mitchell’s guitar style. She got inside the songs but without getting in the way of the songs” – Colin May, review of gig for thejazzman.com
“Hattie Whitehead’s voice is strikingly like Joni’s – pitch-perfect and pure – though with her own unique vibrato that added a sense of the unfamiliar to tunes…The band were incredibly strong musicians and there were real moments of flair…” – UK Jazz News, July 2024
“Whitehead is one of the greatest singers I have ever heard” – Jazzwise, March 2024
Hattie Whitehead grew up surrounded by music and musicians – her father is the saxophonist Tim Whitehead and has a career as a singer/songwriter outside of this band. In 2016 she won the ‘Emerging Talent’ competition at Glastonbury Festival. She not only sings with Joni’s pitch-accuracy, she plays guitar much with the mannerisms of Mitchell (incorporating various open tunings – which lend an instant authenticity to the colour of the songs).
Pete Oxley studied jazz at Leeds College of Music and has produced 16 albums of original music, including 7 with the Swiss guitar virtuoso, Nicolas Meier. The Oxley-Meier Guitar Project continues to record and tour throughout the UK and Europe. Pete is one of only a handful of British composers to have their works included in the ‘European Real Book’ (Sher Publications). He has also run The Spin Jazz Club in Oxford for the past twenty five years,
Ollie Weston graduated from Leeds College of Music and has since worked in education, session work and live performance. He has toured all over the world with such outfits as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He has also worked extensively in the West End, performing in Chicago, Dream Girls and in two critically acclaimed seasons at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Chris Eldred played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, won the 2011 Yamaha Scholarship Award and graduated from Trinity College of Music. He has worked with many established performers including Mark Lockheart, Jean Toussaint and Salena Jones and is now a regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s.
Dave Jones is bandleader, arranger and composer of the ‘Dave Jones Nonet’ who has worked with the likes of John Etheridge, Bill Bruford, the BBC Big Band, Jacqui Dankworth and Scott Hamilton.
Rick Finlay divides his time between London’s West End, education and performing as a jazz musician. He held the drum chair at Blood Brothers for twenty years and played for The Little Shop of Horrors and Chess Time.
Marc Cecil was a member of “King Salsa”, the UK’s premier 12 piece salsa band for 17years. His extensive theatre work includes seasons with West End shows and touring productions Marc has worked many top jazz musicians including Jason Rebello, Art Themen, Jim Mullen, Geoff Gascoyne, Alan Barns and Henry Lowther.
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Ticket Prices
Full – £17
Over 60, disabled, unemployed – £15
Student with NUS card – £10
15 – 17 year olds – £5
Under 15s – Free
We encourage you to book tickets online in advance, to avoid missing out and to make life easier and safer for our Door Team. It will be possible to pay for entry at the door (preferably by contactless payment) if seats are available.
Advance tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/sheffield-jazz