Meet Down for the Count's Musicians: James Owston

Published: 18 Aug 2024

How/when did you first get involved with Down for the Count? 

I think it was maybe just post lockdown, I started off doing the functions with the band. I did a few of them, and then ended up just doing more and more theatre shows. 

 

What was your first experience of jazz and swing music? 

I didn’t grow up in a particularly musical household, and there was definitely no jazz in the house. When I was in secondary school I played electric bass with a rock band, and from there we started listening to more funk and soul and fusion, which led to listening to more jazz. 

Then when I was 17 I joined Gloucestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra with that group of friends from school. And then from there we just started playing jazz as a quartet and rehearsing with the youth jazz orchestra and it kind of just developed from there, to the point where we all went to conservatoires. 

Do you have a favourite jazz album/song/recording? 

That’s hard, as jazz is such an all encompassing genre. 

It depends what mood I am in. Charles Mingus was the first bass player that I loved, and was the bass player that got me into double bass, and I’ll always come back to his album Mingus Ah Um. I wouldn’t say it’s always the album I listen to, or the album I want to listen to, my tastes have diversified since then. But I do always return to that album as a seminal album in my development. The compositions are really inventive and the playing is amazing, and Mingus was always very inspirational for me. 

 

What musical projects are you involved with outside of Down for the Count? 

I run my own quartet and a trio. I have just recorded an album with my quartet, which I am going to be producing through the rest of this year to be released next year probably. 

I play with lots of different names on the UK jazz scene. I have recently been playing with Jay Phelps’ Kind of Blue project. We have just done some jazz festivals and some sold out shows at the Jazz Cafe, looking to do more in the future. 

I am a full time performer, I teach a bit, but I have been a full time performer for a long time. 

 

What are your hobbies when you are not performing?

I enjoy running. I am learning to code, so I am quite into techy things at the minute. 

I like going to the cinema, and I like gaming. I want to do a bit more travelling soon too. 

 

Who are your musical influences? 

Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers, Ray Brown. More modern musicians too like Drew Gress and Larry Grenadier, they’re very inspirational. There are just so many! 

There’ll always be more. 

 

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to? 

I went to New York for two weeks a couple of years ago, and basically everything I saw there was incredible. I don’t think I could pick one, so I’ll give you a little list.

The Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts Trio - Live at Smalls

The Johnathan Blake Quintet - Live at the Village Vanguard 

A very special one, which was the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra playing the music of Charles Mingus on his 100th birthday. That was amazing because I was sat at the very top of the room at the very back line, the furthest away from the band you could be, and I could hear everything so clearly. 

I also went to see Tenacious D in Birmingham recently, and that was great. 

 

What has been your favourite show with Down for the Count? 

I enjoyed playing at Stoller Hall in Manchester with the All-Stars last autumn.

 

What’s your favourite song to perform with Down for the Count? 

I like playing In a Mellotone because it is a nice tribute to Jimmy Blanton. 

 

What is the best part about being involved with Down for the Count? 

Musically it is very very good, and very well rehearsed, that goes without saying. 

Also, the social aspect is great. Everyone in the band is very funny, very nice, and really easy to get on with. It never feels like a chore to be on tour with the band, because it just feels like playing music with friends. 

 

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