Church of Sound: How contemporary jazz musicians take over place of worship

This innovative live music project hosts some of the finest contemporary jazz musicians at St. James the Great Church in East London

Yussef Kamaal performing jazz at a Sound of Church event at East London's St. James the Great Church (Salem Wazeki)

In a move that would both shock and delight my mother, for the last year I’ve been going to church roughly once a month. However, I’m no born again Christian. The only light I’ve seen is the warm glow of a spotlight illuminating some of the most exciting talent the UK’s vibrant jazz scene has to offer. This is no ordinary church I’ve been attending; this is the Church of Sound.

Church of Sound is a live music project like no other. Taking over the beautiful St James the Great Church in Clapton, East London, the team hosts some of the finest contemporary jazz musicians to create unforgettable, unique musical experiences.

The format is innovative too. In most cases the acts play two sets; during the first they play from the songbooks of alternative jazz greats, from the great funk drummer Idris Muhammad right through to the psychedelic Minnie Riperton and the Rotary Connection. After a brief interval, the acts return to play a second set comprised of their own material. The beauty of this format is that the first set eases the audience in with the familiar, building a sense of trust that allows less well-known acts to stretch out and perform, confident in the knowledge that the crowd is willing to go with them. It also ensures the emphasis is placed on the act’s own compositions, thus avoiding the risk of wallowing in nostalgia.

Moses Boyd Exodus playing jazz at a Church of Sound event (Rosie Reed Gold)

Although the music is the focal point of the nights both metaphorically and literally – the artists occupy the central space, giving the faithful a panoramic view of the action – it is the atmosphere that really creates the magic. The energy in the room, underpinned by a shared appreciation of live music that is refreshingly devoid of pretence, gives each gig an intimate and spontaneous feel, which in turn creates a powerful sense of community and solidarity. Indeed, Church of Sound has racked up something of a cult following, as diverse as is is loyal, whose fervent proselytising has caused the night to grow rapidly through word of mouth alone.

A community parish church may seem a strange venue for one of London’s most visionary live music experiences, but the merits are undeniable. At a time when rent in London is sky-high and venues across the city are struggling to make ends meet, this kind of dual usage of space provides a promising model for other enterprising music lovers. It also acts as a bridge between artists and their community, which feels important at a time of rapid, often faceless gentrification. Indeed, the community sees the benefits of the night through the various outreach programmes the extra funding helps the church to carry out.

There will always be an appetite for new and exciting ways to experience live music, as Lexus Blondin and Spencer Martin, the masterminds behind Church of Sound, have shown. Not only has the night recently celebrated its first anniversary, a show of theirs from September 2016 that saw the Orphy Robinson All Stars delve into vibraphone player Bobby Hutcherson’s songbook recently won Jazz FM’s coveted “Live Experience of the Year” award.

Ruby Rushton playing jazz at St. James the Great Church in London's Clapton (Daniel James Hurst)

The curatorial prowess of the Church’s founders, which clearly stems from an unbridled passion for what they do and an unparalleled understanding of the context in which they do it, is such that they have instilled in their flock a sense of total faith. I have flown blind into a few of their nights now, with no prior knowledge of the headline act, only to emerge a convert.

If what has come before was great, however, the night’s future is looking brighter still. Now Church of Sound are staging three events. On 1 June, London-based afro-jazz group Maisha will play from the Alice Coltrane songbook. The second, the night’s belated birthday party to be held on 16 June, will see the pews swapped out for a dancefloor as Dego plays back-to-back with Kaidi Tatham. Then finally, the Florian Pellissier Quintet will cross the channel on 29 June for the Freedom Jazz France night to treat the congregation to an evening of pure, horn-laden jazz bliss. Thou shalt not miss out.

Church of Sound presents 'Maisha | Alice Coltrane Songbook' at St James the Great, Lower Clapton Road, E5 on 1 June (www.churchofsound.co.uk)