Andy Hay – Solstice. Change.
It’s a balmy evening in the outer suburbs of Greater Manchester, and a palpable energy pervades Limefield Studio. Maybe it’s the summer solstice, maybe it’s the anticipatory buzz amongst the handful of fans or perhaps it’s Andy Hay himself, a Welsh jazz shaman, who creates art by harnessing such unseen forces.
Limefield Studio is a familiar setting for Andy. The lived-in bohemian opulence of the front-room-cum-recording-studio is where he’s recorded many of his stellar explorations of spiritual and free jazz, including Polaris, Children of the Sun, and Many Rivers. Tonight, he’s reassembled many of the same musicians from those sessions too: John Ellis on keys, Lee Relfe on soprano and alto saxophone, Nicki Dupuy on double bass, Ben Walker on flute and percussion, Clive Hunte on bass and percussion, Helen Pillinger on saxophone, Matt Nickson on saxophone as well as enlisting long-time engineer Will Falkiner to capture this one-off live session. The rehearsals have been limited, the plan loose at best, the idea being to go with the flow.
Thankfully, going with the flow is Andy’s forte. The drummer is an intuitive bandleader, knowing exactly how long to build and sustain the tension before instigating its release. He is comfortable switching up rhythms, providing space or propulsion as required, essential to the success of a largely improvised set.
There are no frills with the setup, a few well-placed microphones, the musicians packed in tight together, the audience tighter still, no overdubs, one take to capture a band on fire and that indefinable yet undeniable energy. And thanks to Will Falkiner in a toasty hot box of a control room – it’s all being recorded, captured on vintage valve equipment for a special release Solstice. Change.
Proceedings begin with a heartfelt tribute to Sly Stone – a stretched-out Everyday People, beautifully baked with Andy singing the refrain over and over as the band settles into a serious groove. Half an hour later and things start to get freer; the energy intensifies. The air itself seems to vibrate, particles charged, with the band and audience as one, symbiotic in the mugginess. Together, we chase vibrations across the ether. This is spiritual jazz at its finest – soulful and free – an expressionistic, striving sound that gives praise to Pharoah Sanders and other past masters.
There are solos that reach deep inside you, providing the vocabulary to articulate incomprehensible feelings. Helen Pillinger plays an extended passage that is truly transcendent. John Ellis’s piano throughout is a delight, adding colour, texture or rhythm as required. Lee Relfe on saxophone pushes the set to its wild peak, joining forces with Andy to build to a crescendo that is testament to their decades playing together and the lasting influence of Coltrane. Ben Walker’s flute alternates between floating high above and dancing between the other instruments. It is Walker’s love for traditional Irish music that brings another dimension to the set’s conclusion, a folk melody amongst the entropic slow-burn of the final passage, a gorgeous melding of styles.
For nearly an hour and a half, Andy and the band chart new sonic paths with heart and soul and oodles of skill. The entire set is now available as a digital album, divided into five movements. The forthcoming vinyl release – due to ship in October – will be a forty-minute selection from the session. The limited-edition LP will come in hand-painted sleeves with a handmade booklet all crafted by Andy at his home in Wales. This is how Andy does things – with love and care, sharing a part of himself with those who appreciate it.
That night was about love and care, but also about existing in music, in a moment, losing ego and the overwhelming burden of a world gone to hell. Like Andy states: “It was a beautiful gathering and we moved through the energy together.” In the afterglow, the musicians and audience beam in gratitude that the longest day was filled with the highest of highs.
Solstice. Change. was released on 1st August 2025. Purchase via Bandcamp. Follow Andy Hay on Instagram.
Words by Tom Spooner.
