Blue Ties

Blue Ties band started in late 2018, I wanted to have somebody play my arrangement of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. A group of my friends got together to try it out and we steadily grew; initially there were 5 members, growing up to 7 many musicians came through over the first few months. By March 2019, our line-up had reduced to 5 of us and we thought we were ready for our first gig. This concert took place on 13th March 2018. Our first performance took place at a local church and was free entry. Any donations were split between Cystic Fibrosis trust and the band. The setlist was comprised of half an hour of jazz cover songs and solos from each band member at the time. We also performed a small selection of these songs at West Hill School's Spring Concert.

Following our first performances, another band member left, creating the current line-up that remained unchanged since then. By Summer, we were confident enough to take on our first original song. 'Vantage' was written by Aaron and I personally think it is one of our most fun songs, which is why it has been played at every concert since we learned it. After we had discovered the excitement of original music, we were quick to learn another. 'Shortcut' is a slower song, closer to a ballad, and it is also written by Aaron. Although we initially struggled to learn it, we all believe it sounds more complex and musical than Vantage. Just before the one year mark and the upcoming Christmas rush, Aaron prepared one more song: 'Zig-Zag'. It was more experimental than the previous songs, featuring a range of new ideas such as disjunct melodies and pedals. Most notably, however, is the inclusion of a solo section, allowing the horns to showcase their talents with a more direct approach.