Jason McNiff with support from Liz Narey & Stan Greenwood at The Topic

Event information

Jason McNiff https://www.jasonmcniff.com/
A wonderful guitarist with an engaging world-weary voice and simply sublime songs

Born in Bradford, following studying in Nottingham for his first degree, where he developed an interest in the folk and blues guitar playing of the likes of Wizz Jones and Davey Graham; from 1995 Jason lived for some 20-odd years in London, where, as has been well-documented, his finger-picking apprenticeship was honed thanks to regular exposure to Bert Jansch at Soho’s 12 Bar Club, together with also undertaking support slots for the guitar maestro. Since moving to Hastings in 2019, where he has established regular Friday Sundowner Sessions at The Jenny Lind pub, he has continued to play live extensively, including shows with ‘poetry in music’ paying homage to another of his significant influences, Leonard Cohen.

Jason is described as Americana/Folk, but he does something with the Americana side a lot of other artists would do well to follow; he doesn’t pretend he’s American. He’s taken the style but moved it back across the pond.
Promo 2
JASON MCNIFF is a troubadour who has made eight albums which people call Folk, or Americana, or Alt. Country. There is an Englishness in his guitar playing however, and a European influence in his lyrics. You might like to think of Bert Jansch or Wizz Jones meeting John Prine & Townes Van Zandt, with a dash of Fabrizio de Andre or Georges Brassens. Time Out writes, 'McNiffs quiet, intimate, fragile-sounding vocals draw you into his world, an almost timeless place, through which he drifts, a romantic loner, a dreamer, at home with the blues.' He is often touted as one of the UKs most overlooked musical treasures, as a songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist. His latest album 'Dust of Yesterday' came out in 2021 and was album of the week in The Times.
'An Immense talent' Janice Long, BBC Radio 2.
'UK's premier finger picking guitarist' MOJO
'Wistful & Nostalgic' Album of the week, The Times
'Jason's versions sound so fresh, whilst staying true to Bert's timeless music' The Bert Jansch Foundation