It’s not St Pancras International. It doesn’t have the dramatic Victorian architecture of Liverpool Lime Street, the hustle and bustle of Birmingham New Street, the grandeur of Glasgow Central. It does not have the historical importance of Crewe. This is Barry. Barry Town, not Barry Docks, just one small station on the stopping train from Cardiff to Barry Island or, if you’re feeling ambitious, to Bridgend. It doesn’t have any shops though it does have a public lavatory.
Most important of all, it has a café. This is a squat, brick building where every Saturday morning music lovers gather to listen to the cream of South Wales’ jazz talent play live. As a nod to the industrial history of the area, it’s called “Coaltrains”.
It’s clear when you walk through the door that this is no ordinary café. The furniture may look as if it has been bought from a junk shop, the counter from which Al serves teas, coffees and bacon butties could not be more ordinary but hanging unpretentiously next to signs advertising the prices of different coffees and teas are Al’s paintings. Mostly portraits of jazz greats, these are in a style that could be described as funky naïf; Al’s vibrant and exciting sense of colour makes up for any simplicity of draughtmanship. A large portrait of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, flames burning from the bells of the three saxophones that stream from his mouth, sits above the coffee machine.
Al is a jazz fan and, together with young jazz guitarist John Close, who is beginning to make waves in the jazz world, they have built up a thriving, if small, jazz scene in the unlikeliest of locations. Al provides the venue and the refreshments – at Barry prices, where you can get a tea, a coffee and an apple juice for less than a fiver – and John finds the musicians.
Although they are not paid a fee, there is no shortage of top players willing to play on a Saturday morning to an audience of devoted and appreciative jazz lovers. They are unlikely to have a conflicting gig at that time. And most jazz players will grab at any opportunity to play. Many of them, like John Close’s own excellent trio, or the Phat Funk Trio, are recent graduates from Cardiff University or the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, but others are the seasoned players who have kept jazz alive and kicking in South Wales for decades.
This is a small space. Three musicians is a crowd. More than that and the drummer has to use a minimal kit. John Close’s trio play a programme of standards, sophisticated but unostentatious, skilful and with taste and flair. The Phat Funk Trio, led by Newman Tai on keyboard, play contemporary funk, including tunes by Joshua Redman and Roy Hargrove. Groove Merchant is a quartet. They may have to tuck in their elbows but it doesn’t cramp their style. Led by the evergreen Dick Hamer, arguably the best of many Welsh saxophone players, Groove Merchant play a different type of funk that leans towards the soul jazz of the 60s and early 70s. Or if you want something that might make you feel you are in Wales, there’s Ben Creighton Griffiths harp trio, or Brass Band Bychan, a quartet comprised of trumpet, trombone, sousaphone and drums, who are more Ellington than trad. They are not the first jazz band to draw on the brass band tradition in Wales, but one of the best.
The café can accommodate about 40 people and on Saturday mornings is always packed. People have to arrive early. Conscious of fire regulations, Al puts up a sign outside once the place is full. This is a business model that relies totally on love of music and love of community. It’s not funded by the Arts Council or a sponsor. It relies on the good will of John, Al and the musicians who come to play. A hat is placed on the counter and people pay what they like. If you’re hard up you can listen to great music for nothing. More affluent fans leave money in the hat and there is usually enough to make sure that the musicians are not left out of pocket.
It could not be more accessible. Step off the train and you are there. The odd solo might have to fight for our attention with a platform announcement or the rumble of Transport For Wales’s new rolling stock but hey, this is jazz!
The Saturday morning event has become so successful that Coaltrains is already hosting other music and art events.
Sometimes it might feel that the musicians are several decades younger than most of those listening but this is a perfect place to hear the best of small-group jazz in Wales. Here you can find other enthusiasts, discover new talent, squeeze up and enjoy the music.
