‘I like the idea that the structure of a piece can change and develop over time as the players discover new things within it.’
Ahead of her quartet playing at Cheltenham’s Steamin’ Jazz Club Wednesday 18th March, I chatted with trumpeter and composer Klara Devlin to discover more about her musical development to date, her views on how female members of the industry are treated, and what makes a great night of live jazz.
What makes the other musicians you work with the right fit for the sound you want to create?
My band is Emmanuel Ampong on drums, Tom Sheen on bass and Chris Outwaithe on piano. Emmanuel, Tom and I met through Tomorrow’s Warriors and really bonded when we went together to a jazz summer school in the US organised by them. Chris I’ve known for longer; he was actually in my first band when I was 16, called Kagura. We only played one gig at Jazzlive at the Crypt and then lost touch. Last year I needed a pianist for a gig and all the players I knew were unavailable, so I asked Chris just for that one performance. It turned out he was the perfect piano player for the band.
Emmanuel and I are both in our first year at the Royal Academy of Music, Tom is in his third, and Chris is in his fourth at Trinity. What I value most about them, aside from them being really good friends, is their willingness to go wherever the music needs to go. Sometimes I like the music to become quite open and free, and they’re all completely willing to explore that space.
How important are schemes like Tomorrow’s Warriors and BBC Young Jazz Musician to the development of new musicians?
I was very fortunate to grow up in London because there are so many amazing jazz opportunities for young musicians. When I was nine I joined the NYJO Academy. In the mornings we played in the big band led by Gemma Buckenham, which introduced me to a huge repertoire of jazz and helped me learn sight-reading quickly. In the afternoons we had NYJO London led by Phil Meadows, which was the complete opposite; no reading at all. We learned by ear, started improvising, and covered jazz theory. There was also a monthly jam at Foyles where young musicians could play in front of an audience, which was a great way to gain confidence.
When I was twelve I joined Tomorrow’s Warriors and the junior jazz programme at RAM, so my weekends became completely full of jazz. The former focused on learning by ear and developing the language, while the latter involved more reading and structured training, so the two experiences complemented each other really well. I remember desperately wanting to join Tomorrow’s Warriors but not knowing how. My parents took me to a jam session they organised at Rich Mix and I played a few tunes. I was trying to work up the courage to ask how I could join, when Gary Crosby came over to me and told me I had to come to the Saturday sessions.
BBC Young Jazz Musician changed things for me in two ways. One of the requirements was that we had to perform one of our own compositions, and until then I hadn’t really thought about composing. I wrote Reaching Out for the competition and realised that composing was something I really enjoyed. The other change was that it helped me start getting gigs with my own quartet. Until then I had played a lot with other bands but found it difficult to book gigs for my own group. After the competition I sent emails to venues introducing myself as a BBC Young Jazz Musician finalist and including clips from the broadcast. It felt a bit uncomfortable to promote myself like that, but it worked: and once you start getting a few gigs it becomes much easier to get more.
‘ Ankora isn’t just a [female centric] band, it’s a support network for those involved.’
What initially drew you to focusing on bebop and associated influences?
For me the bebop language is really important to have in your vocabulary. When you listen to great improvisers their solos have shape and direction, and there’s a sense of development. When I was younger I remember being slightly envious of older musicians who could play that fast, intricate bebop language. Learning that language was one of the first things I asked Tony Kofi to help me with. He was one of the most important and influential teachers I’ve had – he’s a saxophone player so the lessons never about technique, but about the music itself and about the fundamentals of improvisation.
From your experience of touring, what makes a great night of live jazz?
Audience energy is incredibly important. As musicians we really feed off the audience and the way we play often reflects the energy we receive from the room. There are certain events where you almost know the atmosphere is going to be great, like the gigs organised by Jazz Re:Freshed or Jazz in the Round and many other venues. When the audience comes specifically to listen and support the music, the energy in the room is always amazing. But sometimes that same energy can come from less obvious places too.
A good example for me is the Good Evening Arts event at the Royal Albert pub in New Cross. It’s not an obvious jazz venue but the audience is often full of Trinity students and there’s a really supportive feeling in the room. I’ve played there twice; once with the Miranda Radford Quartet and once with my own quartet. Both times the energy was incredible and the whole band felt on fire.
Being a trumpeter, do you tend to compose top line down or harmonies up?
I often have a jazz tune that inspires me as a starting point – not the melody or harmony – but more like the essence or feeling I get from it. Usually I start with a melody on the trumpet and once I have a melodic idea, I go to the piano and start working out chords. Then I bring the piece to the band. The band is really important in shaping the final result. Every time we play a tune it evolves slightly depending on how everyone interacts with it, so the compositions are always in a kind of state of flux. I like the idea that the structure of a piece can change and develop over time as the band discovers new things within it.
Which composition changed the most from its inception?
A tune I wrote called Multitudes changed quite a lot. At first I wasn’t completely happy with it, but we kept working on it and performing it and gradually it evolved into something that now feels really strong. It’s actually become one of the tunes I most enjoy playing live. An interesting detail is that apart from my first composition, Reaching Out, all my tunes are named by my younger brother Emil. Once we’ve played a tune for the first time I send him a recording and he comes up with the title.
Aside from your own projects, you’re part of all-female group Ankora. What are your views on how women are treated in jazz?
Personally I haven’t had major problems, although there have been a few situations that weren’t ideal. I tend to see those moments as motivation to become even better. At the same time there are also opportunities that arise specifically because you are a woman so in my experience things balance out. That said, the progress that exists today is largely thanks to amazing women (and men) in the industry who have worked very hard to make things fairer so we mustn’t take anything for granted.
Ankora has been really important for me. The group originally started through Tomorrow’s Warriors as a project called Female Frontline and sometimes projects that are put together like that don’t necessarily last. But in our case it worked and we all get on really well as musicians and as friends. We’ve even gone on holiday together the past two years, which has made the bond even stronger. We’re not just a band, we are also a support network for each other.
Which female musicians should people know more about?
There are so many amazing musicians. Some trumpet players I really admire are Ingrid Jensen, Yazz Ahmed, Alex Ridout and Laura Jurd. As composers, Carla Bley, Geri Allen and Nikki Iles have been very important influences. And of course all of the musicians in Ankora.
You started playing at a young age. How soon did you know music would be a big part of your life?
My parents aren’t musicians at all, but they are both visual artists so understand creativity without pushing me in a particular direction. Apparently when I was five, I told my parents I wanted to play the trumpet, although I’m not sure why. It might have been because I saw Peppa Pig play the trumpet!
My first teacher initially said I was too young but agreed that if I could produce a note I could start. During my first lesson I couldn’t actually get a sound out but he saw how determined I was and decided to take me on anyway. I quickly realised how much I loved music and started practising every day after school. From the age of nine most of my weekends were also spent playing music through NYJO, Tomorrow’s Warriors, and the Junior Academy.
‘Once we’ve played a tune for the first time, I send my younger brother a recording and he comes up with the title.’
What other musical experiences did you have growing up?
One important moment was when a teacher asked me to try improvising on the tune Work Song. He explained that was a part where there were no written notes I could play whatever I felt but suggested certain notes that would work well. The solo I played probably wasn’t great but I wasn’t scared of improvising. After that we would work on a jazz standard at the end of each lesson. He also suggested I go to NYJO, even though I was much younger and less experienced than most of the other players there. At first I mostly hid in the section and pretended to play but gradually I gained confidence and started improvising for real.
You were recently featured in Channel 4’s Dirty Business. How did that come about?
The producers asked the Royal Academy of Music to recommend musicians to form a band for the programme. It was a fun and straightforward experience to be involved in, though watching the documentary itself afterwards was quite shocking because it exposes how unethical people can be when money and greed are involved.
If you weren’t performing music, would you still be part of the industry?
I think I probably would. I really enjoy composing and teaching. I lead a jazz ensemble at the school where I studied for my GCSE’s and that has been a really rewarding experience. Outside of music I’m actually quite a quiet person: I enjoy staying at home cooking, knitting, reading or watching a good series. So performing in my gigs and supporting my friends’ gigs is actually my social life.
And finally, what’s on the horizon for you in 2026?
I’m continuing to develop my quartet and hoping to record with Jazz re:freshed in the near future. More generally I’m focused on writing new music performing as much as possible and continuing to grow as a musician.
Thanks Klara Devlin for chatting with Listen to Discover
Photo Credit: Jamie Broadis