"My heroes are split into jazz instrumental artists and soul/R&B singers"
As Jeremy Sassoon undertakes a run of his show MOJO: Musicians of Jewish Origin at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we caught up with the British Jewish singer and pianist to find out what music offers that psychiatry doesn’t, his worst and best performances and what’s next for the musician…
You’re a qualified psychiatrist, what prompted the career change?
I've always loved both professions equally, but it's the freedom that self-employment brings and the creative opportunities that make music a better fit for me. Not to mention the lie-ins and drinking on the job!
Can you remember your first ever live performance?
I started at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music aged seven, so I was performing a lot of classical gigs on piano and trumpet from a young age. Jazz and pop only came much later in my 20s and I only started singing for the first time in my 40s.
© Tomas Sentpetery
What have been your worst and best performances since you started out?
My favourite performance was probably at the 2019 Love Supreme Festival alongside Jamie Cullum and Lauryn Hill. Also headlining at Ronnie Scott's with my Ray Charles Project. I'm hoping to be able to give a different answer by the end of this month! As for my worst performance… Probably in a hotel next to Manchester airport 20 years ago. We actually performed really well, but it wasn't a place for jazz. It was akin to being in medieval stocks and having rotten vegetables thrown at us.
What was the last live gig you went to?
I went to see Pat Metheny at Hammersmith Apollo on a Sunday in June and, four days later, I was watching Barry Manilow in Manchester Arena. Figure that one out!
Why MOJO and why now?
I remember, before even writing the show, thinking the MOBO Awards was a really cool name. So I started playing around with the acronym, imagining what it would be if it were a Jewish show. Please tell all your friends to come to the show. If you're not up in Edinburgh, I'll be playing two MOJO shows in London on Wednesday 19 October at Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zedel.
L-R: Nicola Farnon, Jeremy Sassoon and Phil Johnson, stars of Jeremy Sassoon’s MOJO © Andrew Perry
Who are some of your musical heroes?
My heroes are split into jazz instrumental artists, such as Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis and Pat Metheny, and soul/R&B singers, including Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack and Earth, Wind & Fire.
You released a cover of Glen Campbell's 'Wichita Lineman' in 2018, which I recently heard you perform on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. What’s the story there?
During lockdown, obviously all gigs stopped. I felt really sorry for all my medical friends who were working tirelessly while I watched daytime telly and the guilt kicked in. So I decided to broadcast eight weekly Facebook Live shows to raise money for the NHS. We brought my medical colleagues on the shows as guests, literally streaming interviews with them straight from the wards, and we raised £14,000. This caught the attention of Radio 4 who asked me to come on the Today programme to talk about it with Nick Robinson.
What’s next?
A world-beating run at the Fringe, followed quickly by fame, fortune and finding and drinking the elixir of life! More likely, however, I'll just have a shower and make some cheesy crumpets.
By Mark Bloom
Header photo by Karen McBride
Jeremy Sassoon's MOJO runs until Sunday 28 August. 6.15pm. £16, £15 concs. Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh, EH1 1EY. edfringe.com
Read our five-star review of Jeremy Sassoon’s MOJO.