Jenny Hill

Jenny is a versatile bassist with a wide experience of many genres. Initially classically trained, she studied music at Cambridge University and later at conservatoire in France. Branching out from the classical and baroque repertoire, she has worked in French, English and Scottish traditional music, most recently with Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson (England) and Daimh (Scotland). She is a long-term member of the Scottish Klezmer ensemble, Celter Schmelter. She recorded and toured extensively with the Southern Tenant Folk Union, and has worked as a guest bassist on albums ranging from bluegrass to acoustic punk. Jenny has recently recorded a ground-breaking new album in the Scottish tradition, with Damian Helliwell’s Metta.

Jenny’s great love is accompanying song, and she has collaborated with many singer songwriters, including Rory Butler, winner of the Danny Kyle award 2012.

She is an experienced teacher of group music, and has worked with various samba ensembles, and supported projects with Drake Music and the Tinderbox Orchestra (youth music).

2014 was an exceptional year for Jen. She had the incredible opportunity to work with world-renowned bassist Danny Thompson, who has become her friend and professional mentor, through a project – Bass Without Borders – supported by Creative Scotland.

In addition to a busy and fulfilling musical career, Jenny worked in the Third Sector for ten years prior to becoming a full time musician. She has held management and development roles, most recently leading projects with a partnership focus, as a Partnership Development Manager, working to forge better relationships between third sector delivery agencies and statutory partners. She hopes that her understanding and experience of running multi-partner projects will aid the delivery of this fantastic ten piece musical partnership.

Gig review

The lineup at this particular gig was the already excellent (and promising more), Chris Purcell on guitar and mainly harmony vocals, with the couple of leads he took working perfectly. Ben Ivitsky was just as excellent on fiddle whilst Jenny Hill’s playing of a double bass that was actually bigger than her really drove the sound along…
American Roots UK