“Listen First” – Alison Rayner on Learning, Playing, and Growth

In this wide-ranging and reflective conversation, bassist and composer Alison Rayner speaks with about her musical journey — one shaped not by urgency or convention, but by curiosity, patience, and a growing trust in her own voice.

Rayner begins by reflecting on how perspective changes with time. As she puts it, getting older brings a freedom from worrying about how things are perceived, a sense of acceptance that allows you to say simply, “This is what I am. This is what I do.” That philosophy runs through her approach to music: grounded, thoughtful, and deeply personal.

Her earliest musical influences came not from jazz, but from the pop and rock sounds of the 1960s and 70s. Bands like The Beatles, The Who, Small Faces, and The Kinks formed the soundtrack of her youth, alongside the folk music her older sister loved and the eclectic mix broadcast by Radio Luxembourg and Radio Caroline. Encouraged by a musical household and a father who introduced her to instruments and actively supported her curiosity Rayner was given her first electric guitar at 14, an unusual but formative moment that set her on a creative path.

It wasn’t until her early twenties that the bass entered her life, almost by necessity. A band she was involved with needed a bassist, and Rayner recognised something immediately: this could be her instrument. She picked up a second-hand Fender Precision Bass, and from that moment the role felt instinctively right. What followed was a gradual deepening of her musical language, including a growing interest in jazz and eventually the double bass.

Listening became central. Immersing herself in the sound and role of the bass within jazz, Rayner found a profound connection with players such as Charlie Haden, whose writing she describes as hymn-like, emotionally direct, sometimes simple, but always deeply affecting. That emotional clarity continues to shape her own compositions, where melody, space, and feeling take precedence over display.

Much of Rayner’s writing, she explains, is rooted in emotion and lived experience. Travel, exploration, loss, and grief have all found their way into her music, particularly following difficult periods in her personal life. Music, for her, is not just expression but a way of processing and understanding, a means of working through complex feelings that words alone cannot capture.

The conversation also touches on the realities of a life in music. Rayner speaks candidly about touring extensively in the 1980s, about the changing landscape of opportunities for musicians, and about the importance of supportive, positive environments especially for younger players and for women coming through conservatoires, workshops, and jam sessions today.

When asked what advice she would give to emerging musicians, her response is disarmingly simple: listen. Listen widely. Copy what you love. Play with as many people as you can, especially those who inspire you. And above all, seek out situations that make you feel positive and valued because confidence, voice, and identity grow best in places where you feel supported.

One of the most striking reflections in the interview is Rayner’s openness about time. She didn’t start playing bass guitar until her early twenties. She didn’t record music under her own name until she was 60. Yet there is no sense of regret, only gratitude. For the places she’s travelled, the people she’s played with, and the connections forged through music.

As she says, jazz and music more broadly is not only about sound. It’s about people. About shared moments. About creating something that resonates, even briefly, with those listening. To still be playing, composing, and connecting in this way, she reflects, feels like an extraordinary privilege.

Filmed as part of The Spin Jazz Club’s ongoing documentation of the artists who pass through its doors, this interview offers a thoughtful insight into a musician for whom curiosity, collaboration and presence remain central. The conversation was conducted, filmed and edited by Ryan Quarterman of Future Human Design Co., photographer and videographer in residence for The Spin Jazz Club, continuing an ongoing body of work capturing the voices and ideas of artists at the heart of the club’s programme.