It’s been a busy year for Dollar-raised jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie who, among a flurry of awards for his second album Forest Floor, was nominated for the esteemed Mercury Prize. McCreadie was both the only Scot and jazz musician among the nominees (which included Sam Fender, Gwenno, Self Esteem and the ultimately victorious Little Simz). 

In an unprecedented turn of events, the class of 2022 got to experience this tense ceremony twice, when the original event coincided with the Queen’s death. ‘I think the atmosphere first time round was one of the strangest things I’ve ever experienced in my life,’ recalls McCreadie. ‘But it was so cool to finally see all this honestly good music. I also love Little Simz, so I was very happy to see her win.’ 

^{Picture: Dave Stapleton}

Even without a trophy and £250k cheque (that blow would surely have been softened somewhat by winning the Scottish Album Of The Year Award and JazzFM Instrumentalist Of The Year), garnering more attention in the Mercury’s aftermath is unavoidable. ‘I think it brings with it a bit more pressure,’ McCreadie admits. ‘The awards mean a lot in certain ways. But in terms of how you actually make your music, having an award doesn’t make it any better than it already was. More people will just naturally find it. I’m still getting used to that heightened element of what people expect from the music and from me as a piano player now. I think the challenge is to just focus on the music itself.’

Back in Glasgow, where he first moved to attend the jazz course at Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland, McCreadie has slotted back into a life of teaching, gigging and practising, while also finishing a new album due in 2024. ‘I’m enjoying going back to the fundamental stuff like scales, classical pieces or old-style jazz, and trying to make that sound really good.’ 

^{McCreadie playing in Mackintosh Church / Picture: Gaelle Beri}

McCreadie’s commitment to personal growth is evident. ‘I don’t think music will be interesting when I feel like I’ve completed it,’ he insists, before adding ‘I can probably do about 1% of what I want to be able to do on the piano.’ This philosophy was partially instilled in him by Scottish jazz maestro Richard Michael whose workshop ‘completely changed’ the way McCreadie thought about music. ‘I was very close to quitting at around grade six. I think I viewed it as a slog and never thought that I was necessarily natural at playing piano . . . until I found jazz. In that workshop he was focusing on how fun it was and that it wasn’t anything to do with talent to get better’.

Whether bestowed by nature or nurture, McCreadie’s clean and buoyant style of playing combined with his folk-tinged compositions have distinguished him ever since those days at RCS. As one of only two pianists in his first year, it was through playing with older students at recitals that he met David Bowden and Stephen Henderson (bassist and drummer in the Fergus McCreadie Trio). ‘They were scary people to play with because they were just so good even then. But it ended up always feeling really natural and easy.’

Six years on, the three friends still manage to keep each other on their toes, musically speaking, even if they know the tracks inside and out. ‘Every gig we try and do without a set list or plan. When you have musicians that you know really well, you can find new interesting things in the tunes and develop them in different ways as you go. I think the best musicians really remain students their whole lives. I like to think that even in 20, 30 years’ time, I’ll still view myself as one.’ 

Fergus McCreadie Trio, St Luke’s, Glasgow, Thursday 2 March; Sage Gateshead, Newcastle, Friday 3 March; Mar Brilliant Corners Festival, Belfast, Thursday 9 March; Fruitmarket, Edinburgh, Friday 10 March.