Abbie Finn Trio

Abbie Finn Trio and the North East jazz scene

Abbie Finn Trio are a North East jazz ensemble led by drummer Abbie Finn, with Harry Keeble on tenor saxophone and Paul Grainger on double bass. Finn is from the region and is currently based in Durham, while the trio have built much of their identity through performances, recordings and collaborations around Newcastle, Durham and the wider North East. The stripped-back line-up gives each musician plenty of room, with drums, saxophone and bass able to shift quickly between tightly arranged passages and open improvisation.

The group’s sound pulls from several corners of jazz. Hard bop and post-bop sit alongside Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms, while more contemporary influences give the trio a modern edge. That variety is part of the appeal. A set can move from an original composition into a reworked standard without losing the sense that the three musicians are listening closely to one another.

Northern Perspective and Stotties For Three

The trio’s debut album, Northern Perspective, arrived in 2020 and was conceived as a thank-you to the people of the North East jazz scene who had welcomed the group. Five tracks were written by members of the band, while the remaining pieces reworked music associated with writers including Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Chick Corea and Don Grolnick. The result established a sound driven by Finn’s energetic drumming while leaving plenty of space for Keeble and Grainger.

Further releases followed, including a live recording from Newcastle Jazz Festival, On Pink Lane in 2023 and Stotties For Three in 2024. On Pink Lane was recorded at Blank Studios in Newcastle, reinforcing the band’s local roots. Across the catalogue, Finn’s arrangements balance technical ability with a sense of movement, keeping the music lively rather than overly academic.

Abbie Finn Trio live in the North East

The trio have played Newcastle Jazz Festival, Durham Jazz Festival, Hexham Jazz Festival and Middlesbrough Jazz Weekender, as well as major venues further afield including Band on the Wall and PizzaExpress Jazz Club in Soho. That wider experience has helped sharpen a group that still feels firmly connected to its regional base.

Finn has also been recognised individually, winning the UK 18+ category of Hit Like A Girl in 2023 and being highlighted by Jazzwise as a drummer to watch. SoundBite North East includes the trio because they represent a vibrant part of the region’s jazz scene: musicians with a strong local identity, a substantial recorded catalogue and the confidence to take that sound well beyond the North East.