Danny Ward: Manchester Music Stories from Jazz to Club Culture

In this episode, I sit down with percussionist and storyteller Danny Ward—a key figure in Manchester's live music and club scenes whose musical journey took him from Urban Cookie Collective and The Key, The Secret, to jazz workshops in Hume and acid house jams at The Kitchen.
Recommended by Pete from Awesome 3, Danny shares how a twist of fate brought him into the world of pop stardom after a hand injury led him to join Urban Cookie Collective. The Italian remix of “The Key, The Secret” became a global hit, launching them into the spotlight with PAs across Europe and beyond. But Danny opens up about how he hated the attention and soon realised that fame wasn’t for him—leading him to walk away from the limelight in favour of a more authentic life making the music he truly loves.
We trace his roots in Oldham/Saddleworth, through discovering jazz via his parents' records and his early work with Chapter and the Verse (alongside Aniff Cousins and Colin Thorpe). He describes the magical energy of Friday night jazz sessions at All Saints College, buying congas from Johnny Roadhouse, and jamming with legends like Richard Slewa, Chris Crooks, and Icarus Wilson-Wright.
Danny shares vivid memories of:
• Moonraker Studios, where “The Key, The Secret” was first recorded
• Upstairs jam sessions at The Kitchen while acid house parties raged below
• Manchester’s PJ Bells, a jazz hub led by the visionary Phil Bell
• Late-night gigs at Planet K, Sankeys, and Collider
• His early steps into production with engineer Danny Evans (now of Elbow)
• The quirky community of musicians, DJs, and outsiders shaping Manchester's sound
He reflects on Manchester’s cross-genre openness in the '90s, where people floated between house, jazz, hip hop, and rare groove scenes. From deep percussion nights at Sankeys to surreal Chinese karaoke nights with Chinatown’s Triads at PJ Bells, Danny’s stories are a rich, funny, and grounded insight into a very specific time and place.
Despite brushes with fame, Danny has stayed true to his path—still playing, recording, and jamming into his 50s. “I’ve become quite successful at being really unsuccessful,” he jokes, “and that actually works for me.”
We end with Danny’s recommendation for your next journey: John Coltrane’s self-titled blue-cover album on Impulse. Timeless, deep, and personal—just like this chat.
🎧 Whether you’re into club culture, live music, underground scenes, or jazz history—this one’s packed with memories, laughs, and musical insight.
📌 Subscribe for more untold stories from the people who shaped Manchester’s music scene.
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