Music / Jazz
Bristol’s week in jazz, August 27-September 2 2018
As one of Bristol’s most in demand jazz musicians, bass player Will Harris is a familiar face at The Fringe.
But his appearance this week with the London-based Matt Anderson Quartet (Wednesday 29) is a reminder that he’s widely known and respected beyond our local scene.
The quartet first formed when saxophonist Matt and Will were both students at the Royal Academy in London and even in that rarified atmosphere it proved a standout project.
is needed now More than ever
The lineup has evolved since then and the current foursome with Peter Lee on keyboards and Jay Davis drumming has just released Rambling, a set of Matt’s spacious compositions that also features trumpeter Nick Malcolm as a guest performer. Their Fringe gig is part of a tour to promote the CD.
Cool contemporary jazz with a layered electronic sound framing warm bass clarinet comes to Canteen (Thursday 30) in the shape of ex-pat French quintet Kinkajous.
Their original instrumental music hovers around the closely structured style of Mammal Hands and others, but with elements of funk and rock sometimes coming to the surface.
Another pair of in demand players pops up twice this week – Modulus III’s drummer and keyboard combo Matt Brown and Dan Moore first appear in an organ trio with Brackish guitarist Neil Smith (Canteen, Wednesday 29).
The prospect of three such creative musicians taking on classic blues and boogaloo has to be quite mouthwatering, as will be their second gig in a jazz trio led by Dakhla/Sefrial saxophonist Sophie Stockham at Leftbank (Saturday 1).
Trumpeter Gary Alesbrook’s classy nu-soul jazz combo Duval Project, with vocalist Marie Lister, will be featuring material from their excellent Giant Leap CD when they come to Gallimaufry (Thursday 30) while funk, jazz and Latin vocals feature heavily when the mighty eight-strong Freesoul Familia are at Leftbank (Friday 31).
Paper Moon Band
Swing vocalist Lucy Moon’s Paper Moon Band are launching their eponymous album at Tobacco Factory (Sunday 2).
It’s a collection of classic swing numbers with Lucy’s bright vocal style backed by Dale Hambridge on piano, with Chris Jones’ bass and (once again!) Matt Brown drumming and Jonny Bruce’s snapping trumpet all contributing to an authentic and energetic retro sound.
Nothing retro about the Hot Wax night at Crofters Rights (Tuesday 28) with the reflective electronic music of Inwards, warped electro-soul from King Monday and the frenetic improvised ‘ephemeral’ music of Dali de Saint Paul’s EP/64.
Further enticing strangeness can always be expected from a Cacophonous Sarcophagus night and their take-over of St Paul’s Crypt, Southville (Thursday 30) features improviser/composer Annie Lewandowski aka powerdove as well as Polish audio-visual collaborators FOQL and Copy Corpo and Swir (latest identity for Sonia Nayar, also known as Son-Aya and Droni Mitchell).
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