Bristol’s month in jazz – April 2022

Yes it’s April but there’s no time for fooling in a big month of jazz, groove and improv gigs. There’s stacks of brass, loads of Afro-flavoured beats, all kinds of freeness and a few visiting uberstars …

Top tourists The Monk Liberation Front (Bristol Beacon Foyer, Sun 10) celebrate the unique genius of the late Thelonious with Jonathan Gee (piano) and Toni Kofi (sax) taking the acclaimed project into its third decade. It’s Bristol Keyboard Festival time at St George’s with powerful contemporary Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca returning (Sat 23). His new album Yesun marks another step forward in his restless career, while the Hall will also feature a solo performance from Snarky Puppy pianist Bill Laurance (pictured above,Thur 14) and Bristol-born composer/pianist Rebecca Nash revisits her suite Redefining Element 78 (Wed 20). Fringe Jazz’s ivory tinkling special comes from Invisible Apples (Wed 20), the remarkable duo of John Baggott (piano) and Pete Judge (trumpet) with their set of John’s distinctive compositions. Tim Funnell’s piano trio will be squeezing into El Rincon (Thur 21) and, of course, Keir Vine’s distinctive panoramic piano will feature heavily in Portico Quartet’s Trinity set (Sat 9) no doubt exploring last year’s Monument album.

Pianist and multi-instrumental vocalist Brian Jackson emerged alongside Gil Scott-Heron in the 70s and worked with him developing that unique soul-jazz style on classic tracks like The Bottle. He went on to work in and out of the jazz and soul scenes up to today, with affirmations from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Roy Ayers and Stevie Wonder along the way. His show at Trinity (Wed 13) will allow him to tell his story in words and music.

John Etheridge’s Blue Spirits (Fringe Jazz, Wed 13) gives the eclectic Soft Machine/Stefan Grappelli guitarist a chance to get groovy in an organ trio, an enticing prospect, as is the Jerry Crozier-Cole Quartet (Bebop Club, Thur 7) which sees the jazz-rock guitarist joined by trumpeter Gary Alesbrook, both old friends of the Bebop. Exploring the farther reaches of the guitar, Australian ambient-improv master Oren Ambarchi is at Strange Brew (Tues 26).

Big brassy outfits seem to be descending on us at pace, with Manchester’s excellent Riot Jazz at Thekla (Fri 15), London’s Brass Funkeys hitting Old Market Assembly (Fri 8) and the hip-hop leaning Dat Brass making The Exchange (Thur 7). Heading off on their national tour the highly brass-bound Cut Capers will be supported by The Bristol Hornstars at Trinity (Sat 2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmKmAYHKcWM

Taking the big brass line-up into Afrobeat territory it’s good to see No Go Stop in action again (Old Market Assembly Fri 29), rounding off a month full of exciting Afro-orientated gigs, including Nigerian jazzer Etuk Ebong (The Lanes, Tues 5) and Gnawa Blues Allstars (Canteen, Sat 16). The Bristol Jazz Festival also launch their Jaffro-zz nights at Crofters Rights with Cameroonian percussionist Alphonse Touna’s Helele, Bristol’s longest established African jazz outfit ((Tues 5).

Saxophonist and bandleader Sophie Stockham has a busy month ahead, too, starting with the Cut Capers gig on Saturday 2, quickly followed by a slot as guest soloist at the Stag & Hounds session (Sun 3). Then her subtly renamed band Orfic are appearing at Fringe In The Round (Tue 5) alongside the interesting new duo of trumpeter Nick Malcolm and pianist Rebecca Nash. Orfic also play at The Bell (Mon 11). Nick Malcolm will be among The Jazz Defenders (Bebop, Thur 14) presenting King Phoenix, their second CD of original material in the cool Blue Note style. Later in the month the club showcases powerful hard bop trumpeter Hugh Pascall’s Quartet (Thur 21), which also includes ever-impressive bass player Oli Hayhurst. The club’s month rounds off with Return of the Native (Thur 28), a fresh contemporary sounding new quartet featuring hot new sax talent Will Rees-Jones. More well-established sax from Alex Merritt features at Fringe Jazz (Wed 27) in the accomplished Alex Merritt & Steve Fishwick Quintet, with Steve’s trumpet an equally assured ingredient in their tight and fluid sound.

For those on the lookout for the free end of things there’s a flurry of at the beginning of the month, with Harry Irvine’s 8-piece freeform Big Fuss Ensemble providing support to Etuk Ebong at The Lanes (Tue 5) the night before Strange Brew hosts the Cardboard Club (Wed 6) featuring, inter alia, drummer Dan Johnson not drumming. Then on Thursday 7 it’s a hard choice between a Crofter’s line up headlined by the lively Taupe and also featuring the Iceman Furniss Quartet, or Strange Brew’s presentation of NY electronicist Hiro Kone with support from ‘noise maker’ Loula Yorke. Then there’s a pause … before Silver Waves aka Dylan Mallett brings his fractured electronics in support of the unpronounceable – – – _ _ – – _ _ _ (oh yes!) bringing ‘crooner opera’ from America’s Midwest to Bristol’s Cube (Wed 20).

And finally … it’s great to see the return of the Canteen’s monthly jam session, now renamed Stone Cold Hustle (Wed 20) with members of Leftbank’s excellent LBJBs house band and others. They join a thriving jam scene including Bounce Mondays (Strange Brew, every Monday) featuring several Snazzbackers and Waldo’s Gift members, Donut Filler Jam (Mr Wolf’s, alternate Tues 12, 26), the pre-swing acoustic Hot Jazz Jam at Hare on the Hill (Wed 13) and the multi-media poetry, dance and music Open Collab Nights at the Hen & Chicken (Sat 23). Get out there and do it!