Bristol’s month in jazz – December 2023

Well, December boasts a veritable advent calendar of syncopated treats as befits the time of year. The most blatantly seasonal offering is Lighting The Dark (Beacon, Wed 20) – a yule-themed folk show that merits a mention here because of trumpet ace Laura Jurd’s presence. Mind you, the Old Duke is a also a contender with their Wonderful Flipping Xmas Band (Sun 24). Possible the most anarchic mid-winter bacchanalia will be the amazing Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp (Jam Jar, Wed 14), the 12-headed Swiss genre-busting behemoth (pictured above) that rocked the Jam Jar to the rafters on their last visit. The Beacon also welcomes back the Penguin Cafe Orchestra (Sun 3), while Latin-jazz lovers will be delighted to catch a rare re-appearance from K’Chevere (The Bell, Wed 27). And if you’re present-hunting for a local jazz fan advance tickets are now on sale for the annual Bath Jazz Weekend (Widcombe Social Club, Jan 5-7) with a star-stuffed programme of British and European jazz names including Larry Stabbins, Alexander Hawkins, Julie Tippetts, François Corneloup and Claud Deppa.

The Bebop Club rounds off the year with a fine trio of gigs starting with young saxophone star Alex Clarke’s great quartet (Thur 7) which also includes Clark Tracy on drums and will be in the Hen & Chicken’s larger upstairs room for obvious reasons. That’s followed up by piano trio Yetii (Thur 14) rounding off a great year of national acclaim and then Bebop mailman Andy Hague gets to trade chops with Ed Jones’ tenor sax in the final Christmas Special (Thur 21). Fringe Jazz also offers a lively pair of gigs at the Bristol Music Club with the James Morton Band (Wed 6) reviving the funky saxophonist’s grooving Pork Chop project. Livewire trumpeter Jonny Bruce’s Quintet (Wed 13) pairs him with guitarist Denny Ilett and muscular tenor sax player Greg Sterland as well as Yetii’s impeccable rhythm section of Ashley John Long and Alex Goodyear. Fringe In The Round’s final gig of the year (Bristol Fringe, Tue 5) is a cracking double bill of young hotshot drummer George Povey’s Quartet and the powerhouse duo of Luke Annesley’s alto and Dan Moore on Hammond. Luke also shows up for the Stag & Hounds Christmas Special (Sun 17), with previous weeks S&H sessions featuring John Pearce’s emotive violin (Sun 3) and Kevin Figes’ eclectic flute and saxes (Sun 10).

As well as appearing in K’Chevere and alongside Ed Jones and Andy Hague, pianist Jim Blomfield is a key element in the top-class salsa/jazz Saoco Collective (aka Michel Padron Ensemble, Cotham Club, Fri 15) while Andy also pops up in The BS3 Three with fellow Bemmy-dwellers Tom Berge (keys) and Ryan Thrupp (drums) (Tobacco Factory, Sun 3). Following the triumphant debut of her orchestral suite Selene Awakes at St George’s last month, saxophonist Sophie Stockham returns to that venue (Wed 13) to join with guitarist Adam Stokes’ trio in a celebration of hard bop hero Lou Donaldson. Anyone hoping to catch rising star guitarist George Towler at El Rincon (Thur 7) will be disappointed as it’s sold out, but highly acclaimed blues guitarist James Oliver’s band are at the Fringe on that night. James also appears at the Old Duke (Wed 20), while over at the Bell on the same night guitarist Matt Hopkins will be playing in the very groovy Craig Crofton Quartet with Jonny Henderson on Hammond, Andy Tween drumming and hard-blowing tenor sax-man Craig up front.

And while we’re on that subject … there’s a whole lotta grooving going on in this party season, inevitably, starting with the sprawlingly funky Cut Capers collective (SWX, Fri 1) and the more compact (but equally funky) Stone Cold Hustle (Canteen, Fri 1/Old Market Assembly, Sat 9). The Beacon has London’s brilliant Afro-Latin big band the New Regency Orchestra (Fri 8) while our own swingfest the Bristol Community Big Band goes to The Mount Without on that same night. It’s a tough choice day, in fact, with Mr Wolf’s also hosting drum’n’bass funksters Shake Your Brass and vocal dance groovers The Bass Choir coming to the Attic bar.

In a similar vein, ‘acid-brass’ outfit Melts The Band are at Canteen (Sat 9) and the irrepressibly funky Blockheads return (Fleece, Sun 10) to round off an exhausting weekend. Both the JFS fortnightly sessions have a strong funk-jazz leaning with Felonius Funk (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 5) and High Fade (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 19) and Canteen has its regular hip-hop flavoured sessions from Slapdash (Tue 12) and Bristol Street Music (Tue 26). If New York style boogaloo is more to your taste there’s Shing-a-lings (The Bell, Mon 18) or you might prefer the French café jazz stylings of the ever-popular Moscow Drug Club (Jam Jar, Thur 7).

In the leftfield world, the month kicks off with two electro-ambient duos. The Twelve Hour Foundation (Hare on the Hill, Sun 3) are Bristol-based and deploy retro-Moog technology with found sounds and samples while UK jazz keyboard player Greg Foat collaborates with Italian electronicist Gigi Masin (Bristol Beacon, Mon 4) for a smooth ambient/jazz mashup. Kino, on the other hand, hosts a 59 minute ‘endurance piece’ by ‘neon-noise-pop’ performer Marcy (Fri 8), complete with guided meditation by Pam Rose Cott. Kino also hosts the monthly South West Improvisers Group (Mon 4) with percussive guest Robin Foster. Three members of the SWIG – Raph Clarkson, Matthew Grigg and Tim Hill – will be improvising at L’Etoile Studio (Mon 18). DIY pioneer Harry Furniss is at Ill Repute (Fri 15) with Neko and Big Pigeon, while his Improv’s Greatest Hits, plus new free quartet Swelt, are supporting experimental pianist A.A.Lacey at Cube (Sat 16). And there’s a free improv session at Elmer’s (Sat 9) going by the name of Byrfyfyr.

The Urban Folk Quartet (Folk House, Sun 3) offer an unusual folk/afrobeat fusion, while Suntou Susso’s multi-instrumental West African music comes to Canteen (Fri 8) and afrobeat features among the delights of the Beacon’s showcase celebration of Ujima Radio (Sat 9). Trinity have Afro-house dance act Afriquoi (Sat 16) and Jam Jar welcome back Mohamed Errebbaa’s Tanga Groove (Wed 20). On the highly danceable  Latin side, however, there’s the great vocalist Indira Roman and Aji Pa’Ti (Jam Jar, Fri 8) and also Desafinados (The Bell, Sun 10) – this is the latest project by singer/violinist Azhar Saffar. Contemporary electro-Cumbia groovers Xaman X are at Old Market Assembly (Sat 16) and, of course, there’s the aforementioned salsa jazz supergroup K’Chevere (The Bell, Wed 27). Oh -and there’s the Balkan mayhem (and amazing musicality) of Gogol Bordello (O2, Tue 12).

Jam sessions? Obviously there’s likely to be a break in the usual weekly sessions but info so far is … weekly sessions: Family Business (Gallimaufry, Sun), Stag and Hounds (Sun), Bounce Jam (Strange Brew, Mon), Donut Filler (Mr Wolf’s, Wed). Others: Hot Club Jam (Mon 4), Canteen Jazz Session (Wed 6), JFS Jam (Mr Wolf’s, Wed 12), Stone Cold Funk Jam (Canteen, Tue 19), Canteen Latin Session (Wed 20)