Bristol’s month in jazz – June 2023

Since the onset of the pandemic we’ve lost two titans of the jazz world hereabouts – funk-originating saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and unquestioned genius of improvised music Keith Tippett. Pee Wee was celebrated at the recent Bristol Jazz Festival while saxophonist (and Tippett protegé) Kevin Figes has created a powerful sextet – You Are Here (Fringe Jazz, Wed 7) – to play Keith’s music alongside others of the vibrant 70s UK scene that launched Keith’s career. The all-star band will surely be a fine ongoing tribute to one of the UK’s greatest jazz musicians.

This year has seen piano trio Yetii spread their wings beyond their monthly residencies at The Greenbank. A live album and national tour has gained deserved national attention for their richly inventive contemporary music and empathetic improvisation. This month sees them joined by occasional collaborator saxophonist Jake McMurchie (Greenbank, Thur 8) while the trio’s bassist Ashley John Long pops up again when the Dave Jones Quintet Play The Music of Kenny Garrett (Bebop Club, Thur 29). Other Bebop Club gigs include retro-minded hard bop saxophonist Fraser Smith (Thur 1), ear-catching rising star contemporary guitarist Tom Ollendorff’s Trio (Thur 8) and  post-bop trumpeter Hugh Pascall’s very classy quintet (Thur 22). And just down the road at the Tobacco Factory (Sun 25) pianist John Baggott plays his elegant contemporary compositions in his Invisible Apples duo with trumpeter Pete Judge.

Two contrasting outfits fronted by bass players stand out this month: Norwegian Ellen Andrea Wang (who also sings) leads her trio including guitar ace Rob Luft through highly Scandinavian jazz (Bristol Beacon, Sat 24), while the Sri Lankan heritage of composer and bass guitarist Radhika de Saram (whose Quartet includes dazzling alto sax player Zhenya Strigalev) can be heard in aspects of her compositions (Bebop Club, Thur 15). Multi-instrumentalist Ruth Hammond shows her saxophone skills in a Tribute to Stan Getz (St George’s, Wed 14), joining guitarist Adam Stokes’ excellent trio for the evening. Tenor sax player Alex Merritt is one of the six Fringe In The Round All Stars (Bristol Fringe, Tue 6) having a bit of a blast to celebrate the Fringe’s monthly sessions. Alex also appears at the Stag & Hounds (Sun 25) but sadly this marks the last of the weekly Sunday sessions due to a change in the pub’s management. Adam Stokes has been running the guest-led jam sessions for over five years and they will be a sad loss to the city scene. June’s guest roster is typically top quality, with saxophonist Sophie Stockham (Sun 4), trumpeter Jonny Bruce (Sun 11) and multi-instrumental sax player Dan Newberry (Sun 18) leading up to that final fling.

One of the many strengths of highly popular Glasgow collective corto:alto is the tireless drumming of Graham Costello. While his STRATA project has plenty of grooving energy there’s also a tightness of composition and band discipline that references modern minimalism and makes STRATA music really stand out. There’s a similar locked-in quality to Cardiff post-funk trio Nurdle (The Bell, Mon 5) but nothing’s held back by saxophonist-led Jack Mac’s Funk Pack (Mr Wolf’s, Fri 23) nor the similarly named Brass Junkies and Brass Flunkeys appearing at Canteen and Old Market Assembly respectively on the same night. (Fri 30). More classic Hammond organ trio grooves can be caught from the Manfredi Trio (Tobacco Factory, Sun 4), while regular improv hip-hop session Slapdash (Canteen, Tue 13) and avant garde funksters Bristol Street Music (Canteen, Tue 20) aim for a more contemporary sound.

Time was when you could always count on Galliano to bring some energetic acid jazz to all the big festival sites. That time was the 90s so it’s great to see them back on the road (Thekla, Thur 8) with new material and the same dance-friendly energy. The more perennial joy of Moscow Drug Club’s French cafe swing is ever popular at Fringe Jazz (Wed 28) while Swing In The Aisles (Southbank, Thur 22) has singer Lucy Moon’s Paper Moon band bringing classic US swing style to the dance floor. And fans of French Bal Folk dances can catch it in the jazzed-up interpretation from Exeter-based trio Poisson Groove (The Bell, Sun 4).

Screaming Keys is a triple header of diverse keyboard-led music at The Cube (Tue 20). Things start with Pete Judge’s reflective solo piano music – a big hit with Radio 3 – followed by Helen Stanley’s more psych-influenced Sounds of Ursa project, rounded off with the spontaneous electro-acoustic improvisations of Modulus III. The Cube also hosts the launch of harp-led experimentalists Minor Conflict’s debut EP Bright Lights, Dead City (Sat 10) and another many-headed night of freely improvised music featuring harpist Rhodri Davies (Sat 17). Cafe Kino has two nights of improv delights, starting with the South West Improvisers Group (Mon 5) – an impressive collective of familiar names from the local free music scene. Then there’s a triple-header topped by Byrne/Roberts (Mon 26), being the excellent saxophone duo of Dee Byrne and Cath Roberts. Between those two events Kino’s regular ambient music evening Silencio (Thur 15) includes looping multi-instrumental improviser Noah Radley. And the amazing Paul Bradley brings his spontaneous songwriting/looping/guitar to the duo Athea with top drummer Emma Holbrook (The Bell, Tue 20).

After the Screaming Keys package you might like to try the more calm-sounding Sympathetic Strings event (St Ambrose Church Whitehall, Fri 30). Another triple-header and also opened by Pete Judge, albeit this time playing trumpet with cellist James Gow in their acoustic duo JOW. Other ‘postclassical’ treats on the night are benjin playing the Swedish nyckelharpa and creative string quartet Red Carousel whose original music is full of fresh energy. Similarly well-crafted and genre-bending music can be expected from Pernambuco, a new trio of Simmy Singh (violin), Matthew Barley (cello) and Harriet Riley (percussion) (Loco Club, Mon 12). Taking their name from the endangered tree that traditionally provides the wood for instrument bows, the band are linking the evening to ecological action project Trees of Music.

This month’s Cotham Club evening features Gambian kora player Suntou Susso and his Band (Cotham Parish Church, Fri 30), rounding off a diverse month of African music around the city. Things start in Kenya with singer-songwriter Vonj (Canteen, Fri 2) and his band, then head across to Mali for Bassekou Kouyate’s Ngoni Ba (St George’s, Thur 8). Their sound is built on a whole range of the traditional lute-like ngoni instruments  and Bassekou is considered a master griot. Things come back East slightly to Ghana with percussionist Ben Baddoo’s long-running Afro-jazz band Baraka (Canteen, Fri 9) or veer northwards to Morrocco for gnawa grooves from Mohamed Errebbaa & Tagna Groove (The Mount Without, Fri 9). That same night also sees the climax of South African inspired Project Zulu (Clifton College Chapel, Fri 9) with two choirs from schools in the KwaZulu township of Madadeni performing traditional songs and dances. The next day (Sat 10) Trinity has its annual all-day Afrofest with live music, food, games and fashion from across the continent. Then it’s over to Ghana again for African gospel sensations Alogte Oho and his Sounds of Joy (Jam Jar, Sat 17) before returning to Kenya for Afro-popsters Sauti Sol (Thekla,Thur 22).

Afro-Latin groove addicts should catch the Bristol debut of highly danceable French fusioneers The Bongo Hop (Lost Horizon, Sat 17), while serious salseros will welcome the reappearance of the mighty Dockside Latin Orchestra (Old Market Assembly, Fri 9) with Luisa Santiago joining the vocal line-up in their authentic Latin dance sounds. Taking cumbia and mixing it up with reggae and a bit of space dust the Mauskovic Dance Band come back from Amsterdam after a four year absence (Strange Brew, Sat 10) while the astonishing guitar dexterity of the Los Gusanos trio (The Bell, Wed 14) somehow takes Dick Dale into the world of high energy Latin grooves and comes back refreshed. The ever popular Carmina 3 bring their much more restrained but no less musically refined fusion of Celtic music and jazz to El Rincon (Thur 1). And that night also sees Indian slide guitarist Vishwa Mohan Batt bring his specially adapted Mohan Veena to St George’s (Thur 1) with tabla accompaniment from Pandit Subhen Chatterjee.

And finally … the jams, and one more chance to mourn the imminent passing of the Stag & Hounds Sunday sessions and to thank the tireless Adam Stokes and his trio for establishing them over five years. They will still be running through June but finish on Sunday 25. Other weekly sessions are Bounce Jam (Strange Brew, Mondays), Donut Filler (Mr Wolf’s, Wednesdays), Jam & Toast (Old England, Thursdays). Plus the one-offs: Hot Club Jam (Fringe, Mon 5), Canteen Jazz Session (Wed 7), Hot Jazz Jam (Hare on the Hill, Wed 14), Stone Cold Funk Jam (Canteen, Tue 20), Canteen Latin Session (Wed 21) and The Door is Ajar (Jam Jar, Sat 24).