Bristol’s month in jazz – October 2022

Well whatever’s happening to the economy the world of jazz-related music certainly intends to keep its chin up in Bristol: there’s barely five days this month that don’t offer something for syncopation-hungry musos, including super-treats from Switzerland and Sweden, some long-awaited album releases from several local favourites and the return of some favourite monthly jazz shindigs.

The Swiss visitors are the amazing 12-strong Orchestra Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp (Fri 14, Jam Jar) who, as their name suggests, combine artful anarchy with energetic originality. Their latest album We’re OK But We’re Lost Anyway is yet another eclectic feast. More unexpectedness can be expected from Brigitte Beraha’s Lucid Dreamers (Sat 29, St George’s), the free-minded vocalist’s all-star quartet realising her atmospheric electro-acoustic music. That’s a busy day at St George’s – Brigitte’s is a lunchtime performance and then later vocalist Clare Teal brings her talent-stuffed Clare Teal Seven there for an evening of classy swing and entertaining anecdotes. Before and between those the Hall is organising two Kit Downes’ Pipes and Whistles Walks, in which the star pianist plays on three different pipe organs in Clifton in his duo with saxophonist Tom Challenger. Brigitte Beraha will also be helping Kevin Figes launch his new album The Common (Wed 5, Fringe Jazz, Bristol Music Centre). It’s another slice of unexpectedness as the album mostly features Steve Kings playing solo piano compositions which Kevin freely admits he himself cannot play. He will however contribute improvised sax along with Jim Blomfield’s piano and Brigitte’s vocal as part of the evening’s programme. The Kit Downes events are part of the Bristol Keyboard Festival and St George’s also hosts the powerhouse piano pairing of Ivo Neame and Marco Marconi (Sun 30) playing interpretations of Ivo’s compositions for two pianos.

The return of Ian Storror’s Jazzata sessions to the Beacon Foyer welcomes back another top piano name: the Daniel Karlsson Trio (Sun 16) are claiming the kind of standing that the late, great Esbjorn Svensson achieved – indeed, Daniel is also a member of Svensson’s drummer Magnus Ostrum’s trio – and their shared sense of compelling grooves is evident in his own music. There’s more excellent piano contributions from Rebecca Nash in her duo with singer Sara Colman who open the new season at Fringe In The Round (Tue 4, Bristol Fringe) in a double bill with guitarist James Chadwick’s Trio. And then there’s even more from Rebecca when her cracking quintet play the Bebop Club (Thur 6, Hen & Chicken). That line-up comprises Nick Malcolm (trumpet), Sam Crockatt (sax), Henrik Jensen (bass) and Dave Smith (drums) – all top of their class players and Rebecca’s compositional skills are widely recognised as exceptional.

The Bebop’s month goes on to feature drummer Jack Yardley’s Quartet (Thur 13) celebrating the music of Wayne Shorter with Duncan Eagles on tenor sax (Ken Hoon is Jack’s own band), followed by violinist Dominic Ingham (Thur 20) whose quintet also includes Elftet main man Jonny Mansfield on vibes. The month rounds off with Bebop main man Andy Hague pairing up with tenor player Dan Newberry for a Blue Note oriented quintet trawl of Andy’s arrangements. Meanwhile, over at the Bristol Music Club there’s a celebration of Fringe Jazz’s tenth anniversary (Wed 12) with the return of perennial favourite (and alto sax firebrand) James Morton (who played on the successful session’s opening 2012 night) and a bunch of special friends joining organiser Jon Taylor for the party. Later sessions include Scott Hammond’s jazz-funk fivesome JINGU BANG (Wed 19) and Fringe swing faves Moscow Drug Club (Wed 26).

The thriving Glasgow scene has already sent a number of treats to the Jam Jar and the eagle eyed will recognise members of corto alto and Graham Costello’s Strata in The Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble (Thur 20), with DJ and producer Rebecca leading them in unashamedly dance-floor orientated jazz. Further groovy stuff can be expected from Stone Cold Hustle (Fri 14,Mr Wolf’s), the new emanation from the much-loved LBJBs. Mr Wolf is also welcoming Dan Newberry’s ‘face melting’ jazz trio Blueprint (Tue 11), jazz-fusion trio Valmuz (Thur 20) and the Voodoo Brass Band (Fri 28). Blueprint’s scorching Hammond player Guy Shotton also plays at The Raven (Sun 2). In a similar groove frame of mind, Canteen has Martin Mexme’s Worldwide Experiment fusing jazz and funk with classical influences (Thur 13) and the hip-hop leaning Bristol Street Music (Tue 18) before Bournemouth based Latin-funk big band The Midnight Alliance arrive (Fri 21). Crofters Rights, meantime, contribute the jazztronic Glass Museum (Wed 5) and Neo-soul groovers Heyouki go there to launch their new EP (Fri 7). Oh – and do we need to mention Snarky Puppy at the O2 (Wed 5)? No, thought not!

There’s a time and place for the banging groove but let’s not forget the more delicately constructed side of things. Singer/songwriter Lauren Kinsella’s Snowpoet duo (Thur 6, St George’s) with producer Chris Hyson is a fine example of the latter, as is Ishmael Ensemble vocalist Holysseus Fly who launches her debut solo EP at Crofter’s Rights (Tue 11). The Beacon Foyer’s monthly Tonic Sessions celebrating female jazz musicians hosts the subtly powerful Sailing Stones (Thur 27) aka poetic vocalist Jenny Lindfors with support from the folk/classical/jazz fusions of Harriet Riley, Alex Garden and Stevie Toddler. Harriet and Alex also join the trumpet/cello duo JOW for their EP launch at St Ambrose Church (Sat 8) while the JOW duo of Pete Judge and James Gow join poets Jan Edwards and Jon Hamp at El Rincon (Thur 6). The ‘jazz string trio’ J.A.M. are to be found at Cloak & Dagger that same night (Thur 6) while the elegant folk-derived string music of Intarsia comes to The Bell (Mon 24) and Totnes duo Jazzient bring ambient soundscapes on sax and guitar to El Rincon (Fri 28).

Heading out to left field … there’s a celebration of a musical legend at Arnolfini when Angharad Davies, Rhodri Davies and Dominic Lash perform music composed for them by Eliane Radique (Sat 15), the French electronic music pioneer whose career began in the musique concrete of the 50s but who moved on into composing for acoustic performances. The Cube also have a quartet of typically indefinable musical events: The Bliss Archive contribute a multi headed night (Thur 20) including the Tara Clerkin Trio providing a DJ set, then there’s the post-noir combination of Robbie & Mona with Bingo Fury (Fri 21) and a QWAK Club session (Tue 25) with extraordinary musical collagist Sholto Dobie headlining. They round the month off with electro-acoustic explorers Floating World Pictures (Sun 30). There’s a Liquid Library session at the Exchange (Fri 7) and a Schwet Club night at Strange Brew (Wed 5), the latter featuring Ana Roxanne’s ‘restorative ambient meditations’, and Friendly Records host an impressive improvising evening with Ledley (Thur 6), a new duo of excellent trombonist Ralph Clarkson and free-flowing sax player Chris Williams. Improv cornetist Harry Furniss will also contribute.

So – time for a quick trip round the world, starting with homegrown Afrobeat collective No Go Stop who (finally! Hoorah!) release their second album Where We Go at the Jam Jar (Sat 15), previewed by thoughtful single Simple State. Advance listens suggest they’ve got even more clever with their production/arrangements without losing their quintessential rhythmic drive. Other Afro flavours on offer include the Ghanaian Afro-Soul of Berlin-based Jembaa Groove (Fri 14, Lost Horizon), the Ethiofunk-informed compulsion of Daniel Inzani’s Band (Mon 3, The Bell) and the Soweto-rooted intensity of BCUC whose first Jam Jar gig (Wed 19) sold out so quickly they arranged another (Mon 17). Lost Horizon also have Lisbon-based Angolan Kuduro diva Pongo (Wed 12) while Cameroonian percussionist Alphonse Touna’s long running Afro-jazz band Helele are at the Cotham Club (Fri 28). Ivan Hussey’s alter-ego Celloman (Wed 12, The Bell) takes the musical flavours of North Africa and the Middle East as his starting point while musical activist Soumik Datta’s electronic sarod (Tue 18, Beacon Foyer) is a thoroughly contemporary transposition of Indian classical sounds into the post hip-hop musical world. There’s big Latin/Latinx action at Old Market Assembly for their Papaya Fest, with tropical brass band XAMAN X opening the week (Fri 7) and Desta French and band closing things (Sat 15). On a more folksy note, mandolinist Mike Pryor’s Cavacante (Sun 16, The Bell) explores the Brazilian acoustic dance music tradition of Choro.

Phew! Don’t you love living round here? But isn’t it tiring! And then there’s the jam sessions … The Fringe hosts its Hot Club Jam (Mon 3) while the Southbank Club has VooKoo Jam  Night (Thur 20). The Canteen has a jazz session (Wed 5), the Stone Cold Funk jam (Wed19) and the Canteen Latin Session (Tue 25). Strange Brew has Bounce Jam (weekly, Mondays) and the Old England offers Jam & Toast (weekly, Thursdays). Mr Wolf’s hosts the JFS jam (Tue 4 and fortnightly) and Lost Horizon’s monthly We All Play Synth session is Wednesday 5. The Stag & Hounds Sunday sessions welcome saxophonists Kevin Figes (Sun 2) and Jake McMurchie (Sun 9), guitarist Stuart Oliver (Sun 16), vocalist Sarah Meek (Sun 23) and trumpeter Thom Dalby (Sun 30)