Bristol’s month in jazz – October 2023

Things are very much in full swing as we head on into autumn, with Bristol University’s JFS returning to their weekly sessions at Mr Wolf’s and Fringejazz launching their excellent new season at the recently refurbished Bristol Music Club.

Big jazz highlights this month include post-jazz powerhouse Get The Blessing touring the surprisingly spacious sound of their new album Pallett with two very ‘hot ticket’ local gigs (Widcombe Social Club, Sun 15, Dareshack Thur 19) There are two new projects from uberdrummer Matt Stockham-Brown: firstly his ambitious and original sextet 6161 (The Forge, Thur 12) and then Mobrasuto (The Bell, Mon 30) an intriguing new trio collaboration with Dan Moore on keyboards and Eli Jitsuto’s guitar. London-based chordless outfit Howl Quartet are also touring a new album (Fringe in the Round, Tue 3, with support from Jonny Bruce Quartet) and Manchester’s spiritual jazz guru Matthew Halsall brings his trumpet and a six-piece line-up to St George’s (Tue 10). The Fringejazz weekly programme kicks off with the eternally creative tenor sax of hard-bop veteran Art Themen leading a top-notch quartet including pianist Huw Warren (Bristol Music Club, Wed 11) while the Bebop’s month begins with creative bop trumpeter Quentin Collins’ Quintet (Thur 5). It’s great to see saxophonist Craig Crofton celebrating his soul-jazz hero Stanley Turrentine with Split Tone (St George’s, Wed 25).

Other jazz gigs this month: Andy Hague (Stag & Hounds, Sun 1), Sophie Stockham-Brown’s Orfic (The Bell, Mon 2), C-Jam Jazz (Riff Corner, Wed 4), George Mabuza Band (The Bell, Wed 4), Yetii (Greenbank, Thur 5), Riaan Vosloo’s Uphill Game (El Rincon, Thur 5), Victoria Klewin (Stag & Hounds, Sun 8), Katya Gorrie Trio (Fringe, Sun 8), Matt Hopkins/ David Newton Quartet (Bebop, Thur 12), Joe Northwood (Stag & Hounds, Sun 15), John Prescott (Fringe, Sun 15), Nigel Price/Lorne Lofsky Quartet (Fringejazz, Wed 18), Benn Clatworthy Quintet (Bebop, Thur 19), Dan Newberry (Stag & Hounds, Sun 22), Silverado (Fringejazz, Wed 25), Dave Jones Quartet (Bebop, Thur 26), Jack Calloway & friends (Fringe, Thur 26).

There’s some high-class groove merchants swinging through town this month, and the return to the Jam Jar of high-energy nu-jazz big band corto.alto (Fri 20) will no doubt have the place packed out. Highly original electro-disco fusion music outfit Madmadmad (Dareshack, Sat 21) whipped up things at WOMAD this year and his debut album Champagne Kisses has announced pianist and singer Reuben James as a major nu-jazz/R&B talent (Lost Horizon, Tue 31) – similar accolades have followed Ni Maxine’s latest release Dark Days are Done (Jam Jar, Thur 26). The JFS start their term’s programme with the grooving instrumental sextet Tanhai Collective (Tue 10).

Other grooving & swinging gigs this month: Jake Leg Jug Band (Fringe, Thur 5), Electric Swing Circus (Old Market Assembly, Fri 6), Semper (Secret Location, Sat 7), Scarlet Muses (Old Duke, Sat 14), Ary Kumar (Exchange, Sun 15), Monkey Chuckle (The Bell, Wed 18), King Heron (Canteen, Thur 19), Hot Club of Avon (The Bell, Mon 23), Hidden Orchestra (The Fleece, Tue 24), Bristol Street Music (Canteen, Tue 24), Sun Kings (The Bell, Wed 25), Brass Junkies (Fri 27)

Things kick off early in the leftfield scene with the all-star South West Improvisers Group welcoming brilliant saxophonist Dee Byrne and bass player Jo Kelly (Cafe Kino, Mon 2) for a creative free-for-all. Strange Brew hosts the uncategorisable Anti Campanilismo (Thur 5) for an evening of ‘live analogue body music’ and Harry ‘Iceman’ Furniss relaunches his Improv’s Greatest Hits night on board the Bristol Cruising Club’s barge (Tue 10) with an anarchic line-up of sonic explorers. Calling Calling (Arnolfini, Sat 14) is a night of vocal radicalism featuring Phil Minton and Dali de Saint Paul among many others, while Open Collaboration: Internal Weather System (St George’s, Sun 8) is an improvisatory spoken word and music event on themes of illness and wellness. And the ‘rhythmic storytelling’ trio Bourne Willberg Noonan headline a fabulous night of contemporary and improvised music at St Stephen’s Church (Thur 26).

Other leftfield gigs this month: Jean-Michel Blais (Beacon Bridgehouse, Thur 5), Ypsmael et al ( Cafe Kino, Thur 5), Godspeed You! Et al (Cube, Fri 13), Shida Shihabi/Memotone (Cube, Mon 23), Manchester Collective (St George’s, Thur 26), Sounding Seas (El Rincon, Thur 26), Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan (Dareshack, Fri 27), Hitchens/Johnson Duo et al (Mon 30)

October’s world music offer has the usual eclectic spread starting with the welcome return of latin jazz dynamos Colectiva to Jam Jar (Fri 6) followed the next night (Sat 7) by Italian percussionist Gabriele Poso with support from Xaman X’s electro-cumbia . And big grooves are assured for Fela Kuti’s 85th Birthday (Strange Brew, Sat 14) when the late Afrobeat superstar is celebrated by Kuti’s bandleader Dele Sosimi’s Afrobeat Orchestra with support from local Afro-jazz supergroup No Go Stop. Hypnotic rhythms and evocative singing combine with electronica soundscapes and bass grooves when Haitian traditionalists Chouk Bwa collaborate with Belgian producers The Angströmers (Jam Jar, Wed 18) while Mohamed Errebbaa’s band evokes the trance rituals of Moroccan gnawa music  driven by his hypnotic bass guembri (Cotham Club, Fri 20) The highly passionate singing, dancing and musical traditions of flamenco are well represented by Daniel Martinez Flamenco Company (St George’s, Sun 15) who will be giving three performances due to demand for tickets.

And the world of jam sessions continues to flourish across Bristol, with weekly sessions: Bounce Jam (Mondays, Strange Brew), Donut Filler Jam (Wednesdays, Mr Wolf’s), Toast & Jam (Thursdays, Old England), Stag & Hounds (Sundays), Family Business (Gallimaufry, Sundays);

fortnightly session: JFS Jam (Tuesdays, Mr Wolf’s);

Other sessions: Hot Club Jam (Fringe, Mon 2), Peanut Butter Jam (Fringe, Mon 9), Slapdash Hip-hop Jam (Canteen, Tue 10), Jazz Rapport Jam (Fringe, Monday 16), Stone Cold Funk Jam (Canteen, Tue 17), Canteen Latin Session (Wed 18), VooKoo Jam Night (Southbank, Thur 19), Stompin’ Jam (Fringe, Mon 23)