Music / Jazz
Jazz picks of the month: May 2015
One month, two bank holidays and a brace of jazz extravaganzas within earshot of Bristol: Mayday weekend (Friday 1-Monday 4)sees Cheltenham Jazz Festival peaking with tons of great gigs, including legendary US saxophonists Archie Shepp, Lee Konitz and Joe Lovano, while Bath Music Festival makes the Spring Bank Holiday (Saturday 23-Monday 25) their jazz weekend, including Mike Westbrook’s Blake Suite, Hugh Masakela and Orphy Robinson. Both well worth checking the train timetables for.
Stay closer to home, however, and you should still be able to grab some international treats, starting with fiery Cuban piano ace Roberto Fonseca’s solo set at St George’s (Friday 8), swiftly followed by top Spanish alto saxophonist Perico Sambeat’s trio appearing at the exotic venue of Zion Community Arts in Bedminster Down courtesy of promoter Ian Storrer (the Hen and Chicken was booked, we gather).
The Bebop Club has some interesting visitors, albeit less far flung, with the maturity of Paul Riley’s post-bop sax playing and composition (Friday 1) belying his shockingly young appearance and the smooth assurance of The Button Band (Friday 15) deriving from cool guitarist Andrew Button’s measured approach to tune writing. And we can thank the annual Play Jazz Weekend for bringing vocalist Brigitte Beraha and top UK trumpeter Steve Waterman out west and fitting in a Bebop gig while they’re here (Friday 22).
If you haven’t heard Italian vocalist Irene Serra yet try to make her ISQ gig at Future Inn (Thursday 14) – her music is spaciously post-jazz, lightly sketched by her band with effortlessly delivered vocals. The following week the same venue sees the excellent Sefrial’s twin sax frontline of Sophie Stockham and Jake McMurchie tussle it out in increasingly entertaining ways. Jake’s electronic ambient outfit Michelson Morley should be good at Fringe @ The Mall (Wednesday 6) the night before the Hackney Colliery Band bring their street-hop Balkanism to The Fleece’s Fiesta Bombarda night (also featuring Future Dub orchestra) (Thursday 7).
And, finally, Snarky Puppy keyboard player Bill Laurence will be showcasing his second solo album Swift at The Lantern (Thur 28) with fellow puppies Michael League (bass) and Robert Searight (drums). Unlike the big band’s sound, Laurence goes for a clearer production making filmic sweeps with the almost retro feel kept contemporary by Searights flawless rhythms.
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