Jazz pick of the week: April 6 – 12

It’s about to be a busy week for Hammond fans (that’s the organ, mind, and not the recently unemployed TV presenter) and also those interested in sax superstars. Anyone jazz-minded who’s thinking of staying in on Sunday night had better reappraise their plans – you have been warned. 

To start with the reed players: four impressive visitors are passing through: fast-bopping Simon Spillett (above, Future Inn, Thursday 9), circular-breathing virtuoso Courtney Pine (St George’s, Thursday 9), UK jazz legend Alan Barnes (Hen & Chicken, Sunday 12) and erstwhile Scandinavian wunderkind Marius Neset (Lantern, Sunday 12). Inspired by the late, great Tubby Hayes, Spillett’s full-tilt playing makes him one of the current generation of British jazz stars, many of whom would also look to Alan Barnes as one whose 35 years career has kept the flame of UK hard-bop jazz. Barnes’ duo with pianist Dave Newton has run through those decades, and their Hen and Chicken set will reveal the depth of understanding such a partnership can create.

Amazingly it’s over 25 years since Courtney Pine’s blend of incendiary sax technique and cool dance music rhythms erupted onto the UK scene, and his lyrical bass clarinet duo with Zoe Rahman’s piano could be an important watershed. All this longevity makes Norwegian tenor player and composer Marius Neset something of the new kid but the elaborate tunes and ideas of his latest album “Pinball’ have instantly been hailed as a sign of increased maturity in an already spectacular career. 

Wednesday 8 sees the week’s fifth saxophone gig as local superstar Andy Sheppard teams up with multi-talented  Percy Pursglove for the Fringe @ The Mall session, then Bradford on Avon resident Damian Cook brings a quintet to the Bebop Club (Friday 10) for ‘a set of hard bop and beyond’. And then, of course, there’s James Morton’s residency at The Gallimaufry on Thursday 9.

As for those Hammonds – Jonny Henderson brings his new duo with drummer Matt Brown to the Coronation Tap (Thur 9), Ev Newman’s boogaloo groove Organ3man are at the Colston Foyer (Friday 11) and Pushy Doctor Dan Moore crops up as part of excellent guitarist Dan Waldman’s Organ Trio at Alma Tavern (Sunday 12). That’s the third of five jazz-related gigs on Sunday – that night also sees the London Swing Orchestra’s revivalist show at St George’s and Tammy Payne’s Latin-jazz project Chirimoya at Tobacco Factory. It may be a school night but surely something for everyone on offer there?

Gig pick of the week: Courtney Pine & Zoe Rahman ‘Song’ (St George’s) With new album Song UK Jazz’s ultimate showman steps out from behind his barnstorming image to reveal his capacity for sensitive and subtle emotional expression, thanks to the guiding presence of Zoe Rahman’s richly inventive piano and his choice of bass clarinet and an eclectic selection of ballads from jazz classics to Donny Hathaway and Chakha Khan. Played in St George’s pin-drop acoustic it promises to be memorable.