Music / experimentalism
The week in jazz: November 27-December 3 2017
In a week that’s packed with left field experimentalism (both ancient and modern) it seems wise to start by flagging up something more orthodox. Fabio Lepore (Bebop Club, Friday 1) is an Italian jazz singer whose combination of expressively lyrical melodic singing and rattling bebop torrents mightily impressed when he toured through Bristol last year. He returns with the deceptively relaxed sounding Pausa Caffè quartet (which includes Bristol’s ex-pat Italian bass player Pasquale Votino) and a set of classic Italian songs given a timely rearrangement.
Rock legends drink nice cup of tea shock! Faust back in the day
Given the shameless revival of prog ideas and influences in the latest generation of jazz and math rock musicians, as well as the established status of noise and industrial sounds to be regularly found at a few Bristol venues every week there should be a mighty pilgrimage out to Fiddlers on Friday 1 when 70s legends Faust appear. It’s an astonishing 45 years since they burst onto the rock scene wielding power tools, electronica and tape machines alongside more conventional instruments and though rarely heard in this century their status as musical originators is unquestioned.
Zeitgeist looking for the next big thing
Less clear might be whether or not Faust are ‘jazz’, and math-proggers Zeitgeist (Old England, Thursday 30) have indeed been known to assert that they do not play jazz, despite emerging from the influential Leeds College of Music jazz course. Their instrumental music is carefully composed with an element of improvisation and references math rock, minimalism and even a touch of metal here and there. They’ll be appearing in support of post-punkers Foster & Found. It’s a busy week at the pub that also features Liquid Library’s weirdness night Piercing (Monday 27) and ‘freakout instrumentalists’ Hexit (Wednesday 29) who include the horn section from Pigbag in their ranks. Not for the fainthearted, we hope.
is needed now More than ever
Kukangendai on the move
Not to be outdone in scaring the horses Crofter’s Rights also host a fine night of experimentalism (Sunday 3) topped by Japanese trio Kukangendai, famed for their ‘deliberate use of error’ and refusal to stick to one tune at a time. Homegrown support from the unpredictable duo COIMS and Orinoco No Flow DJs should ensure an unsettling experience throughout.
Andy Hague honours the great Horace Silver
By contrast, mercifully, there is also a steady stream of more mainstream jazz to be had, including the return of the popular pairing of John Pearce and Dave Newton to the Fringe (Wednesday 29) in a trio with Will Harris on bass. John’s emotionally charged jazz violin and Dave’s seemingly limitless capacity for invention on the piano make for one of those yin-yang combinations that balances perfect every time. The pianist and composer Horace Silver is the inspiration behind Silverado (Future Inn, Thursday 30) thanks to some hard work from the tireless Andy Hague in transcribing many of the great man’s deceptively simple-sounding tunes. The project brings together some great brass players – Ben Waghorn, Kevin Figes and Andy himself – fronting a top sextet playing some of 20th century jazz’ finest stuff.
Kapok offering Dutch originality
And, finally, there’s the very contemporary Dutch trio Kapok over in Bath (Widecombe Social Club, Monday 27). Combining guitar, percussion and French horn the band’s cleverly constructed and original music has a fresh and lively sound that nevertheless firmly keeps its feet in the jazz tradition, making them well worth the train trip.
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
