Bristol’s month in jazz – December 2022

Bristol’s month in jazz – December 2022

Having endured the last two dismal festive periods it’s good to welcome back December’s usual chaotic run-up to the holiday break in 2022. And, after last year’s regrettable cancellation the Bath Jazz Weekend will also be returning in the New Year (Jan 6-8) But it’s not all good news, sadly, as brewery politics is forcing us to bid farewell to the Stag & Hounds’ Sunday jazz gatherings, a stalwart part of Bristol’s jazz calendar for the last five years . Big thanks (and commiserations) have to go to hard-working guitarist Adam Stokes who built up the popular weekly combination of a visiting ‘name’, a cracking house band and a lively jam session. The last few Sundays will feature multi-instrumentalist Ruth Hammond in saxophone mode (Sun 4), tenor player Greg Sterling (Sun 11) and vocalist Victoria Klewin (Sun 18).

There’s plenty of saxophone action across the month, with Alex Merritt’s quartet collaboration with piano ace Jason Rebello coming to the Beacon Foyer (Sun 11), Sam Crockatt and guitarist James Chadwick bringing their quartet to the Bebop Club (Thur 15) and Dave O’Higgins hooking up with Andy Hague for their Quintet session at the Bebop (Thur 22). Get The Blessing powerhouse reedman Jake McMurchie pops up in many guises, too, starting with leftfield supergroup Out Front (Bebop, Thur 1), then fronting the twin-drummer onslaught of Tony Orrell’s Big Top (Fringe Jazz, Wed 7) before a more restrained duo set with bassist Will Harris at El Rincon (Thur 8). He’s back at El Rincon (Thur 22) with bassist Riaan Vosloo’s Uphill Game and the Jake McMurchie Quartet will also be at Bath Jazz Weekend in early January. Kevin Figes will be blowing into Fringe In The Round’s final 2022 gig (Tue 6) as a duo with pianist Jim Blomfield. Kevin also figures at El Rincon in a duo with guitarist Denny Ilett ((Thur 15), while Jim features at Fringe Jazz (Wed 14) in his quartet with stylish Swiss saxophonist Martin Kern. And Denny reprises his very popular Tribute to Frank Sinatra at Fringe Jazz (Tue 21).

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2266876943406365

December will be replete with plenty of South American energy and it’s a specially busy month for Latin Jazz quartet Starlings (pictured at top). Their first appearance will be at the Bebop (Thur 8), then they are at Mr Wolf’s (Sun 18) and finally The Bell (Wed 28), where they round off a series of South American flavoured gigs including the return of Buenos Aires-based Tango Jazz Quartet (Mon 5) and the super-contemporary Cumbia outfit Xaman-X (Wed 14). It’s good to see Bristolian Latin supergroup Dockside Revolution appearing at Lost Horizon (Fri 2) while the Bristol Salsa Orchestra lead an Afro-Cuban Extravaganza at the Elmgrove Centre (Sun 4) and the Afro-Latin grooves of Soma Soma will rock the Jam Jar (Thur 8). More purely African sounds will be shaking Cotham Parish Church on New Year’s Eve courtesy of Afrobeat collective Helele, with Afriquoi bringing their contemporary Afro-dance fusions to Trinity (Sat 10). Moroccan master musician Mohamed Erebbaa’s compelling Gnawa rhythms are at the Gallimaufry (Tue 13) and Gambian Griot Suntou Susso comes to Canteen (Fri 16) with his full band and debut album. And, representing the farther East, Nataraj (Cube, Wed 14) fuse a prog rock approach to classical Indian raga and ambient electronica.

A pioneer of improvised vocal sounds since the 80s, Phil Minton headlines an experimental triple-bill at Cafe Kino (Wed 21) in his duo with radical trumpeter Matt Davis. Kino also hosts Liquid Library (Thur 1), with Tina Hitchens’ flute and electronica and, later in the month, improv veterans the Broken Numbers 6Tet appear there (Wed 7). Friendly Records host improvisers The Dolebury Warren Quartet with support from Quade’s minimalist violin player Tom Connolly (Sun 11) The Bleep Club (All Hallows Hall, Fri 9) offer ambient sound and video experiments to immerse yourself in, while Trinity has an evening of Sound Bath events (Tue 13) bringing the Murmuration Choir together with a yoga teacher.

There’s a fine coming together of improvised sound at Jam Jar (Thur 15) in an evening featuring pianist extraordinaire Matthew Bourne and Drone Orchestra, the spontaneous electronic duo of Riaan Voslooo and Simon Hunt joined by Run Logan Run uberdrummer Matt Brown. Good to see ex-PigBag saxophonist Ollie Moore’s duo Brace coming to Friendly Records (Thur 8) for ‘two sets of explosive free jazz’. The Iceman Furniss Quintet now boasts two drummers and they headline a night at All Hallows Hall (Sat 10) with appearances from psych-jazzers Milon who now boast of pianist Jim Blomfield in their 5-strong line-up. There will surely be much rejoicing when Waldo’s Gift return to their spiritual home – The Gallimaufry (Wed 14) – for a fully improvised evening, and guitarist Alun Elliot-Williams’ remarkable vocal talent also appears in the guise of Tiny Chapter, launching his new EP (Wardrobe Theatre, Sun 11). The Tara Clerkin Trio, with her distinctive vocals a key component in their spare experimental sound, appear at Strange Brew (Sat 17), while Stanlaey launches her album with a special star-studded bigger band there, too. (Tue 6)

Midwinter is nothing if not a time to be groovy, however, and there’s plenty of groove-heavy stuff to be found throughout the month, culminating in the NYE return of Glasgow’s mighty TC & The Groove Family (Old Market Assembly, Sat 31). Brasswise there’s Brass Funkeys with Mista Trick at Thekla (Fri 2), Brass Junkies at Canteen (Fri 9) and Hot Piece of Brass at Mr Wolf’s (Tue 13). Funkwise there’s legendary D’n’B bass player Si John’s Clusterfunk at Canteen (Sat 10) and mercurial alto sax player James Morton And Friends at the Bell (Wed 21) as well as Canteen’s Stone Cold Funk Jam session (Wed 21). Upbeat hip-hop drives Deyu (Gallimaufry, Tue 20), a coming together of players from Snazzback, Waldo’s Gift and others, and similarly the Deems Experiment who team up with t l k at the same venue (Wed 21). Family Business (Gallimaufry, Sun 4 and onwards), Bristol Street Music (Canteen, Tue 20) and the Old England’s Thursday Toast & Jam nights are all open hip hop jam sessions. Mammal Hands spin-off Sunda Arc and Bristol’s synth-wielding Zoobers offer EDM groove-based fun at Jam Jar (Wed 7).

And, finally, a few more … two melodic, guitar-led modern groove jazzers at the Jam Jar (Sun 11) – King Heron Trio and Lydian Collective, the latter launching their latest album at the gig. Swing vocalist Ellie Hopkins fronts the Hopkins & Oliver Jazz Band for a dance evening at Bedminster’s St Francis Centre (Fri 2) with the pair returning to Bristol Fringe for an afternoon session (Thur 22). The ever-popular Moscow Drug Club  showcase their Gypsy swing style at Bristol Beacon (Thur 8), Chai for All’s vigorous Klezmer swing pops into The Shakespeare (Sat 3) and the Cloak & Dagger will present the J.A.M. Jazz String Trio (Thur 22).

Oh – and there’s jam sessions (Including those last three Sundays at the Stag & Hounds): Bounce Jam (Strange Brew, Mondays), Donut Filler Jam (Mr Wolf’s, Wednesdays), Hot Club Jam (Bristol Fringe, Mon 5), JFS Jam (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 6), Cove Jam (Folk meets jazz jam, Gallimaufry, Tue 6), Canteen Jazz Session (Wed 7), Merry Synthmas 2022 (synth/electronica session, Lost Horizon, Mon 12), Friendly Trad Session (Friendly Records, Wed 14), Hot Jazz Jam (Hare on the Hill, Wed 14).