Bristol’s month in jazz – February 2023

Only 28 days this month but enough gigs for a good 31, and things get cracking straightaway on the first. Some horrible choices to be made, too, as equally appetising things clash – most notably sometime Brubeck sideman Jerry Bergonzi’s Quartet at Strange Brew and famed Tippett acolyte (and Working Weeker) Larry Stabbins guesting at Fringe Jazz, both on Wed 8. Aagh! Sometimes you just can’t have it all. And you certainly can’t have the sold-out Ezra Collective (O2 Academy, Sat 18) – unless you already bought a ticket, of course.

So let’s deal with that Wed 8 clash first: two fine saxophonists from the 70s each with their own trajectory either side of the Atlantic. Bristol-born Larry ‘Stonephace’ Stabbins fell in with local hero Keith Tippett as a teenager. He moved to the burgeoning 70s free music scene in London, going on to found the more commercially successful Working Week club jazz collective and more recently his own Stonephace project. He comes back to Bristol as a guest with Bley School (Fringe Jazz, Wed 8), a great trio of improv players including pianist Pat Thomas and drummer Tony Orrell. They’re joined by comparative whippersnapper Dominic Lash on bass to explore the legacy of pianist Paul Bley and it should be a corker. Impassioned tenor-player Jerry Bergonzi brought a harder edged sound to the Dave Brubeck bands of the 70s and 80s before continuing a prolific recording career with his own bands and as an educator. His quartet includes piano ace Jason Rebello and there’s an afternoon masterclass for the musically minded.

There’s even more great piano action coming up this February, starting with the sublime John Law in free-thinking saxophonist Jon Lloyd’s Quartet (Bebop Club, Thur 2) playing Lloyd’s contemporary European jazz compositions. Then the spirit of Keith Tippett is celebrated once more by You Are Hear (Beacon, Sun 12), with pianist Jim Blomfield on piano in Kevin Figes’ new sextet evoking Keith’s bands of the late 60s and the pianist’s wider musical collaborations with exiled South African players in London. Fringe Jazz will be hosting pianist Huw Warren with fellow Perfect Houseplant saxophonist Mark Lockheart and bass player Yuri Goloubev (Wed 22) – a classy line-up, exploring their eclectic New Day album. It follows the unveiling of pianist Dave Jones’ latest quintet celebrating the music of Kenny Garrett the week before (Fringe Jazz, Wed 15). There’s the fine combination of the Fergus McCreadie Trio and singer/guitarist Alun Elliot-Williams’ solo project Tiny Chapter coming up at The Mount Without (Fri 24). McCreadie is definitely in the front rank of the UK’s young jazz pianists, his Scots-rooted melodic music and brilliant soloing having already been Mercury nominated. Meanwhile, the Bristol-based but very much Scandi-focused piano trio Yetii return to Greenbank (Thur 9) after touring their new live album, bringing guest saxophone star Iain Ballamy for the night. And the small – but perfectly formed – combination of Invisible Apples’ piano/trumpet duo with El Rincon’s compact space will be another chance to appreciate the intimacy of John Baggott’s compositions.

It’s a big month for Run Logan Run who launch new album Nature Will Take Care of You at Strange Brew (Thur 9). The band’s sound continues to develop, now enhanced with electronics and occasional vocals from Annie Gardiner (pictured with band at top) yet still driven by their original epic aesthetic. Fans should love it, and probably also love Let Spin (The Bell, Mon 13/Strange Brew, Tue 14) whose similar post-jazz energy powers new album Thick As Thieves. Slate Trio is another powerhouse project from master jazz-rock guitarist Neil Smith and they will be threatening the windows at El Rincon (Thur 23) and also well worth checking are Nonunonu (Canteen, Wed 8), a guitar trio from Manchester. Oscar Jerome (St George’s, Fri 17) first came to notice in Kokoroko as both guitarist and composer and his initial solo work had a George Benson-esque soul jazz feel. His new stuff, however, is interestingly edgier and more wide-ranging. There’s more guitar action with Get The Blessing sax player Jake McMurchie’s electronic-minded Michelson Morley trio welcoming Dan Messore as guest at the Bebop Club (Thur 23). It’s been too long since we’ve seen them in action, and the same should be said of bass player Greg Cordez’ Quartet, also featuring Jake on sax and Steve Banks’ guitar (Fringe in The Round, Tue 7).

Saxophonist Denys Baptiste has been something of a low-profile genius since emerging from the Tomorrow’s Warriors stable in the 90s, releasing only a handful of albums but always garnering high critical acclaim. As a live performer he combines intense technique with powerful expression and he’s seen at his best in the acoustic trio Triumvirate (St George’s, Thur 16) with Larry Bartley’s bass and Rod Youngs drumming. Versatile sax player Sophie Stockham can be seen playing in a diversity of styles this month, starting with ironically named new funky Tower Of Power/Meters inspired combo Chamber Quartet (Canteen, Thur 2) alongside Snazzback guitar wizz Eli Jitsuto, Hammond-meister Jonny Henderson and Matt Brown on drums. Then she’s in jazz-Latin quartet Starlings (Bebop Club, Thur 9) before reappearing at the helm of contemporary post-jazzers Orfic (Canteen, Wed 22). That latter features get The Blessing trumpeter Pete Judge who also appears in the aforementioned Invisible Apples (El Rincon, Tue 14) as well as the trumpet/cello duo JOW (Orchard Café, Fri 3). Such busy people!

You don’t often get to sit down at Strange Brew but it seems appropriate for the Manchester Collective’s performance of vocalist/violinist Alice Zawadzki’s ambitious music-theatre piece Bag of Bones (Thur 2). Informed by Central European folklore with jazz and classical influences her captivating voice will be at the piece’s heart. Vocal experimentalism can be expected when French sound artist Felicia Atkinson performs her immersive quadrophonic installation of sound, poetry and ambience at Strange Brew on Friday 10. The Arnolfini has a premier performance (Sat 4) of Occam River XVIII by pioneering electro-acoustic composer Eliane Radigue realised by violinist Angharad Davies, harpist Rhodri Davies and Dominic Lash on double bass. Meanwhile, Cafe Kino brings another Silencio night (Thur 2) of ambient soundscape performance in a February programme that kicks off with the ebulliently improvisatory Broken Numbers 6tet (Wed 1) and goes on to include the experimental OUT-TAKE Ensemble (Mon 13: “…obsessive repetition, unexpected interruptions…”) and a night of free improvisation (Thur 16) headlined by the album-launching vocal/guitar duo of Kay Grant and Daniel Thompson. Not to be outdone, the Cube has a quartet of unexpectednesses. The QWAK Club and Schwet have a night (Wed 15) headlined by idiosyncratic French composer and instrument creator Pierre Bastien and another (Sat 25) featuring (inter alia) a live mixed-media Japanese animation soundtracked by Helen Papaioannou’s sax and electronica. In between those Bingo Fury (Fri 17) is a new night for emerging talent with disintegrating tapes and string drones of The Dolebury Warren Movement making an appearance, while the ever-restless drummer Dan Johnson and Liquid Library present Ecstatic Drum Beats (Sat 18) aiming to explore the use of ‘physicality, focus and fun’ in musical creation.

Quite apart from the entertainment value of his classic jazz guitar technique, Bristol jazz owes a debt of thanks to Nigel Price (Bebop Club, Thur 16) – his fundraising initiative supported a number of small venues around the country during Covid, including our much-loved Bebop Club. For this gig he’s got a top local reception committee onside – Ben Waghorn (sax), Dan Moore (keys) and Andy Hague (drums) – and quality grooving jazz is guaranteed. Similarly live-wire grooving can be relied on from alto firebrand James Morton, bringing an updated version of his much-loved Porkchop band to Fringe Jazz (Wed 1), while the Hare on The Hill launches its Hot Gypsy Jazz Club (Sun 19) with a more classic rhythm and Canteen’s resident funksters Stone Cold Hustle take the stage on Tuesday 21.

The small West African country of Togo isn’t very widely known but its location puts it right in the heart of those compelling Afro-grooves. The music of Togo All Stars (Lost Horizon, Thur 2) blends Afrobeat and Hi Life with jazz and soul into a distinctive and danceable Togolese sound. Then there’s Soukous legend Kanda Bongo Man’s latest band at Old Market Assembly (Fri 3), sure to be a feast of Congolese rhythms, and if your dancing legs have anything left in them let them take you to Trinity for Lila – A Gnawa Ritual Tradition (Sat 4). This is a ceremonial evening according to Moroccan Gnawa culture aiming to lead participants into the trance state of jadba. More informal Gnawa action will be available later with Gnawa Blues Allstars (Canteen, Fri 17). Sadly veteran Libyan Rai artist Ahmed Fakroun’s Jam Jar gig (Sat 18) has been cancelled, however.

And finally – the ever-sticky (and tasty) world of jam … Weekly sessions are: Donut Filler Jam (Mr Wolf’s, Weds) and Jam & Toast (Old England, Thur 2), and there are the fortnightly  JFS jams at Mr Wolf’s (Tue 7, Tue 21). Canteen has Canteen Jazz Session (Wed 1) Stone Cold Funk Jam (Tue 7), Hare on The Hill has its Hot Jazz Jam (Wed 8) and Friendly Records host the Friendly Trad Session (Wed 8)