Bristol’s month in jazz – November 2023

OK – you need to get your skates on because November starts with a dazzling display of jazz-adjacent fireworks and there’s some uncomfortable choices to be made from the get-go.

During the first week of the month you can take your pick between: Bristol-raised soulful Tru Thoughts singer guitarist J-Felix (Strange Brew, Wed 1), global-influenced electronica outfit Island Man (Jam Jar, Wed 1) and the triumphant return of Working Week saxophonist Larry Stabbins in a quartet with the mighty Paul Dunmall (FringeJazz, Wed 1). That’s just day one!

It gets even better/worse on Thursday 2 with: re-emerging acid-jazz legends Red Snapper (Jam Jar), saxophonist Sam Crockatt’s new powerhouse Quartet (Bebop Club), Get The Blessing’s trumpeter Pete Judge guesting with the excellent Yetii piano trio (Greenbank) and the awesome pairing of piano star Kit Downes with percussion wizard Sebastian Rochford (St George’s).

And there’s more … because trombone-toting ex-James Brown funk godfather Fred Wesley brings his New JBs to SWX (Fri 3), swiftly followed by Brazilian jazz-funk legends Azymuth (Lost Horizon, Sat 4). Get your breath back on Sunday and Monday and then rising improv star trombonist Raph Clarkson’s brilliant all-star quartet will be packing out Fringe in The Round (Fringe, Tue 7). Talk about seven days that shook the (jazz) world.

And the month is far from over at this point because still to come will be the very hip and happening piano-led Moses Yoofee Trio (Lost Horizon, Thur 16), the ever-popular Australian improvising organ trio The Necks (Strange Brew, Sat 18), the return of Riaan Vosloo’s star-packed sextet Commotion (FringeJazz, Wed 29) and a very promising debut for Out Front (St George’s, Thur 30). That’s a three-horn-led quintet featuring local heroes Jake McMurchie and Nick Malcolm alongside the great Jason Yarde exploring the music of Booker Little and Andrew Hill.

But, for something completely different, saxophonist Sophie Stockham-Brown has followed her string quartet suite Ria with a full orchestral work. Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra will be premiering her Selene’s Awakening at St George’s (Sat 18).

Jake McMurchie’s sax will also be leading the Stag & Hounds jam session (Sun 12) with other guests trumpeter Ben Winstanley (Sun 5), saxophonist Craig Crofton (Sun 19) and trumpeter Thom Dalby (Sun 26). Not to be outdone, the FringeJazz programme also features Jake in a quartet with pianist David Newton (Wed 22) as well as Ian Ballamy’s Trio with pianist Huw Warren and Yuri Goloubev on double bass (Wed 15). The Bebop Club has a fine line-up of visitors with the four-horn frontline of Liam Brennan’s Abacus sextet  an eye-catcher (Thur 9), young Polish guitarist Jakub Klimiuk ’s Quintet (Thur 16), the popular Jack Mac’s Organ Quintet with Dan Moore on Hammond duties (Thur 23) and Ubuntu label piano-led threesome The Eddie Gripper Trio (Thur 30).

Over at the Bell energetic prog-jazz trio Hegemono launch a quartet line-up (Wed 8) with piano ace Jim Blomfield joining them. El Rincon host the Clara White and Martin Mexme Duo’s classic vocal and piano pairing (Thur 30) and Portuguese Bossa-nova singer Ines Loubet pops up at The Orchard (Wed 8).

There’s more than a month’s worth of grooving to be had around the scene, with Manchester’s ebullient Riot Jazz Brass Band notable visitors (Old Market Assembly, Fri 24) and local heroes Dutty Moonshine Big Band celebrating a massive summer’s festival programme and the charting of latest album Villain by rounding off their national tour with two big nights at SWX (Fri 24/Sat 25). Big Tropicalia influences can be heard in the Brazilian jazz-funk of João Silva (Jam Jar, Fri 3). The Bristol Hornstars return to Canteen (Sat 4), and the relentlessly brassy Clusterfunk hit The Bell (Wed 22).

There’s also a chance to catch the nu-Gospel energy and harmonies of The Good Stuff at The Bell (Mon 6). Swing lovers should check another trio of Bell gigs: Reverend James & The Swingtown Cowboys (Sun 19), The Schmoozenbergs (Sun 26) and Gin Bowlers (Wed 1).

In a busy month the Bell will also feature hard-working blues and funk man Kirris Riviere & The Delta Du Bruit (Mon 13), hopefully celebrating the release of their album debut. Afro-jazz pianist Ibou Tall will certainly be celebrating ten years with his Jazz Mates at The Fringe (Wed 15), the super-groovy jazz-funk alto saxophonist James Morton’s Groove Den pops up twice: at The Forge (Fri 17) and The Bell (Wed 15) and there’s the regular hip-hop inspired Canteen sessions from Slapdash (Tue 14) and Bristol Street Music (Tue 28).

The JFS will be offering broken beats and nu-jazz grooves from Semper (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 21) and multi-instrumental vocalist Quin Oulton (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 7). Creative contemporary soul-jazz performer Holysseus Fly is at Exchange (Thur 23) and Strange Brew host a night featuring Anglo-French singer/MC MÃDŁY and amazing bass player Marla Kether finally launching herself in her own right (Sun 26).

There is nice range of left-field stuff across the month, beginning with US ‘free jazz trip metal’ duo Wolf Eyes (Strange Brew, Sat 4) and the monthly South West Improvisers Group welcoming lap steel player John Bisset and Rebecca Sneddon’s sax to their session at Cafe Kino (Mon 6). Turkish improvising multi-instrumentalist Ceylan Hey aka Bell Lungs joins the Zero Gravity Tea Ceremony at the Cube (Wed 8) where there will also be a Liquid Library collaboration with Bean Pig Puppets (Sat 11) and QWAK Club welcome back Wojciech Rusin (Wed 22) with support from Yas Clarke, performing an ambitious new a cappella piece called The Thicket. In marked contrast, Japanese sound artist Yuko Araki reveals her ‘bludgeoning sound world’ at Exchange (Tue 14). And the unlikely setting of the Left-Handed Giant Tap Room offers an uncategorisable double bill featuring Slovak singer/flautist Maria Reháková, firstly in her own project TOPOŁANA and secondly in Knight Life, led by saxophonist and singer Sam Knight.

Fans of the irresistible K.O.G. will be glad to catch his Afro-futurist project Onipa (Lost Horizon, Fri 24) also featuring DJ Wonky Logic and Nubiyan Twist’s Tom Excell. They would also probably be heading to Ghetto Kumbé (Jam Jar, Fri 10) for a Cumbian take on Afro-futurism and then returning to the Jam Jar for Manchester’s highly rated Agbeko Afro-jazz collective (Thur 30). In a similar vein, there’s Afrodisiac’s Afrocentric electronica at Old Market Assembly (Sat 25) and Moroccan gnawa master Mohamed Errebbaa’s Tagna Groove band at Canteen (Fri 3). But topping the month’s tasty menu of pan-African treats South African jazz pianist Don Laka (Jam Jar, Sat 4) celebrates a 50 year career stretching back to the heady days of Kwaai Jazz during the Apartheid regime. Don will be appearing with his band, with support from Bristol-based South African vocalist Sisanda Myataza. But what of the rest of the world? Well there’s Chai For All’s acoustic ‘mish-mosh’ of Jewish music (Southbank, Thur 9, Burdall’s Yard, Thur 30) and Ushti Baba’s more electrified big-beat treatment of klezmer and other Eastern European dance grooves (The Bell, Wed 29). Japanese psych-jazz outfit Maya Ongaku support Taiwanese folk-rockers Mong Tong and the incomparable RSVP bring their high-energy Bhangra party to the Cotham Club (Fri 24).

And finally … the jams. The weekly ones: Bounce Jam (Strange Brew, Mondays), Donut Filler Jam (Mr Wolf’s, Wednesdays), Jam and Toast (Old England, Thursdays) Family Business (Gallimaufry, Fridays), Sunday Jazz Session (Stag & Hounds).

Others: Canteen Jazz Session (Wed 1), Hot Club Jam (Fringe, Mon 6), Stone Cold Funk Jam (Canteen, Tue 7, Tue 21), Peanut Butter Jam (Fringe, Mon 13), JFS Jam (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 14, Tue 18), Canteen Latin Session (Wed 15), Voodoo Jam Night (Thur 16), Jazz Rapport Jam (Fringe, Mon 20).