Bristol’s week in jazz, December 10-16 2018

For those still in denial about the imminent festivities the arrival of this year’s first jazz soirees blessed with the C-word might be the final straw – there’s two of them this week.

But more significantly it’s a chance to celebrate some great local percussion stars and pay tribute to some 60s heroes.

Since making her move to Bristol in 2014, classically trained percussionist and composer Harriet Riley has become pivotal to many of the most interesting musical and theatrical projects in the city. As well as orchestral outfits like the Insight Ensemble and Bristol Symphony Orchestra and theatre companies Can’t Sit Still and Thimble her dazzling vibraphone and marimba talents help define the sound of Ethiopiques-inspired band Tezeta and the contemporary classical Spindle Ensemble.

With all that (and more) going on it’s great she’s finding time to sit in with MPC ‘beatsmith’ Simian and chums in the Phantom Ensemble (Gallimaufry, Sunday 16).

Tony Orrell’s Big Top

Jazz drummer and percussionist Tony Orrell came to Bristol some forty years before Harriett and has figured as an important improvising musician since the 70s. His latest project is Tony Orrell’s Big Top (Fringe, Wednesday 12), a high-octane quintet fronted by Jake McMurchie’s sax and Dan Moore’s keyboards with Riaan Vosloo’s bass pitted against the twin-drum onslaught of Tony and Dakhla Brass’s formidable Matt Brown. Early sightings – including their Fringe debut – have been very impressive establishing them as another great addition to the local scene (and beyond).

Considerably more subtle rhythmic pleasures will be found at El Rincon (Fri 14), however, when percussionist and singer Cathy Jones joins guitarist Tristram Cox for a duo version of Brazilian jazz band Balanca.

Enigmatic US drummer Corey Fogel comes to the Cube (Saturday 15) as part of the Tashi Wada Group and playing Tashi’s compositions with vocalist Julia Holter. The music has a kind of cinematic post-minimalist feel, with its meandering organ sounding recalling early Terry Riley.

There’s an intriguing mix of the ambient and the funky in the music of Ishmael Ensemble (Exchange, Wednesday 12), saxophonist/producer Pete Cunningham’s electronic jazz-funk project, while trumpeter Gary Alesbrook brings the suave, jazz-rooted R’n’B of his well-established Duval Project to Canteen (Thursday 13) and this week Waldo’s Gift use their residency at Gallimaufry to pay tribute to dance-minimalist pioneer  Bonobo (Wednesday 12).

As a jazz pianist himself Darius Brubeck went to some lengths to distance himself from his dad – the great Dave Brubeck – by relocating to South Africa and immersing himself in the country’s distinctive local jazz stylings. But it’s a great heritage he has and since moving to London a decade ago his Darius Brubeck Quartet (St George’s, Thursday 13) has successfully mixed his own compositions with his father’s classics like Take Five and Blue Rondo A La Turk. This year’s show particularly celebrates Dave’s Government-sponsored 1958 tour of Europe and Asia as a ‘jazz ambassador’ for American culture, undertaken with a 10-year old Darius in tow.

Meanwhile, Canadian saxophonist Terry Quinney recalls another famous contemporary of Dave Brubeck’s when Quinny Plays Getz (Bebop Club, Friday 14), a celebration of the famously light-touch playing of the great Stan Getz with a quartet including fellow Sound of Blue Note pianist Phil Doyle.

More African influences can be sampled when the London African Gospel Choir come to O2 Academy to celebrate Paul Simon’s (in)famous Graceland album which controversially launched the career of Ladysmith Black Mambazo while breaking an international boycott of Apartheid South Africa.

Heading a little farther North and West, Togolese vocalist Kojovi Kush takes time out from the mighty Soothsayers to launch Hilife Allstars Trio West (Canteen, Friday 14 & The Bell, Wednesday 12), a new local Afro-groove collaboration with ace guitarist Phil Dawson and No Go Stop drummer John Blakeley.

As for the C-word … well first offenders on the jazz scene must be trumpeter Jonny Bruce’s Bristol Community Big Band with their ‘Christmas Bonanza’ (Canteen, Wednesday 12), closely followed by the Will Harris Christmas Jazz-Up (Future Inn, Thursday 13).

The former is a vibrant celebration of big band swing and funk, the latter a bit of a supersession with the ubiquitous bass player joined by the eclectic line-up of vocalist Phil King, violinist John Pearce, Jake McMurchie’s sax, pianist George Cooper and the drumming of Ian Matthews. Apparently Chet Baker and Tony Bennet numbers are featured, with the accompanying threat of ‘Christmassy surprises’.

There’ll be an end-of-term party vibe when Mr Chubb’s Gastric Band feature at the JFS session at Mr Wolf’s (Tuesday 11) – that’s a funk-soul function band of graduated JFS types – and a similar upbeat feel to Cardiff’s ‘riot jazz’ 3D Brass visit to The Lanes (Friday 14)