Bristol’s week in jazz, May 27-June 2 2019

Well it’s quite a week ahead, so brace yourselves for a global maelstrom, a funky feast, radical ivory tinkling and all manner of free-thinking experiments.

Oh, and some good ol’ jazz, too.

Top world music fusioneers Ariwo (Fleece, Sunday  2) may well be the first Cuban-Iranian-jazz collaboration to grace this column. Combining Iranian electronic composer Pouya Ehsaei with Cuban percussionists Oreste Noda and Hammadi Valdes they interweave acoustic and electronic textures.

The compelling and original results provide the context for Jay Phelps’ splendidly fluid trumpet ruminations to catch the mood of each piece on their critically lauded album Quasi. Live reviews confirm they are definitely going places – in this case, The Fleece.

When Van Morrison abandoned his musical director Pee Wee Ellis in the UK in the 80s he bequeathed us a mighty legacy from the roots of funk. Long-time a Somerset resident, the former leader of James Brown’s mighty JBs has been a mentor to many successful young saxophonists hereabouts, including Bristol’s James Morton and Josh Arcoleo (featured in the video above).

So when James was given the job of opening a new venue – The Den Dockside – how better than to put together James Morton featuring Pee Wee Ellis (Friday 31)? Expect some mighty grooves and powerful post-bop jazz.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the docks, there’s psychedelic funk from promising new trio of familiar faces Hegemono (No 1 Harbourside).

Probably the most internationally influential jazz act to have come from Australia, The Necks (Exchange, Tuesday 28) are popular regular visitors to Bristol. Their reputation has been built as an improvising piano trio, usually offering long evolutionary pieces that reference both modern jazz and minimalism. The effect of their long-honed empathy can be hypnotically ambient, chaotically turbulent (or even both).

Things get even more reflective at The Exchange the next night (Wednesday 29) when both Gareth Sager and Pete Judge demonstrate their prowess as solo pianists. Really? The former Rip Rig and Panic guitarist and the Get The Blessing trumpeter? Well yes, actually. Both have revealed themselves as composers and performers in this new light, with Gareth’s Oblong Malfunctions and Pete’s piano each well deserving of careful listening. The music references contemporary and classical influences, with Gareth’s hinting at a melodic pop while Pete’s evocations of the music of Three Cane Whale have more ancient echoes.

Pete’s trumpet returns for Los Clandestinos (Tobacco Factory), when he leaves the piano stool to Massive Attack keyboard player John Baggott. His Three Cane Whale bandmate Paul Bradley appears in solo improvising mode at Kuumba (Thursday 30) in a benefit for BDP’s Bristol Recovery Orchestra project.

We’ve had Iran, Cuba and Australia already but there’s more globe-trotting to be had, beginning with nu-Latin powerhouse Ozomatli (Fleece, Tuesday 28). Their very crowd-pleasing blend of Hispanic sounds with hip-hop beats and immense instrumental showmanship is always a party in the making.

By contrast the more tranquil Debashish Bhattacharya Trio (Glastonbury Town Hall, Wednesday 29) offers the remarkable sound of Indian slide guitar, a genre (and instrument) invented by Debashish himself in the 70s.

Friday night (31) sees Afrobeat fusion band Matuki  take over the Old Market Assembly while Leftbank lets ‘global groove experiment’ Snazzback bring friends including Waldo’s Gift guitarist Alun Elliott-Williams and Lithuanian kanklės player Jausmė.

And then there’s Southern Soul singer Yola (Fiddlers, Saturday 1) who started the year on Jools Holland’s TV show and whose astonishing voice seems certain to reach an international audience this year, with the release of debut album Walk Through Fire. Another local hero in the making, for sure.

But it’s back to the Be-bop Club for the more conventional forms of modern jazz, excellently embodied by Joe Northwood plays Coltrane (Friday 31). One of Cardiff’s top saxophonists, Joe is celebrating both the style and compositions of the great man himself with Joe’s own quartet including bass player Aeddan Williams and pianist Michael Blanchfield.

More familiar locally, the Dave Newton Trio returns to Future Inn (Thursday 30). The multi-award winning pianist is a versatile collaborator with singers and instrumental musicians alike but properly shines in the role of bandleader and composer.

https://vimeo.com/328819139

Experimental vocal performer and sound artist  Ellen Southern performs her layered sample Site Singing at Hydra Bookshop (Friday 31). That same night Brighton-based improvising quartet Kjaer/Marshall/Cheetham/Birchall appear at Cafe Kino in a triple bill of musical exploration.

Earlier in the week (Wednesday 29) the Kino also host a Bang The Bore night which features psychoacoustic duo Hawthonn among others. Over the road at Crofter’s, meanwhile, you could find the more jaunty electronic meanderings of Tom Bugs and his self-built analogue machinery.