Music / Jazz
The week in jazz: April 25 – May 1
Arguably, for much of the Bristol jazz community the jazz action this week is all happening some 40 miles away at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival between Wednesday April 27 and Monday May 2 (see special preview feature for details). It’s an impressive line-up, for sure, but there’s still plenty of action closer to home, including a couple of acts stopping off for Bristol gigs en route to the festival on Friday 29. The Bebop Club is hosting the Mike Fletcher Quartet, the compelling saxophonist’s usual full tilt trio now augmented by Spanish hotshot trumpeter Julian Sanchez, possibly reflecting Mike’s recent European touring as part of the ECHO rising star scheme. The considerably more anarchic Melt Yourself Down bring their raucous riffing jazz rock to The Exchange that same night for what promises to be a sweaty session on the dance floor.
Earlier in the week the more peaceful collaboration of Martin Speake & Bobo Stenson (Lantern, Tuesday 26) revisit their highly successful 2006 ECM album Change of Heart, a highly European jazz statement of subtle interactions that has well stood the test of time. Similarly European influences shape the music of film composer and pianist Daan Temminck’s Quartet (Canteen, Wednesday 27), now becoming well-established on the Bristol scene since relocating here from the Netherlands. Bristolian born and bred violinist John Pearce is an absolute favourite around town and never more so than in his pairing with ace pianist Dave Newton in their Quartet which should pack out The Fringe (Wednesday 27).
Having started by covering contemporary hipsters like John Zorn and Medeski, Martin & Wood, the adventurous quintet Sefrial (Future Inn, Thursday 28) have moved on to composing their own distinctive music, combining post-rock experimentalism with insistent minimalism to great effect. The propulsive drumming of Matt Brown is an important strength to the band and he’s also joining keyboard player Dan Moore in celebrating International Jazz Day on Saturday 30. They’ll be continuing their improvisatory exploration of ‘synth fuelled space funk’ at the Old Market Assembly with bassist Greg Cordez making up the trio. Over at No 1 Harbourside you can catch powerful funk-soul saxophonist James Morton on the same evening.
Finally – a possible discovery for some might be singer/songwriter Julia Biel (Lantern, Sunday 1) whose lightly honey-husked and emotionally charged vocals emerged in the F-IRE Collective. Originally somewhat overloaded with instrumentalists she has later refined the musical arrangements to permit her excellent songwriting and piano skills to shine through. She’s an awesome contemporary jazz singer who catches something of Billie Holiday and something of Björk at the same time.
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