Music / Jazz
The week in Jazz July 9 – 15
Did someone mention football? What’s that all about? If you’re at a loose end on Wednesday night, however, there’s a couple of tasty jazz nights on offer that should be well worth catching, starting with trumpeter Gary Alesbrook showcasing his recently-released Jazz In The Movies CD (Fringe Jazz, Wednesday 11). Surprisingly, given that he’s been a prominent player hereabouts for some few years, this is his first ever ‘solo’ album, a set of tunes from films that includes the jaunty I’ll See You In My Dreams alongside Ennio Morricone’s sombre Death Theme and a belting version of Alfie from vocalist Phil King (who will be featured at the gig).
Andrew Christie (right) with his Quartet
There’s a cinematic quality to the other jazz event on Wednesday, featuring original music from composer/pianist Andrew Christie (Canteen) whose quartet makes fine atmospheric use of Sarah Moody’s cello. Should be a fine match for any tension in the air that evening …
Where jazz meets funk … there’s always James Morton
Big things are afoot on Thursday night (12) when James Morton returns to Future Inn for a session of modern jazz that will inevitably also have a good deal of funkiness on offer, reflecting James’ time with both funk legend Pee Wee Ellis and former Bristol jazz superstar Andy Sheppard. By contrast the Old England has the implausibly named Jellilalas that night – an eccentric improvising duo of keyboard player Vyv Hope-Scott and drummer Tony Orrell that sprang out of the fondly remembered Gas Giants. Meanwhile, up the road, lively electro-acoustic collective Snazzback launch another of their Global Groove Experiment evenings at the Gallimaufry while downtown Japanese conceptual jazz-pop project Yama Warashi appear at The Arnolfini.
is needed now More than ever
Lucky Chops
That’s plenty for one night, you’d think, but over at Thekla they’re hosting yet another of those brass-meets-dance-in-a-New-York-subway bands, namely Lucky Chops – the band that launched the career of Too Many Zooz baritone dynamo Leo Pellegrino – for what should be a boat-rocking blast.
Gallic funksters (and not bankers) Lehmann’s Brothers
Worldly flavours abound this week, too, starting with new local collective Antipasto Latino (Gallimaufry, Tuesday 10) and including Valencia’s ‘fusion buenrollera psicodelica’ Latin funksters Globo Collective (Leftbank, Saturday 14). Probably the most compelling, however, will be French Afro-funk big band Lehmann’s Brothers(Canteen, Friday 13). They are not, apparently, a bunch of unemployed bankers.
And, finally, the lucky bag of jazz offers a couple of new names calling into the Stay Put Collective night at Crofters Rights (Tuesday 10). OMA KY AM claim to bring ‘a contemporary revival to South West jazz culture’ but regrettably their Soundcloud page is enigmatically empty, while Goose seems to be two thirds of young trio Plume offering an improvisational set involving ‘sumptuous chords and big beats’. Discovery is always a big part of the jazz experience, however.
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