Bristol’s month in jazz – April 2026

So – you wait all this time for a festival and then … yes, three come along all at once. Happily not at the same time, however. First up: Jazz Stroud (Various venues, Thur 9-Sun 12) the increasingly impressive long weekend now collaborating with WOMAD to bring New Regency Orchestra to a great line-up also featuring Cassie Kinoshi’s seed. big band, Laura Jurd‘s latest quartet, electronic powerhouse Danalogue and many more. Then there’s Bristol New Music (various venues, Wed 22-Sun 26), our biennial showcase of the leftest of leftfield explorations including Quietus favourites ex-Easter Island Head, avant garden Breton piper Erwan Keravec, cellist Lucy Railton’s sonic experiments and Egyptian electronic artist Yunis’ intriguing Opera for 1000 Crows. Last – but certainly not least – there’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival (various venues, Wed 29 – Mon 4) with top names Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell & Eyvind Kang, Courtney Pine alongside the new wave of Emma Jean Thackray, Theon Cross, Camilla George and Emma Rawicz.  Check the links for the full line-ups and don’t forget the handy calendar of all local jazz-related gigs at Bristol Jazz Live.

All that festival action certainly hasn’t dented the gig menu round town, however, and fans of piano jazz have a packed month starting with the highly knowledgeable and accomplished Dave Newton Trio (Jazz@BMC, Wed 1). Top trio Yetii welcome the elegant sax of John Lloyd to their monthly showcase (Greenbank, Thur 2) and the following week sees Invisible Apples pianist John Baggott’s interesting new trio Baggott, Smith & Jones with guitarist Neil Smith and drummer Matt Jones (not Chris Jones and Dave Smith as first reported!)  at El Rincon (Thur 9). John’s fellow Apple Pete Judge has a rare solo piano performance over in Bath (The Grapes, Fri 10) and the extremely empathetic duo of Alex Merritt’s sax and Rebecca Nash on piano is at Jazz@BMC (Wed 15).

Star bass player Jasper Høiby’s Three Elements (Lantern, Sun 19) also features pianist Xavi Torres, a big name in Europe with a complex Monkish style (Sun 19) and the equally imaginative Zoe Rahman brings her duo with flautist Rowland Sutherland to St George’s lunchtime programme (Fri 24). The driving insistence of Nick Smart’s piano is a key ingredient in the minimal grooves of Mammal Hands (Lantern, Tue 28) while there’s likely to be a more reflective dynamism to the Jake McMurchie/Huw Warren Quartet (Jazz@BMC, Wed 29). Both Jake’s sax and Huw’s piano are supremely versatile so it will be interesting to see where they land. Jake also has a trio night at Old Fish Market (Sun 19).

Pete Judge, playing trumpet alongside drummer Paul Wigens, will also be launching a new album from their Eyebrow duo (The Architect, Wed 1), this time a collaboration with local poet Jon Hamp. There’s a new album from Kevin Figes’ Wallpaper Music being launched the same night (St George’s, Wed 1), the third collection of his quirky compositions with Brigitte Beraha’s amazing vocal virtuosity very much to the fore. Wallpaper Music pianist Jim Blomfield is part of trumpeter Andy Hague’s all-star Quintet  (Jazz@BMC, Wed 8) and Jim’s compelling Latin band SAOCO Collective are at the Bebop (Thur 23). And hot on the heels of releasing his Uphill Game‘s buoyant debut album Paddles bass player Riaan Vosloo‘s  Commotion septet emerge from the studio for a gig at The Cube (Mon 27). Their music is a vibrant evocation of the South African influenced jazz that animated the UK scene in the 70s.

Three generations of big name saxophonists are coming to town: Trevor Watts has been a significant figure in improvised music since forming the Spontaneous Music Ensemble with John Stevens in the 60s. His appropriately named Eternal Triangle trio comes to Jazz@BMC (Wed 22). Andy Sheppard emerged in the late 70s and came into his own in the mid 80s. His trio with pianist Rita Marcotulli and bass player Michel Benita (St George’s, Thur 9) is a beautifully tight group gathered round his distinctively melodic compositions. And young shaver Shabaka Hutchings (Strange Brew, Wed 8) first caught attention a mere fifteen years ago but is already on his fourth (or fifth?) musical re-invention with the electronic beats of new album Of The Earth.

The forcefully expressive and free-floating sax of Chris Williams is well suited to jousting with Moss Freed’s guitar in the turbulent post-jazz energy of Let Spin (Cube, Mon 13) while the combination of Sophie Stockham’s tenor with Pete Judge’s flugelhorn fronts the richly satisfying contemporary jazz sound of Orfic (El Rincon, Thur 23).

Other sax treats across the month: Dave O’Higgins (St James Wine Vaults, Wed 1) has an illustrious CV stretching back to the good old Albert days in Bedminster, while comparative newcomer Nye Banfield’s Quartet (Bebop, Thur 2) makes his debut from the very hot Birmingham scene. You can catch two great reed players on Sunday 12 (if you’re nifty) with the Greg Sterling Trio at Spirited Bristol followed by Terry Quinney (Old Fish Market).

There’s likely to be a Strayhorn number or two in tenor player Dom Franks set at the Old Fish Market (Sun 26) while Ben Waghorn pays a fulsome tribute to bebop legend Dexter Gordon with the Adam Stokes Trio (St George’s, Wed 22).

Trumpeter Rowan Porteous leads the Porteous Gomez Carlos Jazz Funk Trio (Tobacco Factory, Sun 5) while Nick Malcolm blows in with the Nick Malcolm Organ Quartet (Bebop, Thur 9), a tempting new project including Ruth Hammond (organ), Steve Banks (guitar) and Alex Goodyear on drums playing Blue Note classics.

Drummer Ryan Thrupp who features in the aforementioned Dave Newton Trio also leads the session at Spirited Bristol (Sun 5), with guitarist Dan Messore doing that gig later (Sun 26). Dan also turns up at Spirited gig curator Matt Stockham-Brown’s quartet gig at the Bebop (Thur 16) with Jake McMurchie’s sax and Riaan Vosloo on bass.

Riaan also features in a very intriguing new trio Kumari Kandam (El Rincon, Thur 2 & Spirited Bristol, Sun 19) with RSVP’s ace percussionist Jeevan Singh and multi-instrumentalist Ross Hughes. They promise ‘Indian and Ethiopique influenced new music.

For many moons alto sax tyro James Morton led a weekly sell-out night at The Gallimaufry. The James Morton Groove Den was home to many a memorable evening of high energy jazz and his band of that name keeps the flame very much alive. They appear at St James Wine Vault (Thur 16) and then on the next night they are joined by top UK trombone star Dennis Rollins for what promises to be a blistering (and sell-out) session at The Forge (Fri 17).

Jazz funk offerings also include: Organ3man (The Bell, Wed 8), Total Clusterfunk (Mr Wolf’s, Sat 25), Only Up! headlining at Exchange (Tue 28) and a couple of those groovy brass ensembles, namely Headrush Brass Band (Canteen, Fri 3) and Full House Brass Band (Canteen, Fri 10).

The swing era never loses its charm for many and big congratulations must go to hardworking classic swing singer Marvin Muoneké (Fringe, Thur 2). He’s one of the final three nominations for Jazz Vocalist of the Year in the 2026 Jazz FM Awards. The result will be announced at a big deal gala at London’s Koko on Thur 16: let’s wish him the best of luck. Old schoolers Trip For Biscuits are at The Bell (Sun 5) and the Hen & Chicken has their regular Sunday Social swing-dance session (Sun 12). The Jam Jar has their second Moonshine & Mischief retro Speakeasy Night (Tue 14) while Canteen have Shanghai Shuffle (Wed 15) and John Prescott & Capitol Swing (Wed 29).

The improvising month kicks off with virtuoso sax player Rachel Musson (Cube, Wed 1) headlining a QWAK club night and then the subject of multiple ‘aforementioneds’ saxophonist Jake McMurchie is the guest of the South West Improvisers Group (SWIG) at the Star & Dove (Thur 2). The group goes on to host slide guitarist John Bisset with percussionist Dan Johnson the following week (Mon 6), while experimental guitarist Matthew Grigg joins cellist Kathryn Evans and percussionist Luigi Marino for an evening of improvised permutations at L’Etoile Studio (Fri 10). The Broken Numbers free jazz collective are at Exchange (Sun 12 afternoon) and their bass player Paul Anstey joins Kathryn Evans and others in the Rah! Collective (BMC, Fri 17) with special guest singer/pianist A.L.Lacey. And, of course, the Dark Horse has the Free Jazz Gachapon (Thur 9).

Bill Orcutt’s style of improvisational deconstructed blues guitar features in a rare solo outing at The Cube (Sun 12) and our favourite microplex also has a Tough Sell multi-media night (strapline: ‘if it ain’t borderline incomprehensible to the uninitiated it aint Tough Sell’) (Sat 4). They also host Bhajan Bhoy and others for a night of minimalism and drone (Tue 21) with US electro-acoustic ‘drone-luminaries’ Tongue Depressor headlining the next night (Wed 22).

There’s ambient electronica from Pume Orenge and Thea HD at Kino (Thur 2) on the same night that Manu Delago’s hand pan percussion and Max ZT’s hammered dulcimer make acoustic soundscapes at St George’s. D/RK-HUMR is a new improvising duo of Snazzback drummer Chris Langton and baritone sax player Michael Ginane are supporting the electro-acoustic KAU with the Blu Quartet (Jam Jar, Thur 16) and, by complete contrast, classical pianist Mariam Batsashvili will be playing Liszt, Schubert, Beethoven and Chopin at Lost Horizon (Wed 29)

Jam – there’s weekly sessions on Tuesdays: Community Jam Collective (Old England), Wednesdays: Donut Filler (Mr Wolf’s) and The Grapes in Bath and Sundays at the Stag & Hounds (with guest soloists).

Fringe has: Hot Club Jam (Mon 6), Jazz Rapport Jam (Sun 12), Peanut Butter Jam (Mon 13), Jazz Rendezvous Jam (Mon 20), Let’s Talk Jam – SEED session (Mon 27), Rootin & Tooting (Thur 30)

Canteen has Canteen Swing Session (Wed 1), Beat Cleaver – Cypher Space Jam (Mon 6, Mon 20), Canteen Jazz Session (Tue 14), Latin Descarga (Tue 21)

Mr Wolf’s has JFS Open Jam (Tue 7 & 21), Beat Cleaver Cypher Space Jam (Tue 7)

Attic Bar has Bon Suis Suntrap Jam Night (Thur 9)

Cafe Grounded Fishponds has Hot Jazz Jam (Thur 30)