Bristol’s month in jazz – November 2025

Looking out of the window you can’t help but recall the classic tune Autumn Leaves but it’s also jazz gigs that are coming thick and fast this November, with Bristol’s first introduction to Norwegian Death Jazz in the shape of Agabas (Exchange, Wed 12). Sadly, however, we have to say goodbye to the Liquid Library: after a decade of leading us through the outer fringes Owen and Charlie have decided to move on. Their farewell night is, naturally, a feast of the unlikely with Owen’s Carnivorous Plants Quintet headlining. And, of course, it’s at The Cube (Sat 29). The similarly free-thinking SWIG are taking November off, too, and sadly the planned Gas Giants gig at Widcombe Social Club is postponed until January. But plenty of other stuff actually is happening – so read on (and don’t forget the Bristol Jazz Live calendar with full listings of jazz events around Bristol).

Let’s start with some great piano jazz as the brilliant trio Yetii celebrate their first studio album Inner Worlds. They are joined by vocalist Brigitte Beraha for their regular Greenbank session (Thur 6) and then appear at the Bebop Club (Thur 27). Scots pianist Fergus McCreadie’s trio released Stream (Revisited), an EP reframing tracks from their album and they come to the Beacon (Fri 21) to explore them further. The Eddie Gripper and Alex Clarke Quartet (Bebop, Thur 6) features two very hot young UK talents, with Eddie’s piano playing also influenced by his Welsh folk roots and Alex’s flair with tenor sax winning her all kinds of awards. There’s a rare sighting of Hammond virtuoso John Paul Gard at the piano when drummer Rob Brian’s Quartet comes to the Bebop (Thur 13) and Bristol-based pianist/composer Tom Berge will bring a trio to Spirited Bristol (Sun 23).

Guitars are equally prominent, however, and despite US star Bill Frisell having sold out his Wiltshire Music Centre gig you can still catch John Etheridge in Soft Machine at the Jam Jar(Sun 23). James Chadwick’s trio are at the Grain Barge (Tue 11) and Snazzback guitarist Eli Jitsuto brings a new project to Canteen (Wed 19). Leeds-based guitarist Ben Haskins’ collective Lo Vu come to Canteen (Sat 29) with their smoothly produced dance-jazz sound. This month’s Ppianissimo gig at Bristol Music Centre is ThoughtFox (Fri 7), a new electro-ambient trio of Rob Palmer’s guitar with Paul Chauncy’s electronics and Jon Lloyd’s saxophones. There’s a similar feel to the music of Sunda Arc (Jam Jar, Thur 20), the two brothers Smart from Mammal Hands performing as a drumless electro-acoustic duo. More assertive, of course will be the familiar post-skronk machinations of Get The Blessing (Strange Brew, Sun 23) sharing the bill with Vapours of Morphine, two original members of cult US synth-doom band Morphine.

Hopefully we have moved beyond the point of needing to mention that a musician is female, however it does happen that some of the most intriguing gigs this month are led by women composers and/or performers: the Laura Jurd Quintet (St George’s, Tue 4) continues the trumpeter’s journey into folk traditions in a jazz context with Lau’s Martin Green and fiddler Ultan O’Brien. Another trumpeter/producer Emma Jean Thackray’s latest album Weirdo is a painfully honest response to horrible grief expressed through surprisingly upbeat groove jazz and she brings the music to the Beacon (Thur 13). After decades at the top of the English folk tree, singer June Tabor’s Quercus collaboration with pianist Huw Warren and saxophonist Iain Ballamy brought her accolades from the jazz world, too. After a bit of a hiatus it’s good to see them back at St George’s (Thur 27).

St George’s also welcome vocalist Jacqui Dankworth celebrating The Sondheim Songbook (Thur 6) having herself collaborated with the composer in the past, while Kay Grant brings her interpretations of standard songs to Tobacco Factory (Sun 2) and former Moonflower Kat Coles’ Trio are the afternoon entertainment at Spirited Bristol (Sun 16). That venue also has drummer Ryan Thrupp’s Trio (Sun 2) and the popular combo of Riaan Vosloo, Dan Moore and Matt Stockham-Brown (Sun 9).

November’s Jazzata gig at The Lantern is the bass player-led Misha Mullov-Abbado Group (Sun 16). Misha’s compositions are atmospheric and melodic at the same time, and the arrangements make great use of his band especially the fluent saxophone of George Crowley. The twin-sax frontline to the Howl Quartet (Bebop, Thur 20) gives an elegant lightness to their distinctive, chordless sound, while splendid improviser Dee Byrne pays tribute to Ornette Coleman, the Godfather of chordlessness, with the Adam Stokes Trio at St George’s  (Wed 19). Tenor titan Ben Waghorn features in Andy Hague’s Silverado tribute to Horace Silver at FringeJazz (Bristol Music Centre, Wed 12) and he is the first featured session player this month at the Stag and Hounds (Sun 2) where he is followed by fellow sax-wielders Dan Newberry (Sun 23) and Sam Crockatt (Sun 30).

Ben and Andy also figure in the latter’s Sextet Gringo Latin-jazz project (The Bell, Mon 17) alongside the very accomplished Latin style of pianist Jim Blomfield – recently co-opted by top Cuban salsa outfit Asere. Jim’s super-tight SOACA Collective come to FringeJazz (Bristol Music Club, Wed 26). The music of South-African pianist Philip Clouts World Jazz Quartet (Cotham Club, Fri 28) draws on a global melee of influences, though pan-African inflections are never far away and the beautifully voiced Sisanda (6 O’Clock Gin @ Glassboat, Fri 14) is deeply rooted in her own Xhosa heritage as well as contemporary jazz.

There is much in the tightly composed world of chamber jazz that is inseparable from contemporary classical music and saxophonist Liam Brennan’s compositions for his ABACUS sextet (Fringe In The Round, Tues 4) reflect the influence of Mike Gibbs among others. The next night at Fringe sees drummer Dave Smith in the folk-jazz trio Lorikeet (Wed 5) compete with the fireworks with their subtler soundtrack of cello, guitar and voice and the cello/trumpet duo JOW are alongside two poets called Jan at El Rincon (Sun 16). Pianist/composer Daniel Inzani’s music on his triple album Selected Worlds embraces free-form jazz fusions alongside string quartets and much much more. Dan is at the Jam Jar (Wed 26). And the veterans of genre blurring Penguin Cafe come to the Beacon once again (Mon 17).

The compelling voice of classic swing crooner Marvin Muoneké is often to be heard around Bristol’s jazz venues so it’s good to see him appearing at the JFS night in Mr Wolf’s (Tue 4) as well as his more regular haunt The Fringe (Thur 6). Other swing-adjacent treats at the Fringe include The Barrelhouse Vipers (Thur 13), Eliza and the Pinstripes (Fri 14)  and Jack Calloway and the Midnight Creepers (Thur 27). Canteen has swing trio The Tight Lipped Combo (Thur 13).

Big band business kicks off the month with the Bristol Little Big Band’s Swing In Motion session at Winton Street (Sat 1) with the Triple Scoop Big Band coming to Hen and Chicken (Fri 14), that pub also housing their monthly Sunday Social Swing Dance session (Sun 9). But surely the biggest big band event this month comes with the University Big Band Society’s Return of the Swing night at Strange Brew, a collaboration with the JFS that sees an unfeasible number of musicians take part in an orgy of swing, jazz and funky stuff.

Looking to the more groove-adjacent side of things Mellowmatic’s fusion of jazz, funk and swing rock up at Old Market Assembly (Fri 28), Celeste’s compelling vocals are at Trinity (Tue 11), St George’s has the honeyed Nu-Soul singer Venna (Sun 23) and the JFS feature expressive singer Quin Oulton (Mr Wolf’s, Tue 18).

There’s no shortage of grittier funky stuff, as usual, starting with Hammond boogaloo trio Manuals of Fire (Old Fish Market, Sun 2) and jazz-funkers Mulvey’s Medicine at Canteen (Sat 8). The very brassy Beatroot collective can be caught at Wiper & True (Sat 15) and the Bell has Clusterfunk (Wed 19).

The Cube only rarely gives an artist a two-night residency but the multi-creative Lonnie Holley deservedly has that honour (Mon 10/Tue 11). A true one-off, his captivating improvised performances come from a deeply thought wellspring of philosophical and musical insights. A similarly complex creativity underpins the Black Industrial/Noise ‘essay-concert’ visiting Arnolfini (Fri 21) a British trio of artist/musicians ‘in search of a black avant garde’. Now in his 81st year and comfortably in the avant garde since the 60s free jazz saxophonist Evan Parker’s Trance Map+ (Arnolfini, Fri 7) sees his virtuoso free form soprano sax extended through electronics into an improvised woven soundscape.

Similarly a long-standing veteran of improvised jazz, saxophonist Paul Dunmall’s quartet with US trombonist Steve Swell is at Fringe Jazz (Bristol Music Centre, Wed 5) and the quartet’s drummer Mark Sanders returns to the venue with saxophonist Rachel Musson’s Quartet (Wed 19), also boasting pianist Elliot Galvin. Pianist Tim Funnel joins Alex Merritt’s sax and Paolo Adamo drumming in the improv-minded Cosmic Fire Trio (St Annes House, Brislington, Fri 7) unfortunately the same night as avant-electronicist James Adrian Brown is at Cafe Kino and St Thomas The Martyr hosts an SSP10 quintuple bill of experimentalism. The Broken Numbers collective have their residency at Exchange (Sun 16), the Free Jazz Gachapon returns to Dark Horse (Thur 6) and the Old England have improvising electronica for dancing from MadMadMad (Fri 28).

Jams: 

Mr Wolf’s: Donut Filler Jam (every Weds), JFS Jam (Tue 11, Tue 25)

Fringe: Hot Club Jam (Mon 3), Jazz Rapport Jam (Sun 9), Peanut Butter Jam (Mon 10), Jazz Rendezvous Jam (Mon 17), Seed Sessions (Mon 24)

Canteen: Beat Cleaver (Mon 3, Mon 17), Stone Cold Funk Jam (Tue 4), Canteen Jazz Session (Wed 5), Slapdash (Tue 11), Canteen Latin Descargo (Tue 18), Riidim Roots Reggae & Dub Jam (Tue 25),

Others: Bon Suis Nu Soul Session (Attic Bar, Thur 20, Thur 27), Hot Jazz Jam (Cafe Grounded Fishponds, Thur 27), The Door Is Ajar (Jam Jar, Sat 29) –