Music / Jazz
Bristol’s week in jazz May 13-19 2019
It’s a historic week in prospect, ranging from classic manouche Gypsy jazz to contemporary experimentation via 30s pop-jazz, 40s swing, a 50s West Coast revival and a tribute to post-war piano dynamo Oscar Peterson. Latin jazz figures large and small and there’s an eclectic scattering of vocalists.
Forceful drum and sax duo Run Logan Run (Gallimaufry, Wednesday 15) are bang up to the now, however, using electronic effects to enhance semi-improvised compositions that range from bleak soundscapes to full-throated joyfests. They’re a good choice to hold the Galli fort while residents Waldo’s Gift are off on tour.
You can expect equally contemporary (albeit more mainstream) influences to prevail with the Len Aruliah & Jared Burrows Quartet (BeBop Club, Friday 17). Len’s sax playing has been around the Bristol scene for some time and he brings fellow Canadian guitarist and long-time collaborator Jared to the Be-Bop with the characterful rhythm section of Al Swinger and Tony Orrell on bass and drums respectively.
The big Latin occasion this week is the Dockside Latin Orchestra takeover of the B&A Hall on Gloucester Road, with a matinee performance, free salsa lessons and an evening concert that also features Rumba percussion group Manos de Madera and power trio Los Gusanos. It’s the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to help get the band on the road. You can start to get the Latin vibe the day before, however, when Brazilian duo Balanca come to El Rincon with Cathy Jones’ vocals and percussion perfectly complemented by Tristram Cox’ guitar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nn0wl0G_zA
Reeling back the years, there’s the Peanut Shuffle Club duo enjoying ‘sweet and nutty pop songs of the 30s’ at Canteen (Friday 17) and vintage jazz revivalists Ruby Two Shoes at the Golden Lion (Sunday 19). Earlier in the week the Honeysuckle Bros bring the classic Django Reinhardt swing sound to Fringe (Thursday 16), while the ever-jaunty Immigrant Swing visit The Bell on Wednesday (15). There will no doubt be all kinds of swing and jazz on offer on Friday night when the Party in the City launches Bath’s annual music festival, sadly now shorn of it’s previously excellent jazz offering.
Earlier in the week Jazz at the Fringe (Wednesday 15) features a tribute to US mainstream trumpet stars the Candoli Brothers. Their joint career spanned some half a century and saw them work with the great swing bands as well as much film and TV work. Father and son trumpeters Simon & Tom Gardner have pulled together a sextet to recall the period in the 60s when the Candolis enjoyed their most success as part of the burgeoning West Coast jazz scene.
It’s Bristol-based outfit the Andy Nowak Trio who are honouring the mighty Oscar Peterson, one of the most respected jazz pianists of all time, renowned both for his astonishing technical dexterity and a beguilingly melodic way of playing. It’s a tall order but Andy’s deep respect for the Maharaja of the Keyboard (as Duke Ellington named him) will ensure a fulsome tribute is paid.
Those vocalists? Well there’s a couple of interesting new names – Michaela Fedeczko (El Rincon, Thursday 16), performing with Dale Hambridge’s keyboards, and Lithuanian Karolina Griškutė with her quartet (Bootlegger, Friday 17) – both offering classic jazz and R’n’B numbers. Then there’s long-established favourite singer-songwriter Phil King making an all too rare appearance at Tobacco Factory (Sunday 19) with his soulful jazz-influenced originals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6pkSjA7bqA
The Tara Clerkin Trio are appearing at Rough Trade (Thursday 16) as part of a Qu Junctions DIY triple header. Tara’s music can encompass cheerful pop ditties, strangely meandering keyboard music, looping minimalism and more – always interesting, sometimes perplexing … as it should be. The same can be said of the Old England’s Time Will Say Nothing evening on the same night (sadly) with a bill including the ‘appalling disturbances’ of Viridian Ensemble and the improvising sax/bass duo of Rebecca Sneddon and Joe Kelly among others.
Main photo: Simon Holliday
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