Music / Jazz
The week in jazz – Aug 1-7
So, the school holidays are upon us, the festival season is in full swing and the annual Jazz Shutdown that is August begins. Happily the rumoured demise of the Brecon Jazz Festival hasn’t quite happened and a more reduced and localised Jazz Weekend is scheduled for August 12-14, with Dennis Rollins Velocity trio, Jacqui Dankworth and pianist Geoff Eales among the attractions. The big names in Bristol this week are mostly homegrown (or at least Bristol-based), with serial duettist Andy Sheppard (above) teaming up with regular Fringe visitor Percy Pursglove for their duet debut at that Clifton venue (Fringe, Wednesday 3). Their playing partnership in Andy’s Hotel Bristol quartet has developed nicely and each seems to relish more improvisatory opportunities.
To judge by their promo picture (above) the Jazz Defenders (Thursday 4, Future Inn) are clearly anticipating a serious threat to their chosen genre. Those with an ear for the music, however, will recognise the five faces as being some of the smartest jazzers on the Bristol scene and their chosen repertoire (the classic Blue Note tunes of Horace Silver, Jazz Messengers and others) as the most enduringly appealing of the hard bop era. So all good, lads, and you can relax (for the moment at least).
And while things are quieter maybe August is a good month to check out some of the regular (and very popular) jazz sessions that don’t often get a mention, like the Sunday trio gigs at The Old Fish Market, The Fringe’s Sunday Rendezvous jazz gathering, Canteen’s fortnightly Monday jam session, Thursday’s Groove Den at the Gallimaufry and the same night’s Left Bank Jam Session led by the funk-friendly LBJB’s (pictured). We’ve a plentiful supply of jazz talent in the city and it’s always great to spot the next generation of hot-shots in the making.
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