|
The Be-Bop Club The Bear, Hotwell Road, Bristol. BS8 4SF |
|
What’s On Doors open 8.30pm for 9pm start. |
|
Fri 10th Jan |
|
Martin Genge Quartet |
|
£9.00 |
|
Saxophonist Martin Genge, a powerhouse player who can sound uncannily like Dexter Gordon when on tenor. Although Martin was one of Bristol’s most prominent saxophonists through the late 80s and 90s with bands as diverse as Zimmer II, Mingus Fingers and The Avon Cities, his jazz club appearances in Bristol are quite rare nowadays, so it’s great to have him back. One reason Martin has been coaxed out is the presence of his old friend Clive Morton on bass - Clive moved up to Gloucestershire quite a few years ago, but before that was an absolute mainstay of the Bristol jazz scene as well as having a national reputation through his work with players such as pianist David Newton. Tom Berge is a fine pianist who studied at Leeds College and now works across the South West from his home in Bath. Andy Hague completes the band on drums. Martin Genge - saxes, Tom Berge - piano, Clive Morton - bass and Andy Hague - drums. |
|
Fri 17th Jan |
|
Matt Anderson Quartet |
|
£10.00 |
|
Saxophonist and award-winning composer Matt Anderson’s Quartet will be touring the North, South West and London through December and January, exploring new original material ahead of an new CD recording in 2020. Their previous 2018 release ‘Rambling’ won praise from the likes of Jazzwise, BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM for its “outstanding,” melodic writing and “uniformly excellent playing” all fronted by Anderson’s warm tenor sound. The band also features Alberto Palau (Charles McPherson, Jean Toussaint, Peter Bernstein) on piano, Jay Davis (Big Bad Wolf, Alex Hitchcock Quintet) on drums and Will Harris (Michelson Morley, Alan Barnes, Dave Newton) on double-bass. Rooted in a deep love and respect for the jazz tradition from Sonny Rollins to Wayne Shorter, Matt’s music also explores influences from the folk music of his rural upbringing in the North Yorkshire Moors, alongside bluesy, country strains reminiscent of Bill Frisell and British and European jazz. This UK tour follows recent performances by the band in Barcelona, Valencia and Amsterdam’s Bimhuis. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GL14xlZl48 |
|
Fri 24th Jan |
|
Ray D’Inverno’s Quintessential Groove |
|
£10.00 |
|
Pianist Ray D’Inverno is based near Dorchester, but for many years ran Southampton Jazz Club alongside his career as a Professor of Mathematics and General Relativity at Southampton University. Ray has performed alongside many of the UK’s greatest players, and has released recordings featuring Jim Mullen, Stan Sulzmann, Tony Roberts and many more. He has been leading his current band Quintessential Groove for around seven years. Tonight they will be playing music from their recent CD release All In The Same Boat, which features eleven of Ray’s melodic but rhythmically varied compositions. The band consists of highly rated Canadian saxophonist Terry Quinney [Sound of BlueNote], Andy Hague - trumpet, Ray D’Inverno - piano, Ben Taylor - bass and Lee Miller - drums. |
|
Fri 31st Jan |
|
Dave Holdsworth’s New Brew |
|
£10.00 |
|
Trumpeter Dave Holdsworth has had an incredible career in jazz stretching back to the 1960s. Bristol audiences may know him best for his tenure in Tim Richard’s Spirit Level playing alongside Paul Dunmall, and he also has a long association with pianist and composer Mike Westbrook - in fact all of New Brew are current members of Westbrook’s Uncommon Orchestra. Tenor saxophonist Alan Wakeman also played on some of Westbrook’s legendary 1970s albums, and appears on Stan Tracey’s Crompton Suite [1981] alongside Tony Coe and Art Themen. Alto saxophonist Roz Harding represents the new generation and delivers impassioned solos with an incredibly powerful sound. Two of the South West’s best rhythm players Marcus Vergette - bass and Coach York - drums complete the band. Their CD Wodgi is a most enjoyable listen, combining some infectious New Orleans brass band type grooves with daring flights of improvisation, should be a great evening. Have a listen: Hamabee II About Time |
|
Fri 7th Feb |
|
Julian Costello Quartet |
|
£10.00 |
|
The Julian Costello Quartet are promoting their new album Connections: Without Borders, recorded in Oslo. Fittingly, for an album whose theme is the absence of artificial boundaries in music, the band is truly international. Julian Costello is a London-based musician, composer and teacher who writes music for various ensembles and presents The Saxophone Show on Jazz London Radio. Guitarist Maciek Pysz is originally from Poland but has lived for many years in France and the UK. He's known for his clear lyrical phrasing, his virtuosity and his imaginative cinematic compositions. He has performed with ECM artist Daniele di Bonaventura, Tim Garland and Francois Arnaud and has appeared in festivals and clubs in the UK, Poland, France and Italy. Double bassist Yuri Goloubev is a true virtuoso, renowned for his work in both classical and jazz genres. Having started his career in Moscow with the Bolshoi Opera. in 2004 he moved to Milan, and became Jazz Double Bass Professor at Trento State Conservatory in 2010. Now based in the UK for some years, he is well known for his work with Gwilym Simcock and appeared on TV as part of the house rhythm section for the Young Jazz Musician Of The Year awards. Since 2015 he has taught bass and harmony at the Royal Welsh College. Drummer Adam Teixera is originally from Toronto and now based in London having traveled extensively to study rhythms from around the world.
As part of their tour the band also offer an open sound-check from 7.30 - audience members are welcome to come to this to meet the band, learn a little about the music being performed and see the rehearsal process. |
|
Fri 21st Feb |
|
MoonMot |
|
£10.00 |
|
Saxophonists Dee Byrne and Cath Roberts have previously presented their bands Entropi and Quadraceratops at the club, and promote events in London under the name LUME. MoonMot is a UK/Swiss collaboration, formed when LUME was invited to the Jazzwerkstatt Festival in Bern, Switzerland in February 2017 and played for the first time with Bern musicians Oli Kuster [keyboards] and Simon Petermann [trombone, electronics].In 2019 MoonMot reconvened for a six date Swiss tour and recorded their debut album, featuring compositions from all the band members and due for release on Swiss label Unit Records in February 2020. 'MoonMot plays refreshingly radical jazz with a large portion of punk attitude.' - Matthieu Michel, Member of Jury at BeJazz Transnational 2019.
Dee Byrne - alto saxophone, electronics, Simon Petermann - trombone, electronics, Cath Roberts - baritone saxophone, Oli Kuster - Fender Rhodes, electronics, Seth Bennett - double bass, Johnny Hunter – drums.
|
|
Fri 14th Feb |
|
Andy Hague’s Double Standards |
|
£9.00 |
|
A superb trumpeter who is also known as a drummer and matches both these with excellent forward thinking compositions, Andy Hague is a Bristol based player and educator who draws on the rich tradition of Bebop for his performances, but takes the language and somehow re-forms it with a ‘hip’ contemporary edge that renders his playing sharp and of the moment. His project ‘Double Standards’ plays less commonly performed standards as recorded by some of his heroes such as Kenny Dorham, Blue Mitchell and Miles Davis, and mixes these with a smattering of Blue Note and the occasional original. Joining Andy is amazing pianist Jim Blomfield – the two have worked together for many years, double bassist Chris Jones [We Are Leif] and drummer Paolo Adamo [John Law's Re-Creations]. Andy’s recent quintet recording Coming Of Age received four-star reviews in both Jazzwise and Jazz Journal. “it's the variety of the musical structures deployed, as well as the sheer spirit and fire in these performances that makes this a significant milestone for Hague and his chums” – Peter Vacher, Jazzwise. “So impressed with this record, wow, it’s current, it’s hip” – Linley Hamilton, BBC Radio Ulster’s Jazz World. Video https://youtu.be/eWgsK8o1h9k |
|
Fri 28th Feb |
|
Henrik Jensen’s Followed By Thirteen |
|
£10.00 |
|
Bassist Henrik Jensen moved from Denmark to London in 1997 and is a graduate of the Royal Academy. He has toured the world from Tokyo to Moscow with various modern jazz projects and also as part of the band for close harmony group The Puppini Sisters. Henrik formed his quartet Followed By Thirteen in 2010, and the group are touring to coincide with the release of their third album. On front-line duties is trumpeter Rory Simmons, best known for his work with Jamie Cullum's band, in which he also plays guitar. Rory has also worked with Kyle Eastwood and is a highly regarded composer and producer. Pianist Esben Tjalve is also originally from Denmark, and leads his sextet Red Kite, which released their album Theory Of Colours in 2019 with an all-star cast including Jasper Hoiby of Phronesis. The group is completed by drummer Peter Ibbetson, who besides being one of London's first call jazz drummers is also a composer and producer who has performed with Rosie Lowe and Dave Okumu.
Henrik Jensen - double bass, Rory Simmons - trumpet, Esben Tjalve - piano, Peter Ibbetson - drums.
|