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Gypsy Jazz & Balkan Music in Bristol

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Bristol's Gypsy Jazz Scene

Who put the gypsy in gypsy jazz?

Gypsy jazz or gypsy swing originated in the Romani cultures of France (according to Wikipedia) and has huge popularity in Bristol. But while many fans in Bristol might partake in alternative living’ via vans, canal boats or semi-legitimate housing, are they uprooting gysy jazz from its roots? Romani is a culture and an ethnicity, not just a way of life - Bristol council reports that 95% of the traveller community actually live in permanent housing now. So it seems the nomadic, traveller, roots of this music that now enjoys huge popularity in Bristol, might be eroded from the inside too.

The gypsy jazz thing has really kicked off in Bristol. From live bands to Bristol DJs, people seem to be into it. For big multi-band gigs it's worth looking at whats on at the Lost Horizon and the Attic. Occasional gypsy and klezmer nights also happen at The Croft so it's also worth considering the gig listings for the Croft.

There's a quality core of gypsy influenced bands in Bristol including the chaotic Fromage En Feu, Fuzia and festival-folk favourites Sheelanegig. Balkan beats nights in Bristol are typically found in the second or third rooms of some of Bristols bigger clubnights.

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Our recent gypsy jazz recommendations

Sell out warning! Immersive Andean folktronic trip direct from Chilean master and Nicola Cruz collaborator Rodrigo Gallardo. Traditional flute and charango sounds melding with digitally imagined futures FFO: El Búho, Chancha Vía Circuito, Nicólas Jaar. Collective trance through Andean sounds

Sell out warning! Los Dedos are easily Bristol’s hottest instrumental surf rock trio, packing enough high-octane Dick Dale twang and punkish attitude to fill a whole Tarantino boxset. Essential fix FFO: The Cramps, Japanese Television, La Luz, The Surfrajettes, The Ventures. A Night of Wild, Exotic Surf-Rock

A zigzagging global journey through cutting-edge contemporary classical, chamber folk and klezmer via clarinet, cello, percussion, piano and violin. Sound World perform a widespread selection of work by Claude Vivier, Vivian Chuafor, Thomas Adès and more for the second event of their masterful Mount Without residency. Sound World, the South West’s most exciting new band, return to the Crypt with a vibrant set of jazz & blues influenced contemporary music.

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What our editors say

“The Christmas Big Band Tour 2025 will see Tony perform a selection of timeless jazz standards and swing anthems in his distinctive, powerhouse voice, with classics from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Elvis Presley. He’ll also be blending the old with the new by performing stylish reworkings of Spandau Ballet classics, such as ‘True’, ‘Gold’, and ‘Through The Barricades’.”
From: An Evening with Tony Hadley

“Described as “a breath of fresh air on the swing scene” (Twinwood Festival) Down for the Count’s 10-piece mini big band is regularly found in jazz clubs across the UK and abroad (Ronnie Scott’s London, Le Caveau de la Huchette Paris), at festivals including London Jazz Festival, and on BBC Radio. Now they are bringing the sounds and feels of the best jazz clubs to theatres around the country – with an electrifying show full of incredible energy, musicianship, and their own signature wry wit and humour.”
From: Swing That Music with the Down for the Count All-Stars

“Based in Bristol, Omi is a singer-songwriter weaving the soulful elegance of classic jazz with the slick rhythms of pop and R&B. Her music is a diary of heartbreak, girlhood, and emotional grit - turning life’s messier moments into smooth, groovy confessionals. With a voice that’s both sweet and smokey, Omi brings fierce vulnerability to every track, making sadness swing and giving defiance a melody. Her songs are an outlet, a rebellion, and a celebration.”
From: Layla Luv + Omi + Ilaina

“Andy Bowen is a jazz guitarist, composer arranger and educator based in the South-West of England. Andy specialises in the jazz and swing music of the 1930s 40s.He divides his time between playing with Django Reinhardt inspired ensemble ‘Swing from Paris’ and popular Bristol based ‘Moscow Drug Club’. With both acts he has played at many prestigious jazz festivals both in the UK and internationally.”
From: Katya Gorrie Quartet

“‘Poncha’ a deeply personal collection of seven original compositions named after the Portuguese drink ‘punch’. Using a heady brew of cultural influences, his music skilfully blends dance rhythms and playful melodies from Brazil and Cuba with the harmony and swing of American jazz. Within the tunes lie a melodic and highly rhythmic approach to composition, inspired by his travels to South America, which his quartet interprets with style, flair and energy.’”
From: Nick Costley-White Quartet- 'Poncha' Tour 2025