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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.

Buy tickets for gypsy jazz events in Bristol

Our recent gypsy jazz recommendations

Sam Pradalie brings ghostly minimalism, Leeem fires back with wild-eyed Balkan baroque maximalism. Two distinct takes on composition performed by a chamber ensemble, followed by Fabio Ferri who crashes in with a jazz-fusion supernova, twisting the whole night inside out like only Bristol’s own Zappa can. Middle Aisle & Relativity Present: Music for extremes: Less is less vs More is more. featuring the music of Sam Pradelie, Leeem and the Fabio Ferri Quintet.

Your essential mid-week crust fix rears its ugly head from the 9-5 swamp. With careening Chaos UK adjacent rippers FUK spewing their snot-punk bile alongside blistering råpunk styles from Krayat and putrid Bristol sludgers Empire of Dust. No-brainer FFO: Discharge, Disorder, Anti Cimex, Kaaos, Crowbar. Fake Problems presents

The Jam Jar x Ghanaian underground musical expo continues with Strut-signed sensations Alostmen. Twisting the trance-inducing twang of the two-stringed kologo into a one-of-a-kind Frafra highlife fusion - somewhere between trad, West African rap styles and talking drum afro-funk. Radical revisionism! Ghanaian street rhythm with traditional West African Roots

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

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What our editors say

“Bringing a new splash of spirit to old time genres, four-piece band Moonshine Malarkey raise the roof with raucous drinking songs and tell lyrical tales of monkeys, mermaids and moonshine. Expect a signature blend of footstompin’ country, swing, folk, calypso and boozy blues, with fiery violin solos, high energy drums and smooth lead vocals joined by soulful harmonies.”
From: Moonshine Malarkey

“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

“Fidget and the Twitchers bring a playful assault of bouncy ska-punk, straight from Bristol’s murky musical swamp to your eagerly awaiting earholes. Expect cheeky lyrical wizardry, old-school funky rhythms and infectious horn lines, all blended together to form a bubbly broth that is guaranteed to get you moving. Drawing from eclectic influences spanning the musical spectrum all the way from swing to drum n bass, Fidget and the Twitchers won't stop until the whole world is dancing.”
From: Fidget & The Twitchers

“The Rin Tins have been keeping people dancing since their inception in early 2011. Strutting from one stage to another playing high octane gypsy swing to the party hard masses. These festival veterans have appeared on stages at Glastonbury, Shambala, Boomtown and Womad as well as festivals across Europe. With music that combines harmonies to swing jazz rhythms and pounding oompa beats, for the past 10 years The Rin Tins have been filling dance floors and festival tents across Europe”
From: The Rin Tins + Seamus Mckenna

“The band explore the excellent compositions of bassist Henrik Jensen with a strong focus on interplay they blur the lines between the composed and improvised material. An open sound that allows for a lyrical approach but also appreciates the high energy of rhythmic complexity in both swing and groove.”
From: HENRIK JENSEN TRIO