Jazz Gigs in Bristol

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Bristol's Jazz Scene

There are two distinct sides to Bristol's jazz scene and in the middle a line that's rarely crossed...

Jazz in Bristol's Large Venues
On one side are the (usually larger) international jazz events, typically at venues like Colston Hall and St Georges. These are great venues to see contemporary jazz in Bristol with recent (2009 - 2010) highlights including Portico Quartet, Cinematic Orchestra and the Neil Cowley Trio. Live jazz in these Bristol venues has more of a concert feel, almost always seated and usually around the £15 mark depending on the seats. Bristol is fortunate to be a key stop over in most UK jazz tours and it is always worth keeping an eye on who's playing when and where and get jazz tickets early for decent seats.

Jazz in Bristol's Small Venues
The otherside of Bristol's live jazz scene couldn't be more different. Bristol is home to some awesome jazz musicians, many of international standard playing international gigs. What's great about Bristol is you can often catch these artists while they're at home often for free. Notable examples include Daisy Palmer (drummer - Goldfrapp), James Bateman (sax - Badbone & Co, Ronnie Scotts) and James Morton (sax - Pee Wee Ellis, The Herbaliser). Unlike the large tours at the bigger venues jazz gigs in Bristol pubs are more organic and unpredictable. With so many quality musicians playing in so many different bands or improvising with different artists, live jazz in Bristol is constantly evolving. When looking for whats on jazz in Bristol it's often more important to consider which individual musicians are playing where, rather than browsing by band or headliner. At live music events in Bristol pubs for the best views you'll need to stand but sometimes tables if you're lucky enough to get one.. ***** Where to see live jazz in Bristol
The whats on listings to the left show all upcoming jazz gigs in Bristol but it's still worth mentioning some consistent venues. Always check whats on at the Coronation Tap on Tuesdays and Sundays, (usually jazz or blues, always free). Other key jazz venues in Bristol include the Old Duke (live music every night, always free) and the Grain Barge (gigs every Friday, around £3).

We also have whats on info and listings for gypsy jazz, which we have decided to keep separate.

Is there a new generation of jazz?

Many people who lived through the golden era of jazz will tell you it's dead. But many international publications say jazz is having a new dawn in the UK and that the genre is evolving because of multiculturalism. Some of this can be seen in the Bristol jazz scene, the non-purist outlook of Worm Disco Club and Bristol Jazz and Blues Fest. With a new generation of jazz fans, comes a new outlook on jazz - Bristol has always had young and adventurous music makers from it’s local community and insurgent student population. Will Bristol be the new centre of a new kind of jazz in the UK? Only time will tell.

Buy tickets for jazz events in Bristol

Our recent jazz recommendations

Anatolian trio Yasak Helva twist Turkish psych, grunge, and Arabesque into a timeless doom-dance. Distorted sax and custom-modded instruments howl across fractured scales and shifting time signatures, whipping up a ritualistic storm of feedback-drenched psych-folk – eat it up ye Jarheads! FFO: Altin Gun, Baba Zula, Derya Yildirim. Yasak Helva + Support at The Jam Jar.

Marauding Norsemen Agabas charge into town wielding their self-coined ‘deathjazz’: a pummeling uptempo rawk engine with a thrash gallop, horn blasts strafing through the noise, and shredding throat howls atop a storm of riffs and rhythms. A cataclysmic ruin ritual FFO: Kvelertak, Imperial Triumphant, Slipknot, Converge. AGABAS at Exchange.

Two wonders of improvised performance! UK free jazz GOAT Evan Parker spins hypnotic patterns with circular breathing and overtone manipulation, while Trance Map+ – a collaborative trio with Parker, Matt Wright, and Filipe Gomes – blend acoustic instruments with live electronic processing to create shape-shifting soundscapes in real time. Evan Parker and Trance Map+ at Arnolfini.

Grace Smith’s fiddle dances with Sam Partridge’s concertina and Bevan Morris’ double bass, weaving a lively folk tapestry that threads tradition with invention. The trio forges its own path through folk’s ever-expanding landscape with nimble virtuosity, playful dynamics, and soulful interplay. Spellbinding stuff! Grace Smith Trio & Archie Churchill-Moss - GFC at St Anne's Church, Easton.

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What our editors say

“Based out of Chichester (wedged somewhere in between Brighton and Portsmouth), Beatroot have been taking their special brew of dirty funk across the UK and winning over audiences with their high-energy performances, unique instrumental arrangements and surprising ability to fit onto stages that should really be much too small for them. A big band with a big sound: brass in your face; relentless rhythm section; artery popping trumpets and a baritone that hits you where it hurts.”
From: Beatroot

“It's Madness meets notorious B.I.G, we want to bring ska to a new generation in a new light and have the best time in doing so. Having met at university, we have members from Cornwall to South London which naturally fuse an unlikely set of characters together to create what is Technicolour Steam Train. Join Charlie Mulford as he brings you into his world of freestyle that cuts to your core with a big band energy to back him.”
From: Technicolour Steam Train + Panda & The Moniums + Ryan D'Auria

“Beatroot are a nine-piece funk powerhouse serving up original grooves with a punch of rock and plenty of horn-fuelled fire. Hailing from the south coast, they’ve been taking their dirty funk across the UK, winning over crowds with their high-energy performances, inventive arrangements, and knack for squeezing a big band sound onto even the smallest of stages.”
From: Beatroot

“Formed in Bristol in 2009, surfing the early wave of the resurgence of interest in Colombian music styles. Baila La Cumbia have performed at many of our country’s great festivals & have filled the dancefloors at many special occasions. In fact, any cumbia band would be expected to bring the party to anywhere it’s needed. Porro (Colombian big band cumbia) and salsa tunes are woven into the repertoire and with Colombian vocalist Juan Carlos Arenas and his guitar some Chicha Vibes are suggested as well.”
From: Baila La Cumbia

“With eleven albums as a leader and countless others as a sideman, Libor’s sound seamlessly blends straight-ahead jazz, bebop, Brazilian rhythms, blues, funk, and soul jazz, which always delivered with effortless groove and genuine joy.”
From: DAN NEWBERRY EUROPEAN QUARTET FT. LIBOR ŠMOLDAS