Jazz Gigs in Bristol

upcoming gig

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

The most vital act to survive the 90s acid-jazz / trip-hop boom - Red Snapper’s electronic playfulness, instrumental virtuosity and disregard for genre boundaries blazed a path for the current Bristol jazz crossover scene (Snazzback, Waldo’s Gift etc.) Red Snapper + Support at The Jam Jar.

Endlessly inventive bastions of that Bristol nu-jazz sound headline Trinity for one of their biggest hometown shows ever. Weaving jittery electronics around rhythmically dazzling jazz breaks to fry the minds of the most ardent Ishmael Ensemble, Move 78 and Ill Considered fans. Waldo's Gift at The Trinity Centre.

Sell out warning! Quicksilver avant-rap crew Cold Light coax a rare solo set from Portishead visionary Adrian Utley. He’s sitting stately atop an ear-watering gathering of experimental sounds from ethereal dreamer Bethany Ley, Eldon’s cosmic dread-cyphers, sultry astral-bass from Birthmark, Civilistjävel’s droning synth oblivions + way too much to mention. You’d be a fool to swerve this... Adrian Utley +++ at Strange Brew.

Freewheeling cultureclash orchestra traversing free jazz, post-punk highlife and minimalist classical with transcendental results. Think Sonic Youth + Glen Branca’s downtown NY guitar ensemble covering Fela Kuti and you’re not even close (maybe Sons of Kemet raiding the Philip Glass’ songbook is closer…but you’ll have to see for yourself). Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp at The Jam Jar.

What our editors say

“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: Technicolor Steamtrain + Support

“Two of Bristol's best jazz musicians in a rare duo outing. Saxophonist Kevin Figes is a tremendous performer & composer, recipient of rave reviews in The Guardian and Jazzwise for his playfully uncategorisable recordings. Denny Ilett is a thrillingly versatile virtuoso guitarist, encompassing swing, bebop, blues, rock and everything between, and has been described by Guitarist magazine as “a knock-out player”, as well as appearing at Ronnie Scott’s fronting his jazz salute to Jimi Hendrix with the Electric Lady Big Band.”
From: Kevin Figes & Denny Ilett

“Chris is the first-call player for many UK bands and his resume reads like a who's who of British jazz, bringing his incredible and sympathetic guitar playing to performances with Courtney Pine (he was an original member of the hugely influential Black British big band, the Jazz Warriors), Afro-rock pioneers Osibisa, feisty funk-soul singer Sheila Ferguson (The Three Degrees), neo-soulman Omar, funk instrumental ensemble The JBs, 'Godfather Of Swing', singer and saxophonist Ray Gelato, and restaurant critic turned jazz pianist Jay Rayner.”
From: CHRIS COBBSON'S AFRICAN JAZZ QUARTET

“Other projects included 4 Sided Triangle (with Mike Outram), an Octet and the 15 piece big band ‘Resonation’. Figes has played at Ronnie Scott’s with Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley, Bobby Shew and Denny Ilett’s Electric Lady Big Band, of which he is a member. He has also performed on the Park stage at Glastonbury with the music of Barry Gray and major festivals with This Is The Kit. His own quartet have performed nationally and broadcast live from Glastonbury Festival on Radio 3.”
From: Kevin Figes Trio

“After a seven year hiatus to concentrate on their Universal Records-signed big band Bellowhead, Spiers & Boden returned in 2021 with the critically acclaimed album ‘Fallow Ground‘ and have been taking their brand of high octane, no nonsense acoustic folk song and music to packed UK venues ever since.”
From: Spiers and Boden