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

Sell out warning! The rediscovered GOAT of 70s Beirut bohemia takes the stage for the first time in over 40 years! Fakhr’s timeless Byrds-style psych-folk melancholy spars with Megarbane’s gorgeous ‘Lebrary music’ - a potent mix of B movie afro-funk and mellotron exotica. Nothing short of a total revelation, Habibi Funk and Jam Jar have really outdone themselves here. Habibi Funk w/ Rogér Fakhr & Charif Megarbane at The Jam Jar.

Sell out warning! Like a delightfully broken Ben Webster, Alabaster dePlume's fragile, breathy saxophone playing is as immediately captivating as it is extraordinary. Expect delicate solo work, warm ensemble and spoken word in turmoil from the Mancunian's bitter tongue Alabaster DePlume + Lucy Gooch at The Trinity Centre.

Haunting post-rock laments full of bucolic imagery and eerie melancholy… The Declining Winter swoons with orchestral textures and Richard Adams' soft world-worn vocals. Like a folk tragedy soundtrack or The Leisure Society’s sinister sibling. Immense FFO: Red House Painters, The Microphones, Good Night & Good Morning. The Declining Winter + Pefkin + Coims at The Cube.

Future funk, astral jazz and bass-heavy trap combine in a swirling maelstrom of sound like BADBADNOTGOOD covering DJ Rashad’s greatest licks. Real hypnotising musicianship without a laptop in sight. ECHT + Echo Juliet at The Jam Jar.

What our editors say

“In 2014, Max returned to Ghana with a 12-piece big band to form a supergroup with several prominent Frafra artists, including Guy One, Alogte Oho, Lizzy Amaliyenga (of the Sounds of Joy), Bola, and Florence Adooni. They toured the country for a month, bringing their own PA system and setting up wherever they found an opportunity to play.”
From: Florence Adooni

“Chris is perhaps best known as a co-composer and integral member of Mercury Prize finalists Led Bib and he continues to forge new ground through highly charged & exploratory projects - both in his own playing and academia. Chris has collaborated and toured with Sarathy Korwar, award-winning clarinettist Arun Ghosh, modal ethnic jazz group Collocutor, London Nuyorican big band New Regency Orchestra as well as being 4 albums in with his own group, the post- jazz whirlpool Let Spin including the agitated punk bass playing of Ruth Goller.”
From: Ledley / Riaan Vosloo / Tony Orrell

“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

“Alex is one of the most in-demand and versatile saxophonists on the British jazz scene, praised for her intelligent ear for harmony and a deep knowledge of repertoire, Alex's sound is steeped in the tradition of bebop. Her total respect for the heritage of the music can be heard in a fiery, melodic approach inspired by the likes of Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley and Vincent Herring. Alex was winner of the Rising Star category of the 2019 British Jazz Awards, was finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year 2020 and nominated for the 2021 and 2022 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.”
From: Alex Clarke meets Ruth Hammond