By Bethany Marris, Online Music Editor
Epigram Music delves into Bristol's budding Jazz scene...
As we know, there’s no shortage of incredibly proficient musicians in this city, and you don’t need to travel far, nor do you need to break-the-bank to access this talent. The three groups featured in this article; JazzFunkSoul Society, Big Band Soc and The White Rabbit Jam exemplify this, regularly offering their glorious skills for only a few pounds, if any at all. To put it into perspective, your pint will almost definitely cost more than your entry. Whether you’re making an evening of it, or simply popping out for a couple of hours of melodic respite, there’s no better way to soak up the energy that Bristol’s budding jazz scene has to offer than to support your fellow UoB students.
Big Band Soc
Upcoming gig:
- Bristol University Symphonia Winter Concert: 15/12/2018
Image:Big Band Soc
The Bristol University Big Band Society has been thrilling crowds of students and locals alike since 2007. Performing a wide range of styles, from classic big band jazz to funky pop covers, the bands are regulars at society formals and student events across the university, as well as regularly playing at some of Bristol’s best music venues.
Formed in 2007, the society is made up of the Bristol Hornstars and the Bristol University Jazz Orchestra, offering the opportunity for musicians of all abilities to play and rehearse regularly through the year. The Hornstars are fully auditioned and play at some of the biggest student nights in the year, such as the fresher’s event at motion and the Christmas SCORE.
BUJO welcome horns, trumpets and trombones throughout the year, and won best band at the 2018 South West Battle of the Big Bands competition. In 2019, they will look to retain this title in Bristol. As well as performing throughout the year, the society holds an annual summer tour to Europe, visiting and playing in sunny locations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, and this year La Rochelle.
By James Wright, Big Band Soc President
This year, funds raised from the gigs played will be donated to Big Band Soc’s named charities, Youth Music and The Julian Trust. If you want to find out more, visit their website here, or catch them on Facebook. Big Band Soc also have several gigs coming up this winter, including at Score, The Victoria Rooms and will also be playing at The Canteen.
The White Rabbit Jam
Where? The White Rabbit Clifton
When? Every Monday
Image: Impulse
Every Monday night, 'Impulse' hosts the live jam at the White Rabbit in Clifton. We started playing together in mid-September, and have since attracted a large number of musicians, singers and MCs while retaining a loyal set of regulars who both play at the jam and watch. We come from varied musical backgrounds; our singer Dee Gomez has a strong basis in Gospel and jazz and writes her own solo music, while our bassist, Joe Hill, is an in-demand session guy who can be spotted everywhere around the Bristol music scene. The rest of us (Matt Petrie, George Leggett, Andee Liu) are graduates from the University of Bristol, and have honed our skills playing in the Uni Big Band Hornstars, and running the popular JazzFunkSoul nights at Mr Wolf's.
There's nothing like us in the Clifton area right now; we all play pretty frequently around the Stokes Croft area of Bristol and we bring a lot of those good vibes and energy to the area. We strongly believe that when you give energy to an audience they throw it right back to you, and this is something we always keep in mind for our opening and closing sets!
Once again, our night runs every Monday from 8.30-11pm; we welcome everyone to come on stage and play with us and provide all the equipment - drum kit, amps, PA and mics- necessary for that!
By Andee Liu, The White Rabbit Jam drummer
The Jazz Funk Soul Society
Where? Mr Wolfs Bristol
When? Every Tuesday
Image: Jazz Funk Soul Society
Join us at MR Wolfs every Tuesday night from nine pm for an open jam and live music, featuring some of the finest artists Bristol has to offer. Our nights are open to everyone, whether you’re a musician and want to join in, or just a music lover and want to dance to some jazz, funk, soul, afrobeat and more. Entry is free on jam nights, or £2-£3 when we host live bands.
We also host workshops with professional musicians from time to time; previous artists have included Jacob Collier and Robert Glasper. To keep up to date with all our events be sure to like us on our Facebook page – who knows who might be making an appearance with us in the new year!
Ezra Collecltive
On Tuesday 13th November we were lucky enough to host Ezra Collective for an impromptu late-night jam after their sold out gig at Thekla that night. They were looking for a place to ply post-gig, and a few of our committee pointed them in the direction of our weekly jam night at Mr Wolfs. The atmosphere in the venue was special, as the intimate space was packed out. Students joined them on stage and jammed alongside them. There was so much energy in the room, the crowd and the band bouncing off one-another with equal enthusiasm.It made for a memorable night and will go down in JFS history!
By Owen Beesley, JFS Vice-President
Feature Image: Bethany Marris/ Epigram
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