GIG OF THE WEEK
The W journey on Portrait back through the sound of Horace Silver ('Que Passa') a Cape Verdean tinged hard bop style that still resonates, pay tribute to John Taylor and even visit a strings-laden hinterland on 'Gender Neutral' and 'Rossi' where they are joined on these two pieces by the strings of the Waldstein Quartet. Inhabiting chamber jazz as their primary base and delivering a rootsy sense of post bop and not dispensing with a harsher jazz-rock edge when needed, singer Heidi Vogel is at her gutsy best and makes this album come alive. The W manage the feat of accommodating voice and ''the band'' in a parity of esteem. Bruno Heinen's pianism is world class while bassist Andrea di Biase and drummer Gene Calderazzo are a reliable engine with Calderazzo in particular invigoratingly raw as he steers the tunes into areas you think just aren't reachable. Tuesday
Superb bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado is in this must-hear line-up led by upcoming arranger and new generation trombonist Tom Green. Wednesday
- Gregory Porter, Will Young, Jake Bugg, Laura Mvula and Van Morrison plus many others Cheltenham Jazz Festival Montpellier, Cheltenham
Characteristically stellar line-up as good as anywhere in its populist big tent mix of acts year in year out. From Wednesday and all through the bank holiday weekend
You don't need to know 2022's View With A Room which is similar and marginally better than new album The Layers released last month from Lage incidentally to grasp what's here. There is no sense of heated up alternate takes or the label milking the cow. Six originals from genius guitarist Julian Lage whose sound with the possible glimmer of an exception in the harmonic kindred chiming that you might encounter on a Jesse Harris song you won't hear anywhere apart from on the hq of a Lage record.
Bassist Ewan Haines-Davies and chums are students at Cardiff's Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Thursday
The 22nd running of the Derry annual event encompasses a substantial fringe hosted by pubs and restaurants across the city, the festival, nurtured, run and admirably supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council, venues include pianist John Leighton's pub Bennigan's, The Playhouse and The Great Hall of Magee. From Thursday - runs until Mayday
The Frome bassist great Dane Henrik Jensen was superb recently heard in the flesh during an east London show with Sara Colman, Trish Clowes and Rebecca Nash. Jensen appears in Luton with Robert Plant drummer Dave Smith and Jensen's compatriot pianist Esben Tjalve. Friday
Brandon Flowers drummer Darren Beckett is the draw here in this sax, bass, drums trio of leaders - formidable in recent years on the classic George Colligan trio record from 2020, Live in Arklow. Friday
Features the Pat Metheny pianist Gwilym Simcock's new work Release. Friday
The biggest beast of jazz-rock fusion Weckl has to be heard in the flesh to be believed. Friday and Saturday
Early-afternoon gig. Sunday
Gregory Porter, top. Photo: Blue Note