Orphy Robinson, Matthew Bourne and Jake McMurchie to play the Bath Jazz Weekend

In the first significant UK jazz festival of 2023 Nod Knowles' Bath Jazz Weekend to be held once again at the Widcombe Social Club in the city returns in January. Last year's running was agonisingly aborted at the last minute given Covid …

Published: 6 Dec 2022. Updated: 16 months.

In the first significant UK jazz festival of 2023 Nod Knowles' Bath Jazz Weekend to be held once again at the Widcombe Social Club in the city returns in January. Last year's running was agonisingly aborted at the last minute given Covid uncertainty at the time so these upcoming Capricornian days are all the sweeter picking up the thread again and keeping the faith given what had been planned. Topping the 2023 bill in a very strong free-jazz and improvised music flavoured curation is Dalston, east London, free form vibes legend Orphy Robinson MBE (Jazz Warriors, Courtney Pine classic Journey to the Urge Within, Blue Note rarity The Vibes Describes, Black Top, Malik and the O. G.'s). Orphy plays a Saturday solo set.

Significant too in the programming is the presence of the great free improviser, out of the Leeds scene, pianist Matthew Bourne. The Annette Peacock influenced player's Désinances was a masterpiece last year up there with 2012's career high water mark, Montauk Variations.

Michelson Morley saxophonist Jake McMurchie renowned for his work with maverick Bristolians Get the Blessing is heading to Bath with his quartet. Pianist Robert Mitchell's True Think, pianist Andrew McCormack, the Coltrane and Albert Ayler soaked Paul Dunmall quintet, Westbrookian accordionist Karen Street, violinist Theo May's Odd Unit and Rebecca Nash's Redefining Element 78 are also fine bookings. Pianist-composer Nash's Redefining Element 78 from which 'Osmium' is drawn is released by Michael Janisch's Whirlwind label on Friday.

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Orphy Robinson photo: Bath Jazz Weekend. Dates are 6-8 January. Festival website

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Paul Edis Sextet, the Pizza, Soho ***

A big week for pianist Paul Edis with the release of his new Lateralize album with the fabulous Jo Harrop When Winter Turns to Spring from which the sumptuous 'Winter Love Affair' ('One Day Soon') is already picking up airplay on BBC Radio 2. …

Published: 6 Dec 2022. Updated: 16 months.

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A big week for pianist Paul Edis with the release of his new Lateralize album with the fabulous Jo Harrop When Winter Turns to Spring from which the sumptuous 'Winter Love Affair' ('One Day Soon') is already picking up airplay on BBC Radio 2.

Here, with a well attended rescheduled Soho date postponed from the summer, with his sextet - the first set of last night's show featured a generous selection of Edis tunes from his 2014 album Mr Hipster. Painting a picture of sprawling family of in-laws 'The Timothys' with its hymn like beginning, the Don Quixote inspired 'Don Errant' featuring the flute playing of tenorist Vasilis Xenopoulos (familiar from Nigel Price's roogalating Live at the Crypt), 'Eastern' and Edis' melancholy laden ballad 'Missing You' written for his wife all found a place.

Hailing from Chester-Le-Street in County Durham - sharing the same home town as Harrop - Edis relocated to London around Lockdown time and after the enforced hiatus in performing has flourished since both on record and live becoming a staple part of the burgeoning Hampstead Jazz Club scene championed at the Duke of Hamilton by Mayank Patel and Jonathan Wingate.

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With Paul, who has a prodigious modern-mainstream technique grounded in the terrain that lands between Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal and who has a natural and friendly demeanour when speaking to the audience and an easy warmth in his presentation, was very fine hard bop trumpeter and flugel player Freddie Gavita, tenorist/flautist, the aforementioned Xenopoulos, excellent trombonist Rory Ingham, double bassist Adam King who is also on When Winter Turns to Spring and drummer Joel Barford reading from sheet music on a stand by the kit stylistically a little like James Maddren. The very strong horn section allied with Edis' spirited runs and accented flourishes set the evening up in a suitable feelgood manner fitting for this season of goodwill.

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FURTHER READING

Paul Edis, photo: Twitter. Dean Street Pizza Express Jazz Club exterior club illuminated sign and the Soho street scene just before showtime - photos: marlbank