Brighton Alternative Jazz Festival

The festival’s opening night on Thursday October 4th takes place at The Verdict Jazz Club, featuring: Brighton-based trio In Threads (Daniel Spicer: piano, trumpet / Verity Spott: cello / James Parsons: drums); plus one of the most creative and original bands on the UK scene, Entropi (Dee Byrne: alto sax / Andre Canniere: trumpet / Rebecca Nash: keyboard / Matt Fisher: drums / Olie Brice: bass).

Headlining is UK improv pioneer, saxophonist Trevor Watts and long-time associate Veryan Weston on keyboards and electronics, presenting their Quantum Illusion project.

read more

The festival’s opening night on Thursday October 4th takes place at The Verdict Jazz Club, featuring: Brighton-based trio In Threads (Daniel Spicer: piano, trumpet / Verity Spott: cello / James Parsons: drums); plus one of the most creative and original bands on the UK scene, Entropi (Dee Byrne: alto sax / Andre Canniere: trumpet / Rebecca Nash: keyboard / Matt Fisher: drums / Olie Brice: bass).

Headlining is UK improv pioneer, saxophonist Trevor Watts and long-time associate Veryan Weston on keyboards and electronics, presenting their Quantum Illusion project.

On Sunday October 7th and Monday October 8th, legendary architect of American minimalism Terry Riley will perform intimate shows in the magnificent acoustics of St Luke’s Church, a 19th century Anglican church with a beautiful grand piano. Please note, these shows are already sold out.

The festival’s main event is on Saturday October 13th – an all-ages, all-day event in St Luke’s Church featuring six unique performances by artists from the UK, Europe and the US. Manchester-based pianist Adam Fairhall will perform a piano solo. UK-based improvisers David Birchall (guitar), Andrew Cheetham (drums), Julie Kjær (flute) and Hannah Marshall (cello) will perform as a quartet specially commissioned by Brighton Alternative Jazz Festival.

Young British trumpeter Laura Jurd will lead her band Dinosaur, also featuring Elliot Galvin (synths), Ruth Goller (bass) and Seb Rochford (drums). From New York, heavyweight pianist Matthew Shipp will play a duet with his longstanding partner in music, Brazilian saxophonist, Ivo Perelman. Making a rare UK appearance, Philadelphia’s Irreversible Entanglements will provide an uncompromising mix of free-jazz and the poetry of Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother). German tenor-terror Peter Brötzmann will reconvene with brutal Swiss rhythm section Marino Pliakas (bass guitar) and Michael Wertmüller (drums) as Full Blast.

The snug environs of The Rose Hill arts hub and venue welcomes the festival on Saturday October 20th, as we present American multi-instrumentalist Ashley Paul (saxophone, voice, guitar) in a trio with Ben Pritchard (guitar, voice, percussion) and Yoni Silver (bass clarinet, clarinet, keyboard). Support comes from two exciting Brighton-based acts: GOITT makes blistering noise using saxophone and electronics; and Gwenifer Raymond is a talented young guitarist in the school of American Primitivism.

Finally, the festival comes to a close at Komedia on Tuesday October 30th with a hotly anticipated show from UK saxophonist Shabaka Hutching’s Impulse-signed powerhouse Sons of Kemet, also featuring Theon Cross on tuba and the double drums of Tom Skinner and Eddie Hick.

show less