Here’s the deal. You could go see Keith Jarrett at the Festival Hall. Assuming there are any tickets left*, decent seats will cost £75. If you’re in Bristol, add travel and food, and you have to hope it’ll be life-changingly good.
It may well be. On the other hand, this week at the Be-Bop club in Hotwells Friday date, you can hear John Law’s trio, Congregation. A superbly poised, classically trained pianist who has played free music but nowadays most often stays with more conventional sound and has a big bag of beautiful compositions; a brilliantly skilled percussionist, Asif Sirkis, who seems to play pretty much every night of the year; and the sumptuous, deep toned bass of Yuri Goloubev. Last time they were there, it sounded like this, and there’s a review of yet another Bristol date from Mike Collins here.
Come along this time, and it’ll cost you £8. I’d take a lot of persuading that it will not be as satisfying in every way as an evening with Jarrett. And if Jarrett was ever feasible financially, you’ll have enough left over for a really good dinner or – more lastingly – for a nice handful of John Law’s rather fine CDs. Chorale, Three Leaps of the Gazelle, and the duo with his former pupil Mark Pringle, This Is, are especially recommended…
*apparently there are (22/1) Well, they are £75.
(not in the stalls, though – 23/1)
ADD – just noticed the trio are also playing at Cardiff university Friday lunchtime and at Wells’ Little Theatre on Saturday night – and as Phil Johnson mentions in his comment, in Monmouth tonight (23rd). Busy people!
Tags: Be-Bop Club, bristol, bristol jazz, John Law
January 22, 2013 at 9:35 pm |
well said, jon! I’ll be seeing him in monmouth queen’s head tomorrow (wed), snow willing…..
and unlike keith, he kicks off very rarely….if you’re careful you might even be able to play with your phone….
January 23, 2013 at 3:24 pm |
Jon, lucky Bristolians! I reviewed Three Leaps here http://wp.me/p2Qq5S-7L and rated Three Leaps as one of my albums of the year 2012 so you are in for a fabulous evening!
January 23, 2013 at 3:29 pm |
yes, I think I probably bought it after reading your review!
January 23, 2013 at 3:44 pm
April 22, 2013 at 8:16 am |
[...] Basic policy here is to point to John Law for gig of the week whenever he’s playing somewhere in reach of Bristol. Here’s why. [...]