Flying in specially for the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, which came to a close last night, the Everyman was the place to be for Bill Frisell’s new band on Sunday night in a special one-off show. While earlier, another leading American musician, drummer Bobby Previte, also unveiled his new band for the first time in Europe.

Frisell, a unique figure as likely to run down intricate bebop lines as he is to launch into bluegrass-tinged Americana, workshopped the band in New York in preparation for this gig. It’s a group of two sections, basically a guitar trio plus horns and while the set started with a musique concrète-grounded section there was eclectica of course in store but the real surprise of a strong set was Frisell’s stirring rendition of Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’. Larry Grenadier’s contrapuntal patterning and walking bass lines provided the architecture for Frisell’s loping explorations while new drummer Rudy Royston has a suitably skittering sense of momentum slightly akin to Brian Blade’s approach.

While Frisell explored notions of America in a typically endearing laconic manner, Bobby Previte at the Town Hall's Pillar Room delved deep into a noirish world of the country’s dark side. Aided by the four malleted attack of vibes player Bill Ware and the skewering acidic lines of Ellery Eskelin on tenor saxophone Previte’s blocked-out sticking and no-nonsense city beats were a clear statement of intent and the gig marked the birth of the New Bump, a band with a great deal of promise.

(Pictured above: Bill Frisell)