Andy Sheppard and Emma Rawicz help Bristol Jazz Festival boogie back at The Tobacco Factory

The first Covid lockdown blew away the scheduled 2020 Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival, sideswiping the organization’s finances and morale. This relaunch event, while necessarily downsized, aimed to restore both and, with a well-chosen line-up in a new and sympathetic venue, it is fair to say it succeeded. Combining ticketed and free events the Festival kept Bristol’s Tobacco Factory Theatre building rammed from the moment second line outfit Brass Junkies’ street parade opened the weekend.

Emma Rawicz - Photo by Tim Dickeson

First up - hot new talent: Ezra Collective’s Ife Ogunjobi’s full-toned trumpet brought invigorating Afro-jazz grooves before an astonishing performance from tenor saxophonist Emma Rawicz. Her fluency of style and imagination as soloist, buoyed up by Ivo Neame’s piano, Freddie Jensen’s bass and the equally sinuous drumming of Asaf Sirkis captivated her audience.

Distinctive and engaging vocalists were an evident theme. Alice Zawadzki brought elements of theatre to her set of narrative songs from around Europe, adding atmospheric violin and vocalising to her expressive singing, while Vimala Rowe ranged even farther to include Indian classical, Aramaic and Swahili styles in partnership with the ever-dazzling guitar of John Etheridge. Both singers had an easy informality with their audiences but would never compete with Clare Teal’s assured repartee, bantering her way between songs like Annie Ross’ hyperfast ‘My Analyst Told Me’ and a moody ‘Tainted Love’, her tight quintet embellished by  Kansas Smitty guitarist (and former local hero) Dave Archer.

John Etheridge and Vimala Rowe - Photo by Tim Dickeson

Originally a one-off festival commission for 2018, the Electric Lady Big Band’s powerhouse jazz-rock Hendrix arrangements have gained a life of their own. They returned with guitarist Denny Ilett leading a wealth of talent and drummer Daisy Palmer’s exuberant contributions a repeated showstopper. Similarly high energy came from Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio, the hip-hop fusioneers Renegade Brass Band and Bristol’s Snazzback, the latter revealing a more tightened production sound for the occasion. Snazzback guitarist Eli Jitsuto had a busy weekend, reappearing in a boogaloo trio with Dan Moore’s Hammond and Matt Brown drumming as well as featuring behind the impressively tight contemporary Gospel choir The Good Stuff.

Jitsuto even popped up at the jam sessions which rounded off each day’s programme co-ordinated by the Jazz Defenders, a quintet whose own set was a crowd-pleasing masterclass in classic Blue Note-era hard bop. But the best pleased crowd of the weekend greeted Bristol’s prodigal son Andy Sheppard, lately moved to Portugal. His trio with pianist Rita Marcotulli and Michel Benita on bass effortlessly channeled a sequence of elegant compositions gently honed to perfection. Perhaps it was the love in the room, perhaps the once-familiar surroundings – whatever, it was a flawless reminder of why he is a real local hero.