Music: Andy Hague Quintet

Trumpeter Andy Hague returns with his quintet to close the Be-Bop Club’s 23/24 season, and as a warm-up gig for the band’s forthcoming appearance at Swanage Jazz Festival in July. The music will be a mixture of tunes from quintet album Coming of Age [2018] and Andy’s 2021 quartet album Release.

“So impressed with this record, wow, it’s current, it’s hip” – Linley Hamilton, BBC Radio Ulster’s Jazz World. “it’s the variety of the musical structures deployed, as well as the sheer spirit and fire in these performances that makes this a significant milestone for Hague and his chums” – Peter Vacher, four star review in Jazzwise March 2019.

Well known in Bristol’s jazz scene, in 2019 Andy Hague played for the first time with legendary UK jazz composer Mike Westbrook as part of his Uncommon Orchestra, and post-Covid the band has appeared at Cheltenham and Cambridge Jazz Festivals, the Rossini Festival in Lugo, Italy and Ronnie Scott’s 2022 and 2023.

Long term associate saxophonist Ben Waghorn is a versatile musician who has worked in London’s West End and on many pop, TV and film recordings. He has been involved in a range of projects with Keith Tippett, including ‘Tapestry’, a piece written by Keith for two saxophone quartets and the BBC singers, the quartet ‘Work in Progress’ and The Keith Tippett Octet. He can also be heard on recordings with Geoff Eales and Dave Stapleton [Slowly Rolling Camera]. Ben has also recently performed with the BBC Big Band and played in Singapore with the London Concert Orchestra. Pianist Jim Blomfield has been a vital part of Bristol’s jazz scene for many years and has accompanied many of the UK’s best known players. He has released two trio CDs of his own compositions. “Jim Blomfield is the best British pianist you’ve never heard of and is an absolute marvel” – Independent on Sunday. Bassist Riaan Vosloo works regularly with saxophonist Ed Jones and runs the post-grad programme at BIMM Bristol music college. Drummer Mark Whitlam ​is head of the drum department at BIMM college and has played with big names such as Andy Sheppard and Iain Ballamy besides composing for his own projects.