Jazzing up the archives: The beginnings of jazz in Bristol
Posted on by Fay Curtis.
By Hugh Manistre, volunteer, Sounds of the South West project.
In today’s blog, Hugh highlights the Bristol-based jazz scene that John Berry documented in his interviews.
John is a Bristol musician and academic who recorded 27 oral history interviews and 92 live music performances while researching his PhD thesis ‘How people learn to be Jazz musicians – case studies in Bristol’ (2004). His collection is held at Bristol Archives and is now being digitised thanks to Sounds of the South West (SotSW), to preserve it for the future. SotSW is generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Frank Evans at the Granary © Colin and Chris Evans
As a volunteer on the project, listening to these recordings has been fascinating, with many of the players’ memories stretching back to the war and the era of the big bands. If there’s a glass half full quality to the tone of these musicians as they look back, this is offset by humor and an obvious sense of their love for the music. A few themes run across the interviews, and several of Berry’s interviewees are brilliant storytellers.
Dance bands in Bristol
Before rock and roll, Bristol had several dance venues, and the music would be provided by a live band. In Bob Stanley’s book ‘Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop (2022)’, he describes the uniquely British flavor of the dance band sound that developed in the 1920s and 30s. Although these bands would usually play the ‘strict tempo’ style required by dancers (who would approach the bandstand to complain if they thought the tempo was wrong for a particular step), an arrangement might allow for an instrumentalist briefly to escape its confines and improvise for 16 bars.
In many ways, these bands were the foundation for the developing British jazz scene. The dance venues provided steady employment for musicians. Many had gained their first professional experience by playing in the armed forces bands, either as conscripts or under National Service after the war. The scale of this scene is clear from one memory of the Bristol Musicians’ Union Christmas Ball in the 1950s, which featured no less than twelve bands.
Frank Evans © Colin and Chris Evans
Bristol venues
These bands played at venues such as the Glen, the Grand, the Hawthorns and the Spa, which come up repeatedly in the players’ stories. Although the work provided a regular source of income, it could feel repetitive. Some musicians shared stories on how they broke up the routine. One tactic was dropping a beat, for example during a waltz and watching the dancers try to work out what had happened. Drummer Jeff Smith describes a ‘tired’ saxophone player taking a nap under the grand piano while the band played.
But the true jazz scene in the city emerged in pubs and small clubs, which were often regular sessions in an upstairs room at a pub. The White Horse in Ashley Road is said to be the first pub to run jazz nights. Guitarist Frank Evans describes an unnamed pub in Stokes Croft, as the ‘first modern jazz club in Bristol’ and Jack Aston describes a bop club in Lawrence Hill, The Bush in Totterdown and the Civic Restaurant on College Green as other early venues.
Listen to the interviews
Credit: Bristol Archives 45673-1-24, [19:20]. © holder unknown (contact Bristol Archives for further information)
Credit: Bristol Archives 45673/1/8, [19:20]. © holder unknown (contact Bristol Archives for further information)
Credit: Bristol Archives 45673/1/5, [03:50]. © holder unknown (contact Bristol Archives for further information)
John Berry’s recordings show us how jazz music evolved in the city and give insights into the working lives of musicians. Hearing their voices firsthand enabled me to appreciate that despite all the difficulties of earning a living playing it, their love of jazz still comes through.
You can listen to John’s complete collection of interviews with jazz players at Bristol Archives.
To read more about his collection and our work to digitise and preserve archival audio, visit: Sounds of the South West Archives | Bristol Museums
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Sounds of the South West is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support this creative project to preserve and create new access to our shared audio heritage.