Laura Jurd and Iain Ballamy among a bounty of highlights at the Bath Jazz Weekend 2025

The annual Bath Jazz Weekend is a bijou affair that risks growing out of its small-but-perfectly-formed format. Now in its fifth iteration the mini-fest held on the New Year’s first weekend was sold out throughout and promoter Nod Knowles is already compiling a list of performers keen to feature in 2026. The consistent high standard of this year’s event will no doubt have added to that momentum, with Nod’s typical blend of musical styles covering the waterfront from straightahead standards to free improvisation via folk/jazz fusions and contemporary jazz.

Things opened with Tomorrow’s Warriors alumnus Ky Osborne’s KO Quartet, a cool young outfit offering revisited standards through fresh eyes. Their well-judged restraint was admirably mature, guitarist Ollie Young trading crackling solos with Osborne’s piano and bass player Freddie Canton holding firm through ‘Love For Sale’’s shifting rhythms and tempos. Things closed with Calennig, pianist Huw Warren’s duo with folk singer and violinist Angharad Jenkins celebrating the Welsh tradition of New Year caroling with predictably excellent jazz arrangements.

In between those bookends Laura Jurd’s latest quartet stood out with forceful post-rock grooving courtesy of Tara Cunningham’s unbridled guitar work and Corrie Dick’s untypically hard-nosed drumming, the trumpeter herself sailing through with Balkan flourishes and rhythmic precision. Another highlight was Iain Ballamy’s Molecatcher Trio with Rob Luft’s guitar and Conor Chaplin on bass guitar. Ballamy’s fluent and lyrical tenor enmeshed with Luft’s filigree variations perfectly as improvisations somehow emerged as Tom Jobim bossa novas. For their last number Jurd reappeared with young Charlie Ballamy also on trumpet and the proud father looked on as the lad acquitted himself admirably.

The passing of Keith Tippett was especially marked in his South West homeland, and saxophonist Kevin Figes’ You Are Here tribute earned a deservedly warm reception for tracks like ‘I Wish There Was A Nowhere’ and ‘Cider Dance’. Among the energetically free ensemble Jim Blomfield’s fearless piano work and Raph Clarkson’s inspired trombone brought the theme from ‘Septober Energy’ evocatively to life. Centipede veteran Larry Stabbins also honoured Keith’s memory as he announced SAROST (pictured below), his trio with Paul Rogers and Mark Sanders, on stage with the greeting “Welcome to the old school!” The improvised music threesome then reaped the benefit of decades of experience in a seamless flow of musical ideas exchanged, shared and evolved in a perfect balance. Storms were whipped up and clarities discovered, looping riffs eventually devolved, anthemic melodies rose out of formless haziness … it was a joy to behold.

Free blowing also featured in the impressive Dee Byrne’s Outlines sextet, notably as the otherwise tightly orchestrated Immersion drew to its close and happy cacophony descended. Pianist Rebecca Nash navigated that chaos effortlessly and she returned in her Ribbons quartet project with singer Sarah Colman and a set of their original songs (plus a couple of Joni Mitchell’s). Their long-established duo gave the two women a rapport that infused each number with warmth – something sorely needed as the temperature outside dropped and snow began to fall. We were snug enough in the packed room, however, and left with a glow that saw us happily home.