Welcome to the BEJE home page. We used to spell out the acronym’s parts, ‘Bristol European Jazz Ensemble’ every time but as, in the years since our formation 10 years ago, we explore various jazz compounds in the lab of the city of Bristol, the mysterious short form BEJE emerges alone from the vapours. It’s come of age.
Post Brexit, post pandemic BEJE still strives to thread the world together with both music and musicians. The formula is much the same; a core of musicians in Bristol from various parts of the world teams up with a special guest leader from somewhere else. But the chemistry from the different combinations vary tremendously, whilst all being, arguably, jazz. For David, who’s brainchild BEJE is, the spiritual social and political context for music making is essential to add meaning and therefore apt emotional expression.
From October 2023 five projects are coming up though not timetabled.
1. Finishing off and launching Arts Council England -funded lockdown project, the album ‘Tumultuous Journey’ legacy of Senegalese and Bristol Griot kora player Moussa Kouyate. The background to this is found on the BRISTOL GRIOT blog page. This was intended as a jazz-West African fusion project but apart from the trumpet lines it definitely leans to Mali.
2. A project held by the unclassifiable guitarist Enrico Merlin, who plays with Zappa, prog rock, free form and lyrical ambient approaches to bring us to new places, like daring climbers in misty mountains unperturbed by edges. Our common point of reference is late-period Miles Davis. Bassist Federico Leonori, drummer Mattia Collu and trumpeter David Mowat -the BEJE trio- are joined by Fabio Ferri on flute/guitar. We’re all to be toyed with by maestro Enrico. We met played and filmed in the Bristol spring and seek a tour in 2024.
3. A project in a more familiar Coltrane-influenced direction yet fused to Middle Eastern scales and sensibilities, is BEJE’s German oud player Knud Stuwe joining Swedish pianist Anders Olinder and special guest Master Ney exponent Faris Ishaq of Palestine. This seed also was sown in Bristol’s Cotham Club world music series at its inception in the spring of 2022.
4. We were agonizingly close to touring the Yunmi Kang Sangyeon Park BEJE album ‘Modernised Sacrifice’ when the first pandemic lockdown of 2020 swept us off course. It’s not an easy thing to put back on the road but the South Korea-Bristol friendship forged when making this beautiful album created a bond yearning for project completion; we’re confident we’ll get there. It’s not appropriate to put a time frame on it though.
5. Curiously, another, different, north Italian partnership has started. David’s friend fellow Sheffield street band trumpeter Alun Sanger Griffiths lured him twice to Piemonte in the Italian alps where he is re-training to be a singer and performance poet. Alun is devising a border-crossing river-themed project. The first outing was this August with the straight ahead tuneful Alberto Poggio Quintet in Val Maira near Cuneo. Next August we plan more gigs including a pitch to Crest Jazz Festival France.
Plaudit’s for BEJE’s previous work
‘Ear-twisting incisive soloing atop the dynamic group playing of David’s exceptional tunes’ Keith Ames MU Magazine
‘The energy of the collective, the fluency of the players are all immediately evident and it’s hard not to grin at the irrepressible optimism of Dave Mowat’s writing and playing.’ Mike Collins review of ‘Live At The Fringe’ cd.
‘…flawless precision and absolute passion.’ Prema Arts Centre
‘tunes were…funky, yet featured melodic turns and harmonic twists that were redolent of both the late, great figures of pianist John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler.’ Richard Leigh Harris, Birmingham Conservatoire tutor
‘A vibrant contemporary jazz argument for international cultural exchange’ Tony Benjamin
‘BEJE tap a rich vein of global sources and infuse it with an inspired freshness’ Philip Clouts Bridport Arts Centre
‘…this exhilarating evening of playing, which was both sensitively lyrical and full of zest.’ Bristol Music Club
‘The blend with Mowat’s clear-toned trumpet gave the whole thing something of the air of the great Azimuth, with Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler’ Jon Turney
‘…eclectic, experimental and sophisticated, influenced by the jazz greats. The music is original, creating a fascinating combination of melody, harmony and rhythm.’ Vanessa Garside President WAG UK at Taunton CIC
‘Bristol’s very own Liberation Orchestra’ audience member Bridport Arts Centre
BEJE current members, from which a quintet is formed for particular projects tours and gigs, are David Mowat trumpet/flugel/spoken word, compositions, from UK and Switzerland, Len Aruliah alto sax/soprano, spoken word, compositions, from Canada, Sri Lanka and UK, Anders Olinder piano, from Sweden and Syria, Pasquale Votino double bass, from Italy, Paolo Adamo drums, from Italy, Julien Alenda tenor sax, from France, Knud Stuwe oud/guitar, from Germany, Federico Leonori double bass, from Italy, Mattia Collu drums from Italy, Ana Gomez piano, from Spain, Guillaume Ottaviani bass, from France, Federico Leonori double bass from Rome Italy.
International guests have been Anne Chris vocals and compositions from The Netherlands, Moussa Kouyate kora and compositions, from Senegal, Yunmi Kang vocals/piano and compositions from South Korea and Sangyeon Park guitar and compositions, from South Korea, Zaid Hilal vocals and baglama from Palestine, Enrico Merlin guitarist from Trento Italy, Faris Ishaq ney flute player from Palestine.
Formed in 2013 BEJE has played gigs across the UK in clubs, festivals, conventions, pubs and arts centres.
The band, which has twice been represented at JazzAhead in Germany seeks further gigs at jazz clubs and festivals in the UK and across Europe. If you are a promoter, venue, journalist patron or fan please email bigbromo at yahoo.co.uk or message me on facebook, link above or call 07804363170.
Warm wishes
David Mowat
The Bristol European Jazz Ensemble 