Joe Bristow is a trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator. He is currently a member of the Mercury Prize-nominated SEED, performing on their critically acclaimed 2019 album Driftglass. He also plays with Olivia Dean’s band, leads his own double drums project, and co-leads the Some Other Stuff residency.

 

Born and raised in Southampton, Joe spent his formative years playing with Tomorrow’s Warriors before permanently moving to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he graduated with a first-class honours degree in BMus Jazz Trombone.

 

He has recorded with a diverse range of artists, including Black Midi (Cavalcade, Hellfire), Balimaya Project (Wolo So), James Beckwith (SE10), CHERISE (Paradise), Rex Orange County, Sarah Tandy, Jas Kayser, and the Dan Casimir Big Band. His performance credits include playing with Jason Moran’s Harlem Hellfighters, Chelsea Carmichael Sextet, Likwid Continual Space Motion, 7th Sense, NU Civilisation Orchestra, New Regency Orchestra, TC & The Groove Family, London Jazz Orchestra, and many others. He has toured extensively across the UK and internationally, performing at venues and festivals such as Paris Philharmonie, Dizzy’s Club, Berlin Jazz Festival, Barbican, Glastonbury, The Apollo, and on The Graham Norton Show.

 

As an educator, Joe has worked with Jazz House Kids in New Jersey alongside founder Melissa Walker and artistic director Christian McBride, as well as with Tomorrow’s Warriors and NYJO. He also has four years of experience as a peripatetic teacher in secondary and sixth form schools, where he teaches one-on-one brass lessons and leads both a brass ensemble and a jazz band. In addition, he offers private lessons in trombone, euphonium, trumpet, composition, improvisation, and arranging.

 

His debut project as a bandleader, a double drums chordless quintet, features Chelsea Carmichael (Tenor Sax), Mutale Chashi (Double Bass), Jas Kayser (Drums), and Tom Potter (Drums).

 

“I wanted to write compositions that pay respect to the band that inspired me to start this project—Old and New Dreams—while also filtering that influence through my own experiences as a UK-based musician. My goal is to thread the line between these aspects of my musical identity in both my writing and playing. I’ve always been drawn to the music of Grachan Moncur III—his compositions were incredibly forward-thinking, and he managed to center the trombone in a way that no one had done before. That’s something I aim to do with this project.”