"What a joyous night. David Mowat and BEJE played extraordinary takes on regular Jazz standards along with some very moving, contemporary own compositions, beautifully executed".

Kate O'Loughlin, Portishead Speakeasy

"..Stomping hard bop like First Past the Post and slower, lovely impressionistic pieces like The Levels (soft bop?). Great playing!"

Ros Cuthbert, CICCIC, Taunton

"To listen to the band was like taking a journey with the author-trumpet player as the guide. The journey was magical, psychedelic and warm like a dark sky full of stars. Definitely a special journey"

Audience member, Bebop Club Bristol

"Beautiful compositions and some really top notch playing. The audience loved every minute of it".

Adrian Smith Bocabar Glastonbury

"The Bristol based ensemble did not disappoint, providing an exhilarating mix of compositions, including ones based on ragas, oud tunes collected in Somalia, and themes collected on Mowat’s wandering in various countries, including Syria."

David Hobbs, posted on Black Mountain Jazz FB site

"The oud...really added an authentic vibe to Dave Mowat's Middle East inspired compositions."

Jon Taylor, The Fringe Bristol

"Their culturally diverse repertoire comprises elements of American jazz, contemporary folk and beautifully re-harmonised classical music; an uplifting journey across musical boundaries.”

Andy Christie, composer

"The music, however,is resolutely American, a recognition, I think, of the natural African American roots of jazz... filled with lovely playing and a very nice rapport between these migrants in a green and pleasant land."

Charlie Dunlap, Journalist, Promoter

BEJE: Bristol European Jazz Ensemble...

A statement about the UKs inescapable connection to mainland Europe? You bet! And musically as we swing eastwards we love the American precedent (not the president).

Planted in 2013 as a quintet drawn from the many European jazz musicians who've chosen Bristol UK as their home, as a vehicle for the compositions of Swiss-English trumpeter David Mowat, BEJE has blossomed. German oud player Knud Stuwe often now adds Middle Eastern maqaams, and Sri Lankan-Canadian-British altoist Aruliah is seen as much as Frenchman Julien Alenda who now prefers tenor. The extraordinarily-in-demand Italians Federico Leonori or Pasquale Votino might be on bass and Swedish Anders Olinder or Dutch Daan Temmink could be on keyboards. When Italian Paolo Adamo is touring Somerset-lad Jon Clark helps out on drums. The west country's favourite bassist Al Swainger now knows the set too.

BEJE will launch their new project EuRIP at the Bristol Jazz and Blues Festival March 15th 2018. EuRIP is a spoken word and jazz story based on band-members' formative memories, in Switzerland Italy Sri Lanka and The Netherlands. It'll be a unique look at the interwoven fabric that is today's Europe, as Brexit threatens to tear it apart. More details in the months ahead. See http://www.facebook.com/Bristol.European.Jazz.Ensemble1

2017 was quieter as Stuwe and Mowat focussed on an Arts Council-funded UK tour for their klezmer-middle eastern band 'Chai For All' nevertheless this last year they've gathered plaudits aplenty.