Swansea Jazzland: Or Bareket New York Quartet

Or Bareket and his New York Quartet are playing the Grand Theatre on Wednesday 11 November, as part of the Swansea Jazzland series. Bareket is a bassist, composer and bandleader who's built his name on the New York and global jazz scenes, and he's bringing the quartet over for a single night in the city.

There's a good chance you'll hear something new that night. Bareket has a new quartet album coming out in autumn 2026, so this falls right in that window. It'll sit alongside his two recent quartet records, SAHAR (2022) and YŌM (2024), which are often cited as defining works of the New York sound in the 2020s. If you've followed those, this is the next chapter.

Bareket is known for a few things that come through in the playing: lyricism, rhythmic dexterity and a groove-forward approach. He's a first-call collaborator, too, and the names he works with tell you where he sits. He's played regularly with Joel Ross, Etienne Charles, Camila Meza, Ben Wendel and Yosvany Terry, and has shared a stage with Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Marta Sanchéz, José James and Aaron Parks. Nate Chinen of WBGO Jazz described his 'playful percussion and meticulous bass plucking' and his 'welcoming spirit'.

The quartet for the night is Or Bareket on bass, Godwin Louis on saxophones, Esteban Castro on piano and Savannah Harris on drums. It's a full New York line-up coming to Swansea, so you'll get the band as they are in the US. The gig is at the Grand Theatre (Arts Wing) on Singleton Street, starting at 8pm, with tickets at £20.