THERE'S nothing very small about Bonsai.

In fact, some afficionados say the rising combo just might be the future of jazz.

And now a local audience will be able to make its own mind up, because Bonsai have a headline date at The Stratford Jazz Club on May 8.

A spokesman said: "Bonsai Club is the new album by Bonsai (formerly Jam Experiment), a band selected for the Jazzwise feature ‘Shape of Jazz to Come in 2018’ following the release of their critically acclaimed debut.

"Award-winning musicians Rory Ingham on trombone (Rising Star in the 2017 British Jazz Awards) and Jonny Mansfield on drums (2018 Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize winner) make up the band along with Dominic Ingham on violin/vocals, Toby Comeau on piano/keyboards and Joe Lee on bass."

The spokesman added: "Bonsai is a group where everyone is the leader, and the music is written to be played by each other, with each other. The long-standing relationships mean that Bonsai are able to work cohesively and freely as a collective, resulting in total synergy.”

Bonsai Club features eight original compositions of dynamic jazz-fusion "balanced with intricate compositions and adventurous improvisations".

The spokesman added: "The music is driven by a myriad of ingredients: expressive vocals, a plethora of synths, and groove fuelled improvisations.

“We wanted to explore how five musicians, with extremely deep and longstanding connections, can communicate with a shared artistic vision while having a variety of musical backgrounds, influences and experiences,” explains Ingham. “And how the audience who are active participants as listeners can affect the shape of the music.”

He said: “Bonsai Club is about the joy of returning to a place where you feel content; no matter how much it transforms, it always feels like home. We translate this into accessible, inviting music that welcomes the listener, who appreciates the love we have for what we play.”

Tickets for the Stratford gig: https://www.stratfordjazz.org.uk/stratford-jazz-gigs.html