Following an artistically outstanding first full season of independently promoted jazz in the heart of the city, Birmingham Jazz is entering the New Year with an even more impressive mix of leading national, regional and local jazz.
The first Birmingham Jazz programme of 2013 starts off with that natural force in national and international jazz, Toni Kofi; to be followed by a welcome return to Birmingham by guitar genius and star of the Impossible Gentlemen Mike Walker, this time with his own group he partners with Iain Dixon.
Birmingham Jazz will also be bringing to Birmingham, for the first time, the award-winning Belgian jazz vocalist Gabrielle Ducomble, as well as some of the breaking names in UK contemporary jazz, such as Partikel and Eyes Shut Tight.
The boundary-breaking Birmingham Jazz Club Nights will continue to bring some of the very best in Birmingham-based jazz at incredibly low ticket prices. These will include Steve Tromans’ own trio to the re-birth of one of Birmingham’s lost jazz legends, the amazing Svengali big band, led by Chris Corcoran.
The new Birmingham Jazz formula of great jazz in an unamplified, intimate jazz club setting has proved an artistic success, while our friendly management at our venue pubs at The Bartons Arms and The Red Lion in the Jewellery Quarter have provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere with great beers and good food.
But if jazz lovers in Birmingham want to keep this great music alive in the city, we need your support. Make your own resolution to come to more live jazz gigs in Birmingham in 2013. This spring programme will complete Birmingham Jazz’ first year as a newly independent promoter – it provides a wonderful opportunity for anyone to hear the very best in contemporary jazz, to support the new generation of jazz artists practicing their art in the most difficult of times, and to get involved in presenting the very best of jazz in Birmingham. Come down and give us your support, as customer, audience, supporter or helper. For more information, email: [email protected] or call 0121 507 9550.
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The Birmingham Jazz Programme for Spring 2013:
Tony Kofi’s Standard Time Trio
Friday 11th January. 7.45pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£10 / £8
This cut down trio setting – with Dave Chamberlain on bass and Rod Youngs on drums – provides a sparkling and challenging setting for the formidable talents of one of the UK’s most active saxophonists.
From the Jazz Warriors, Tony has played in and written for a dazzlingly wide range of cutting edge projects, but the Standard Time project brings the talents of these three outstanding musicians back to the roots of jazz – in the standards repertoire. Re-crafted and re-arranged to bring out the sometimes surprisingly fresh facets of familiar tunes Standard Time is a new project that jazz aficionados of either ‘skool’, old or ‘nu’, will not want to miss.
Club Night: Steve Tromans’ Trio
Friday 18th January. 7.30pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£4
This evening that should remind music lovers of all persuasions how fortunate they are to be alive and listening in our fair city of Birmingham. This trio is an outstanding example of the standard of outstanding musicianship we have on our doorstep. With Steve Tromans on piano, with a growing national reputation and a growing body of recorded work, the amazingly versatile Miles Levin on drums and Chris Mapp on bass you can expect to be taken anywhere in the musical cosmos.
Iain Dixon / Mike Walker Quintet
Friday 1st February. 7.45pm
The Bartons Arms, 144 High Street, Aston, B6 4UP
£10 / £8
Birmingham Jazz is presenting Mike Walker on Friday February 1st at The Bartons Arms
Two of the forces behind the Manchester-based Creative Jazz Orchestra are the motive force behind this new group. Mike Walker on guitar commands nationwide respect for both his virtuosity and mind expanding musical imagination. Iain on tenor is a full-hearted player with a musical background stretching from the conventions of the BBC Big band to the lofts of New York and the wildest of free improve. The final line-up of this group is yet to be confirmed, but will be based on Mike’s excellent ‘Madhouse and the Whole Thing There’ album performers – Myke Wilson on drums, John Ellis on Fender Rhodes and Sylvan Richardson on bass guitar.
Partikel
Friday 15th February. 7.45pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£10 / £8
Partikel is a very busy and much talked about trio with Duncan Eagles on saxophone, Max Luthert on bass and Eric Ford on drums. The music is spare and melodic and the same time somewhat abstract which makes it totally engrossing and invigorating. Unlike most bands at the forefront of the music like this, they have the benefit of regular playing together, with a full gig diary, including this year’s London Jazz Festival and their regular Monday night sessions at The Hideaway in Streatham. This small acoustic group is ideally suited to our club atmosphere.
Club Night: Elliot Drew Quartet
Friday 1st March. 7.45pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£4
Elliot on alto sax, Andrew Woodhead on piano, Hamish Livingstone on bass and Jonathan Silk on drums are the Elliot Drew Quartet. The quartet formed at the Birmingham Conservatoire, but no means sounds academic. Each member is an experienced gigging musician and they interpret the modern jazz classics and Elliot’s original compositions with style – and that increasingly rare commodity – swing.
Gabrielle Ducomble
Sunday 10th March 7.45pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£10 / £8
There are not many artists who record a double gold selling album and then decide to go back to first positions to study their new love of jazz. Vocalist Gabrielle has done just that, after winning the equivalent of Pop Idol in her native Belgium in 2003. During her period of stardom she began to work with some of the best jazz musicians in Europe and her musical life was transformed. Her current group includes Nicolas Meier on guitar, Nick Kacal on bass and Dan Teper on accordion and they have a busy schedule in London with a uniquely hybrid repertoire of American standards, alongside tango, bossa and French chanson from Brel and Gainsbourg. A perfect jazz club musical experience.
Club Night: Svengali
Friday 15th March 7.45pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£4
A moment many Birmingham Jazz lovers have been waiting for – the return of the legendary Svengali big band. Formed in 1988 with the Cannonball jazz club as it home, this band was created and led by master writer-arranger Chris Corcoran as a tribute to Gil Evans. Featuring some of the best players in the region, Svengali won awards and commissions from Birmingham Jazz and gave memorable performances with visiting stars such as Guy Barker and Andy Sheppard –with a repertoire stretching far from its original remit to include originals and re-worked jazz versions of rock and latin classics. Now, the centenary of Gil Evans’ birth offers us the opportunity for the re-birth of this great band.
Eyes Shut Tight
Friday 5th April 7.45pm
The Red Lion, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter B18 6NG
£10 / £8
A far from conventional piano trio, led by bass player Paul Baxter. Originally based around Leeds, but the artistic success of their two albums ‘Evolution’ and ‘The Thaw’ is now taking them all round Europe. Originally inspired by the classic Keith Jarrett/Haden/De Johnette trio, they have been compared to EST and The Bad Plus. Featuring Johnny Tomlinson on piano and Kris Wright on percussion, with most of the writing and arranging from Paul.
why isn’t the legendary corks club in bearwood ever mentioned…thursday nights are superb and it is the historic home to andy hamilton (rip) and his proteges
Always happy to support local venntures Jim, but to answer your point specifically, this is just what Birmingham Jazz sends us. But we’ll try to get mailings from the Corks Club (or if you know anyone there, encourage them to send us info.) and we’ll post items on here.