Another quality evening in the Jewellery Quarter.
This week’s offering at 1,000 Trades comes in the form of John Hirst & Blue Pearl. They promise a night of warm melodic harmonies delivered with style and panache by one of the finest quartet gigs, delivered by the best of the crop of recent Conservatoire graduates, who form the lineup for this band.
The band, led by graduate John Hirst, was formed to play the music of the late great Bud Powell and named after one of his songs. The recording The Amazing Bud Powell is the inspiration for this quartet and the seminal track on that record is Blue Pearl, hence the group’s name. The local players recalling these great jazz legends are David Ferris on keyboard, Tom Moore on bass and Chris Young on alto; all gaining a reputation for their technique and verve when playing live.
This band aim to look beyond the popular cuts and jam session favourites and uncover some of Bud’s lesser-known works. From swinging solo piano masterpieces such as The Fruit to the slow burning blues of Dry Soul and the all-or-nothing fragility of Time Waits, their goal is to capture the raw spirit of the original recordings and invest it with an understanding of what has been done since.
1,000 Trades, 16 Frederick Street, Birmingham, B1 3HE. Admission £8 (members free, students £5).
