Symphony Hall Stage, Birmingham UK 21-09-2016 This Jazzlines gig was also the official launch of Rough Boundaries, Birmingham Jazz Orchestra’s second album since its formation in 2014. Jacky Naylor, composer and conductor of this suite consisting of musical portraits of five… Read More ›
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Birmingham Jazz Orchestra will squeeze five cities onto the Symphony Hall stage
On Wednesday evening next week Birmingham Jazz Orchestra and their audience will sit on the Symphony Hall stage. But we will all be travelling- to Moscow, Stockholm and Reykjavik up north, to Bilbao and Marrakech down south. And we’ll be… Read More ›
Jacky Naylor – September 2016
Jacky Naylor grew up in Skipton, North Yorkshire, studied piano, and won a scholarship to study at Birmingham Conservatoire’s jazz course, from which he graduated with first class honours. While at the Conservatoire he developed his interest in composition and in writing… Read More ›
My top five Midland gigs – September 2016
If you are going to try a few gigs in the West Midlands this month, these are the ones I’d choose from first: Tuesday 20 Corrie Dick’s Impossible Things Jazz at The Spotted Dog, Digbeth, Birmingham, 9pm, £5 donation Thoroughly original and… Read More ›
My top ten Midland gigs – July 2016
If you are going to try a few gigs in Birmingham this month, these are the ones I’d choose from: Friday 8 Sean Gibbs’ Fervour Birmingham Jazz, The Red Lion, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, 7.45pm, £6 New jazz quintet with rock/blues leanings led… Read More ›
Julian Argüelles’ Tetra featuring Percy Pursglove
City Of Sounds/Jazzlines Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham UK 10-06-2016 The final Jazzlines performance in this lovely concert hall which has so many special memories for Jazzlines/Birmingham Jazz audiences featured, thoroughly appropriately, one of the most important musicians to… Read More ›
Anatomy of a soundtrack to be played after classic film
The healthy links between jazz and cinema continue to be explored and in innovative ways. In Birmingham on Saturday 18 June Jazzlines and The Electric Cinema collaborate on the Otto Preminger classic from 1959, Anatomy Of A Murder. James Stewart… Read More ›
My top ten Midland gigs – June 2016
If you are going to try a few gigs in Birmingham this month, these are the ones I’d choose from: Wednesday 8 In Love With TDE Promotions/Fizzle, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, 8pm, £10 French drummer Sylvain Darrifourcq has string-playing brothers to share… Read More ›
Jason Rebello – Held
(Edition Records) Jason Rebello has had a busy time as a pianist, from playing with Tommy Smith when they were both the new kids on the block, to touring internationally with stadium-fillers like Sting and rock gods like Jeff Beck. After a… Read More ›
Banner’s back in town – or is he?
Double bass player James Banner – or, rather, his alter-ego Jacques Bannière – has been in touch to tell me he is back in the country briefly and is playing the 5pm Jazzlines Free Jazz session at Symphony Hall cafe… Read More ›
Mike Fletcher Jazz Orchestra
Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham UK 16-04-2016 This concert was presented as part of the Rhythm Changes conference which had been happening at Birmingham City University for four days. The theme of the international jazz conference this time around was Jazz… Read More ›
Zoe Gilby Quartet
Picture and review by Garry Corbett Symphony Hall Cafe Bar 08-04-2016 Zoe Gilby and her band made their first Jazzlines Commuter Jazz appearance on Friday, having failed in an attempt to make the gig a year previously due to unforeseen traffic… Read More ›
Prestigious commission for Mike Fletcher Jazz Orchestra
Birmingham saxophonist, composer and bandleader Mike Fletcher doesn’t get to roll out his jazz orchestra nearly often enough, but he’ll be doing that in mid-April and the concert will feature a new work written specially for him and his band… Read More ›
Happy marriage of jazz and ‘contemporary’
The Jazzlines commission from pianist and composer Hans Koller, Twelve Re-inventions for George Russell, which had its world premiere at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham on Saturday as part of the Frontiers Festival, was a really successful coming together of… Read More ›
Tord Gustavsen: Hymns and Visions
with Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad CBSO Centre, Birmingham UK 11-03-16 The German-Afghan Simin Tander is the singer Tord Gustavsen has been waiting for all his life. The Norwegian pianist has worked with vocalists before, but none has developed the mix of… Read More ›
That exciting moment when a ‘bunch of wrong notes sound wonderful’
There’s a humdinger of a concert on Saturday at the CBSO Centre. Hans Koller, pianist, composer, arranger, band leader (for Michael Gibbs no less!) and educator, is bringing his ambitious Twelve Re-inventions for George Russell to the stage for its… Read More ›
My top 10 Midland gigs – March 2016
Here are the 10 gigs I consider to be the most attractive/exciting/worth-a-listen this month (it’s a strong month so choosing just 10 has been tough): 4 March Young Pilgrims/Fur/Cop Music Pilgrimage/The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham, 8.30pm, £8 The… Read More ›