Bassist Dave Holland will be in the city centre on Friday evening, along with saxophonist Stan Sulzmann, drummer Nate Smith and the Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra, to bid a final jazz farewell to the Adrian Boult Hall. He’ll be the last… Read More ›
Jazzlines, Birmingham’s Town Hall and Symphony Hall jazz strand, has announced full details not only of its Fellowship scheme, a mentoring project for young musicians which started last year, but also a new Future Fellows scheme which nurtures much younger… Read More ›
You just have to say two words to those who have been listening to British jazz for a while to elicit (I’ll stick my neck out here and say) without exception a warm smile and enthusiastic appreciation. Those words are… Read More ›
The funeral of Russ Escirtt, the jazz photographer who died on 11 November, is to be held at Sandwell Valley Crematorium at 12.15pm on Wednesday 28 November. Afterwards there will be a gathering to remember Russ at the upstairs foyer in… Read More ›
It is with a very heavy heart that I report the death of Russ Escritt. I understand that the disease from which he had been suffering for a long time progressed rapidly in the last week and Russ passed away… Read More ›
CBSO Centre, Birmingham UK 23-03-2012 There are times during a Tord Gustavsen concert when I notice I have been holding my breath for a while. It’s partly the feeling that my breathing might be audible over a stroked piano key… Read More ›
Sad to hear that the great saxophonist and composer Sam Rivers died on Monday. Here is a photograph Russ Escritt took of him on his visit to Birmingham with his Rivbea Orchestra in 2004. The New York Times Obituary is… Read More ›
CBSO Centre, Birmingham, England 12-11-2011 Reviewed by Russ Escritt On Saturday night Steve Swallow brought his new Quintet to the CBSO Centre for the highlight of a great autumn programme from Birmingham Jazz. Steve has been a regular visitor to… Read More ›
The Cross, Moseley, Birmingham UK 09-11-2011 Reviewed by Tony Dudley-Evans It is many years since Greg Osby played in Birmingham and this appearance in a quartet put together by Michael Janisch, bass player and jazz empresario supreme, attracted a large… Read More ›
The Mancy Of Sound (PI Recordings PI38) The saxophonist and composer still uses M-Base to describe his music. No, wait a minute, that’s wrong. He uses the acronym – it stands for Macro – Basic Array Of Structured Extemporizations –… Read More ›
US Grammy-nominated singer Gregory Porter, captured in pixels by Russ Escritt, at the Hare & Hounds last night. Russ’s website has loads of his other pictures plus his blog, and his latest book of his pictures is called A Jazz Year In Birmingham…. Read More ›
Here is a round-up of some of the Harmonic Festival gigs over the weekend, captured in pixels by Russ Escritt. There are brief reviews of all these gigs elsewhere on thejazzbreakfast (search Harmonic Live). Russ’s website has loads of his… Read More ›
Russ Escritt’s pic of the week is of Food at TheYardbird in Birmingham back in June 2007. And Food – Iain Ballamy and Thomas Stronen – are back in town this weekend as part of the Harmonic Festival. See more… Read More ›
Russ Escritt’s pic of the week is of Django Bates’s stoRMChaser band at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham back in October 2008. The tenor player in the red sweat is Marius Neset, who brings his Golden Xplosion Quartet to Coventry… Read More ›
Russ Escritt gets the hard stare from a deadpan Lluis Mather, during a characteristically uproarious performance from the jazz-meets-ska outfit, Ska’d For Life. Russ was at the band’s Rush Hour Blues gig in Brindleyplace last Friday. Just click on the picture… Read More ›
Russ Escritt’s choice for his pic of the week is one from the archive: Atomic at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham last September. The band could be heard together with the Vandermark 5, with whom they shared the Birmingham gig,… Read More ›
Russ Escritt’s choice for his pic of the week is one from the archive: Sam Rivers, from his gig with his Rivbea Orchestra at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham in November 2004. Russ was inspired to look for it after… Read More ›
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