Birmingham's joints will all be jumping from a week on Friday as the 22nd Starbucks Birmingham International Jazz Festival swings into town.
The New Orleans Jump Band from Sotogrande in Spain have been chosen to kick off the annual ten-day jazz party.
New this year as a venue is The Electric Cinema which will be home to concerts, workshops, youth events, jazz movies and even the World Cup Final which will be shown to the accompaniment live on stage of The Lazy Jumpers from Barcelona.
Also on the programme, presented in conjunction with Urban Fusion, are Diz 'Honeybear' Watson, Al Copley and Zoot Money (all on the Friday). Israeli saxophone star Gilad Atzmon brings in his Quartet (July 10), James Hunter will launch his US smash album People Gonna Talk (July 12) with Birmingham's Lizzy Parks opening the show, and Mishka Adams makes a rare visit from the Philippines (July 13).
Canada's extremely nutty Shuffle Demons bring in their anarchic show (July 14) followed by a jazz violin summit where Holland's Tim Kliphuis and New York's Aaron Weinstein lock horns (July 15).
Just turned 20 years of age, fiddle player Weinstein is the hottest new sensation in jazz, already rated as one of the top 5 all time jazz greats on that instrument. He will be the festival's swinger-inresidence, playing in a wide variety of settings.
The granddaddy of them all, George Melly, will perform alfresco in St Paul's Square (July 14) heading a roster of UK jazz attractions including Digby
Fairweather, Val Wiseman, Art Themen, Dave Gelly and Bruce Adams.
Tickets are available from 0121 454 7020 or at birminghamboxoffice.com.
Tickets are also available throughout the city at: Central Library (0121 303 2323), Birmingham Hippodrome (0870 7301234), The Drum (0121 333 2400), Ticket Shop (0121 202 5000), The Rep (0121 236 4455), The Old Rep (0121 605 4444) and MAC (0121 440 3838).
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