The, the story began "in a council flat somewhere amongst inner-city Birmingham’s concrete clusters…" and the first part of it ended with a cliffhanger as Adrian stepped into the basement.

Soweto Kinch’s A Life In The Day of B19 confronted the dedicated life of the young jazz musician, the attitude and over-reaching ambitions of the rapper, and the quiet dedication of the battle-scarred Adrian, determined to make something from nothing.

We’re hoping to find out how they are getting on next Wednesday when Kinch continues Tales of the Tower Block with Basement Tales.

The launch of the first part of the inner-city jazz and rap saga at the Rainbow last year was my gig of the year, so I have high hopes for the follow up in the more spacious but equally atmospheric surroundings of the Jam House.

If Kinch is compelling on record he is even more electrifying live. His band, with Troy Miller on drums, Michael Olatuja on bass, Femi Temowo on guitars, is a thing of wonder, turning from swing to funk to free at the flick of a wrist, and the man himself weaves solos on alto saxophone as skilfull, witty and wide-ranging as his raps.

This is another very important milestone in Birmingham’s jazz journey and one that announces, more than ever before, that this city is a vital hub of jazz creativity – one which is beginning to set the trends which could be followed both nationally and internationally.

Soweto Kinch introduces A Life in the Day of B19: Basement Tales at 9pm on Wednesday at the Jam House. Doors open at 8.30pm, it’s #7 (#5) to get in and advance tickets are on sale at Swordfish Records on Newhall Street 0121 6334859 and Jibbering Records in Moseley on 0121 4494551. There is more information on www.birminghamjazz.co.uk.

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Jazz isn’t just about improvisation, but it’s the most crucial part. It’s the part that the B.I.O. concentrate on.

Those initials stand for Birmingham Improvisors’ Orchestra and this collective of musicians from a wider range of backgrounds but who all like to make it up on the spot will be doing just that on Friday at the CBSO Centre.

A group like this needs to keep the music as open-ended and fully democratic as possible, but it’s also interesting to add a bit of structure, or at least direction, in the form of a conductor. They call it "conduction", showing they are as creative with their language as with the notes and beats they play.

The B.I.O. start at 8pm, tickets are #6 (#4) and again there is more on www.birminghamjazz.co.uk.

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And a third good reason to celebrate Birmingham on the wider jazz map is the exceptional musicians who have trained here at the Birmingham Conservatoire’s jazz course.

One of their most exciting graduates is pianist Alcyona Mick, who is now making waves down south, has a new album out on the Audio-B label and returns to Birmingham with her band for the Rush Hour Blues session on Friday at 5.30pm in the Symphony Hall foyer bar. It’s free and extremely popular so get there early if you want a seat.

* If you have any news or views you’d like to share, email me at pl_bacon@yahoo.co.uk. The blog is at www.thejazzbreakfast.blogspot.com.