The THSH brochure for September to November has arrived and I am browsing through it with a certain deja vu.

Where are the exciting jazz gigs, I wonder, growing increasingly exasperated as I page through.

The excuse used to be that Symphony Hall was too big and even the biggest stars of our "niche" music couldn't fill it, but that once the Town Hall re-opened, Birmingham audiences might get a chance to see some of the jazz musicians that Edinburgh or Glasgow or Newcastle, or even Coventry, get to sometimes see, and that London always has access to.

And what has changed since the Town Hall opened? Well, not a lot.

Sure, the BBC Big Band are TH associate artists, and they have had some good guest singers with them. How else would we have had a visit from the amazing Kurt Elling?

I was building up to a fair old grumpy peak this time around when I reached page 30 and there, smiling out at me was Mr - no, that should surely be Sir - Herbie Hancock.

That's more like it, I yelled at the four walls.

Of course, a musician of Sir Herbie's stature and following, should occupy Symphony Hall, and so he does.

So, hurrah for that and congratulations to those behind the scenes at THSH.

But grumpiness can be hard to shake off, and I am still left with my original question. Where, apart from the BBCBB and guests, are the big jazz names that might not fill Symphony Hall but which every self-respecting, arts-loving city should be welcoming?

Watch this space, but don't, unless you have a baritone saxophonist's lungs, hold your breath.

Oh, the Herbielicious one is here on Thursday, November 20, and you can book tickets (£27.50 or £32.50) on thsh.co.uk or on 0121 780 3333.

They were supposed to do this gig at the end of May but were in Barcelona instead. This Friday there will be a Spanish mood but, we hope, not a Spanish location.

The mood is created by the TG Collective and the location is the Symphony Hall foyer bar at 5.30pm for the free Rush Hour Blues session presented by Symphony Hall in association with Birmingham Jazz.

The TG Collective is the expanded Trio Gitano, with guitarists Jamie Fekete and Sam Slater still at its hub but surrounded now by musicians that could include Percy Pursglove on trumpet, cajon or double bass, Holly Jones on flute, Louis Robinson and/ or Joe Broughton on violin and Ray Butcher on trumpet. Out front at some of their gigs is flamenco dancer Ana Garcia.

Find out more at tgcollective.com

Other gigs this week:

Saturday: Dave Donohoe's Jazz Band are at the Waterworks Jazz Club from 8.30pm. It's £8 for nonmembers, the venue is the United Servicemen's Club in Gough Street, and there is more on waterworksjazz.com

Sunday: Tom Hill's Straitjackets are at the Stratford Jazz Club, which meets at 8pm at the White Swan. It's free but the band is supported by the raffle, so take a few tickets. More on stratfordjazz.org.uk

* If you have any news or views you'd like to share, email me at peterbacon@mac.com

The blog is at thejazzbreakfast.blogspot.com