Every week is one to celebrate home-grown jazz talent - such is the vibrancy of jazz in Birmingham in the 21st century - but this week there is even more reason with a whole bunch of gigs featuring musicians not from New York or London but from right here.
Sunday at The Drum provides the focus, with the launch not of one band or musician, but many of both.
The Cobweb Collective was formed in 2006 by double bassist/trumpeter Percy Pursglove, saxophonist and bandleader Mary Wakelam and gypsy jazz guitarist Sam Slater.
The aim was to provide a promotional and gig-organising structure for the many young musicians - the majority studying, or having studied, at Birmingham Conservatoire - in the city.
The Cobweb Collective has promoted jazz nights at various venues around town including the Yardbird Jazz Club.
We all know how vital the Internet is for musicians and there are dozens of myspace and facebook sites currently inhabited by these young, hard-working and ambitious Birmingham students and graduates, so it's logical that they should want to draw attention to themselves on the web.
The new website is www.cobwebcollective.com and it is officially launched on Sunday at the Drum, where you will be able to hear fourth-year Conservatoire student trumpeter Aaron Diaz reworking the music of Frank with his own ten-piece band Zappa-jazz, and drummer Simon Spreyer, a graduate of the Conservatoire, with his group. Look out for keyboard shooting star Dan Nicholls in both bands, and the honkalicious Colin Mills on baritone in the Zappa band.
The cherry on the top is that, of course, The Drum's Live Box MC Soweto Kinch will be making everyone feel right at home along with his band.
The Cobweb's Tom Chapman, explained: "Birmingham is unique, with many pockets of improvising across the city, from players such as Andy Hamilton, who started out in the 1940s, and Soweto Kinch and his Livebox community, to the rapidly developing playing culture of students and alumni of the Conservatoire's jazz course.
"As well as local talent, we're making friends across the UK jazz scene. Artists who have played at our events over the last year have included Julian Siegel, Jean Toussaint, Hans Koller, Phil Robson and Jim Hart's Gemini. International artists have included Dan Weiss and Thomas Stronen."
And what's on the calendar for 08? "Current upcoming excitements include associations with the Birmingham leg of the Mike Gibbs/Conservatoire jazz orchestra tour, and hosting the new Dave Holland Prize final, plus fringe events at the Cheltenham International Jazz festival at the end of April."
Tom stresses: "We're proud of Birmingham and we're excited to be part of what goes on, a lot of which is still fairly unknown."
Find out more on Sunday. It lasts from 7.45pm till 11pm and entrance is a paltry £5. Look at cobwebcollective.com for a reminder of all this. Should be a great party.
* Before then there are these gigs:
Tomorrow: Bassist Roger Inniss leads his Quartet at the Jam House from 9.30pm. It's free and is a Birmingham Jazz promotion.
Friday: The Sub Ensemble - the new and improved Sugarbeats - play their first full gig for Rush Hour Blues-busters at the Symphony Hall foyer bar from 5.30pm. The band now boasts guest vocalist Sara Colman and, judging by the demos I've heard, has a new confidence and vibrancy that is likely to have the drink shaking in your glass and those large windows at Symphony Hall pulsing in appreciation.
This is a joint promotion by Symphony Hall and Birmingham Jazz. It's free.
* Finally, early alert of the return of Indo-Jazz to Birmingham in the form of the Teak Project, featuring Jonathan Mayer, son of the late, great John, who got the whole thing started here in the 1960s. They play the Birmingham Conservatoire next Monday, so more in next week's diary.
* No space here to rant and rave about the imminent demise of TheJazz digital radio station, so go to my blog for that.
* If you have any news or views you'd like to share, email me at peterbacon@mac.com. The blog is at www.thejazzbreakfast.blogspot.com
