* It’s a week of smaller gigs, illustrating the healthy spread of regular jazz nights in pubs around the city.
Tonight it’s the Silvershine Jazz Club at Bearwood Corks Club, where taking the stand will be the Henry Newman Band, featuring former Black Voices gospel singer Janice Williamson.
Entry is £4 and the doors open at 8.30pm, with the music starting at 9pm. Find out more at www.bearwoodjazz.co.uk
* On Friday Birmingham Jazz has the Josh Kemp Jazz Prophets at their regular haunt, The Red Lion in Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter. Josh is a warm-toned and melodic tenor player, a member of the E17 Jazz Collective from London, and a composer too, with a number of albums under his belt. His latest is called Tone Poetry, is released this month on his own Fulltone Music label, and features Tim Lapthorn on piano, Mick Hutton on bass and Matt Skelton on drums.
Fellow saxophonist Alan Barnes has called Kemp “a musician of great individuality”. It sounds like the Jazz Prophets will please mainstreamers and modern fans alike. The music starts at 7.45pm sharp, entrance is £12 (£10 for members) and The Red Lion has good food and exceptionally fine beer. Find out more at www.birminghamjazz.co.uk
* Before heading to The Red Lion, have an early evening drink in the Symphony Hall cafe bar on Friday, and enjoy the music of the Tim Amman band, for free.
A stalwart of the Birmingham scene, and linchpin of both the Walsall Jazz Orchestra and The Blue Notes – he goes all the way back to the Cannonball jazz club in Adderley Street - pianist Tim swings hard and writes strong material. With him for this Jazzlines session are fellow WJOers, Sam Rogers on saxophone, Ray Butcher on trumpet, Adam Gilchrist on bass and Carl Hemmingsley on drums.
The music starts at 5pm.
* Drummer John Hirst’s first jazz night venture ran into trouble when his chosen pub shut its doors shortly thereafter. So we wish him well with a more robust venue, the upstairs room of the Rose Villa Tavern, also in Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter. The sessions will be on every other Sunday and this week John has programmed Blue Pearl: The Music of Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. John himself is on drums, with Chris Young on alto saxophone, David Ferris on piano and James Banner on bass.
Entry prices will vary depending on the status of the band, but this week it’s £5. The music starts at 9pm. Get more information via Facebook – just look for JazzatTheRoseVillaTavern.
Before that on Sunday, the Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra is giving a lunchtime concert at the Westley Hotel, Acocks Green. BBC Big Band trombonist Gordon Campbell is the guest on the stand, it starts at 12.30pm, and entrance is £9.
* Tuesdays are, of course, Spotted Dog days, and this week the Digbeth pub will be filled with Sardinian sunshine, courtesy of double bassist Sebastiano Dessanay. With the Conservatoire post-grad will be Fulvio Sigurta on trumpet, Gareth Fowler on guitar and Tymek Jozwiak on drums. Sebastiano is one of the most accurate and melodic bassists I know, and his music is both original and accessible. It starts at 9pm, and generous donations to the passing tankard are encouraged. More on Facebook - look for Jazz @ The Spotted Dog.
