Birmingham jazz club set to be of international significance
Birmingham’s diverse music scene is being enhanced with the opening of a new jazz club.
The Eastside Jazz Club is not just a major boost to the cultural offer of the city, it is of international significance to the wider jazz scene.
The state-of-the-art venue, part of the new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, will be hosting jazz in all its forms, from standards to contemporary and solo spots to big band, featuring young talent from the immediate jazz community to world-renowned musicians.
The 80-seat club opened for the first time on Thursday (October 5) with performances from long-time collaborators and friends, saxophonist David Liebman (below) and composer/pianist Richie Beirach, both stalwarts and innovators on the New York scene for many years.
Jeremy Price, Head of Jazz at Birmingham Conservatoire and Artistic Director of Eastside Jazz Club, said: “This is a really significant moment for us as we see all our plans come to fruition. We aim to make this venue central to the burgeoning Birmingham jazz scene and a fixture on the international touring circuit for world-renowned artists.
“We are all really excited to get off the mark officially with such important luminaries for our music as Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach.
“This venue has so much potential and I’m delighted that our architects and acoustic engineers have responded to our requests in such an imaginative and helpful way. It’s a beautiful space in which to play and listen and is also a great social space for musicians and audiences alike. Jazz music deserves the unique club environment that allows it to thrive and develop and we have it right here.”
Internationally-acclaimed guests are already lined up for the first few months.
On November 2 there will be a chance to see Canadian sisters Christine and Ingrid Jensen (saxes and trumpet respectively – pictured below) with guitarist Ben Monder, known for their organic composing style and infinite variety.
Exciting new guitarist and former winner of the Montreux jazz guitar competition, Gilad Hekselman is joined by the lyrical saxophonist Mark Turner (below) on November 16. Trumpeter and Yamaha artist Rex Richardson joins the Jeremy Price Quartet on November 9, and one of Britain’s most important jazz musicians and a regular Birmingham visitor, saxophonist Stan Sulzmann plays with the Eastside Jazz Club Trio on November 30.
The club will host events most evenings with days of the week dedicated to different strands of jazz repertoire: Monday is Big Band Night with the Jazz Orchestra and Ellington Orchestra alternating weekly; Tuesday is Jazz Canon night featuring the music of the masters such as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Ornette Coleman. Wednesdays give the floor to contemporary and original jazz with celebrity guest nights taking a regular Thursday slot. Fridays will see anything from the Afro-Cuban Band to folk, gypsy and swing, kicking off on October 13 with singer-songwriter and keys man Oli Rockberger. Saturdays are given over to the local community and young musicians’ groups.
David Liebman
Canadian sisters Christine and Ingrid Jensen
Mark Turner
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