LINE-UP2019

Schedule 2019

DAY 1
JULY 26TH 2019
DOORS: 6:30PM

REVEREND
EVE
PITTS

Opening of The Festival by The Reverend Eve Pitts

THE ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE

We are happy to welcome students from The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz
Department, for the third year, this time bringing their Township Band to the Festival. A new venture as part of the Jazz Departments African Sketchbook, this will be an exciting new experience and no doubt popular with our audience as always!

To find out more, visit: www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/music
/departments/jazz

HANDSWORTH COMMUNITY
CHOIR


Delighting audiences since 2013, this sensational choir have showcased their
outstanding singing abilities at everything from local community events to large
prestigious concerts at venues such as the Birmingham Symphony Hall and the
city’s Town Hall.

To find out more, www.handsworthcommunitychoir.org.uk

KATE LUXMOORE
GROUP

Kate Luxmoore has been interpreting what she terms the “English Songbook”
through a fusion of jazz, urban grooves and African rhythms, marrying together
the harmonies and melodies of English folk with the rolling, poly-rhythms of
Yoruba grooves to create an upbeat, jazz infused set that also includes original
compositions.

In this concert she leads her cracking band featuring Tom Ford (guitar),
Wayne Matthews (bass), Lekan Babalola (percussion) and Alex Magni (percussion).

www.kateluxmoore.com

ZIRCON
BLIM

Zircon Blim is a blues and Jazz funk trio based in the West Midlands.
Comprised of Drums, Bass and Guitar, the trio explores Blues and Jazz
grooves and themes intertwined with improvisation.

RICHARD CLARK GUITAR
DAVE HOUGHTON BASS
JIM BASHFORD DRUMS

Melody will be accompanied by Leon Small on drums and Samuel Lewis on Keyboard.Melody, performs regularly at local events including with three choirs.

KEVIN
GRIPPER

Derek Gripper is a classical guitarist who has taken a unique path. As a South African classical musician he found limited by the music of the traditional classical guitar and so went on a journey through different musical styles, returning always to the guitar to find ways of bringing what he learned onto the instrument. 

It took Derek Gripper untold hours of painstaking work to transcribe note-for-note the complex compositions of Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté and find a way of playing them on six-string guitar.

www.derekgripper.com

DAY 2

SATURDAY 27TH JULY 2019

DOORS: 4:30PM

7:15PM

BIRCHFIELD
YOUTH
ENSEMBLE

Young People have been devising a drama and music performance for this year’s Festival, based around a Yoruba Creation Myth – Osun’s Story.

They have devised and created the piece with workshop leader Janaya Alcock and The Ifa Yoruba Contemporary Arts Trust’s Music Trainees; Arjun Jethwa, Ben Jones and Mahalia Edwards.

BEN
HOLDER
DUO

Ben Holder is one of the most gifted and exciting young jazz violinists in the UK. Taught classically from the age of six,
he studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
A first call jazz violinist for many of the UK’s top bands and studios.

Here he is joined by Guitarist Jez Cook.
www.benholdermusic.co.uk

JAZZLINES EMERGING ARTISTS

Jazzlines is a unique programme of
creative jazz music and Talent
Development initiatives based within
Performances Birmingham Limited
(PBL), the charity that runs Town Hall
and Symphony Hall.
It offers performance opportunities to
emerging and established
contemporary jazz musicians as part
of a thriving, artistically excellent
programme in venues across the city –
be sure to catch some these talented
musicians at this years festival.

To find out more, visit:
www.thsh.co.uk/whats-on/org/jazzlines

MABOWUNJE HARRISON

Mabowunje (Mah-boon-jeh) is an exciting artist on the Birmingham
live music scene.
A powerful voice swirled with melody ensures this singer delivers a performance that warms and delights audiences. London- born Mabowunje uses Jazz, Reggae, Soul and African roots to engage with song as a medium of spirit.

THE
NOTE BENDERS

The Notebenders consists of members from all ages communities and skill levels.
We are a community band and rehearse regularly on Friday nights, at the Ladywood community centre in Birmingham. Over the past few years we have been given a great opportunity to perform at the Symphony Hall reception once a month jazz
in the city. And would be more than overjoyed to perform at the Birchfield Jazz festival.
The Notebenders was inspired by the late Legendary jazz musician ANDY HAMILTON OBE
who had been teaching musicians since 1949. Andy’s students practiced weekly to
develop their playing skills and ability.
Over the months and years the band grew from a small number of musicians and now over 25 musicians in total.

https://www.notebenders.co.uk

SPECTRUM
A NEW DIRECTION

SPECTRUM ARE PIANIST/KEYBOARDIST NIRAN OBASA, ELECTRIC BASSIST
DARLINGTON JOSEPH AND DRUMMER STANLEY OHIOS.
Presented in partnership with Joyful Noise Promotions.
http://www.joyfulnoise.co.uk

As SPECTRUM they combine evocative melodies of the pianist and keyboardist NIRAN OBASA, strong bass driven motifs by bassist DARLINGTON JOSEPH and deep grooves by the drummer STANLEY OHIOS. Together they create contemporary African jazz where jazz, afrobeat, hi-life and funk are fused together to create hypnotic free flowing exuberant modern African jazz with strong grooves.