Gigs
Birmingham Jazz Orchestra & Student Band Support
This is a co-promotion with the Royal Brimingham Conservatoire presenting three elements performed at the Conservatoire itself. For this performance the Orchestra has been commissioned by Birmingham Jazz to write a new five movement suite for our 2026/2027 celebrations of Black History Month and BJ @ 50.
This is the programme for the night:
6.30pm RBC student support band in the Eastside Jazz Club - Zeb Murphy Band
7.45pm Birmingham Jazz Orchestra performance in Recital Hall
9.00pm Jam Session in Eastside Jazz Club- Zeb Murphy Band
In a very special gig at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra will celebrate 50 years of Birmingham Jazz - a crucial contributor to the current thriving jazz scene in the city. Following a student support set in the Eastside Jazz Club at 6.30pm, the audience will transfer to the Recital Hall for the BJO performance, which will include the premiere of a brand-new multi-movement suite of music by five Birmingham-based composers, specially commissioned for the occasion by Phil Rose at Birmingham Jazz.
Each movement is inspired by the musical influences from Birmingham Jazz's five decades:
Movement 1 is influenced by the Jazz-Rock of the 1970s, including Mike Gibbs, Neil Ardley and Ian Carr; composed by Ed Puddick
Movement 2 celebrates some of the joyous music being made in the UK jazz scene in the 1980s: composed by Alicia Gardner-Trejo
Movement 3 reflects the maturing compositional style of writers like Kenny Wheeler in the 1990s: composed by Jonathan Silk
Movement 4 remembers the expanding musical influences of the early 2000s on the UK jazz scene: composed by Dave Sear
Movement 5 takes inspiration from all five decades of Birmingham Jazz to create a uniquely contemporary finale: composed by Alex Astbury
Following the conclusion of the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra set there will be a student-led jam session in the Eastside Jazz Club, so bring your horn and join in the celebration!
Line Up:
Saxes/Woodwinds Chris Bowden, Mary Wakelam-Sloan, John Fleming, David Bustos, Alicia Gardener-Trejo
Trumpets Gareth Howell, Nick Dunham, Aaron Diaz, Alex Astbury
Trombones Dave Sear, Joe Carnell, Rosie Smithers, Pearce Abbey
Rhythm Section Aidan Pope - guitar, John Turville - piano, James Owston - bass, Jonathan Silk - drums
We are grateful for
