Jazz breaking news: Mostly Jazz gets an injection of funk and soul
Friday, February 24, 2012
After two successful years the Mostly Jazz festival returns to Moseley Park in Birmingham this summer as the Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul festival.
The two-stage festival will see its 2011 headliners Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles return to play with a variety of different acts.
Birmingham promoters Leftfoot will take over both of the stages on the opening night Friday 29 June for an exploration of electronic orientated music. Leading the way will be DJ Gilles Peterson (pictured), Ghostpoet and the nine-piece band Introducing, who will be recreating DJ Shadow’s entirely sample-based groundbreaking album Endtroducing. On Saturday 30 June The Bongolian bring their own brand of jazz-funk to the main stage. Craig Charles will take over the second stage where he will present his longstanding Funk and Soul Club, leading his own sets and some by the likes of Federation of the Disco Pimp and Lack of Afro.
On the closing night Sunday 1 July the festival returns to its jazz roots. Saxophonist/rapper Soweto Kinch and James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley will each have a set on the main stage.
Also playing on Sunday will be veteran Birmingham saxophonist Andy Hamilton and his band The Bluenotes, free improv/metal crossover Husk, with Steve Ajao & Birmingham Jazz Youth Orchestra also appearing. More acts will be added to the line-up in the run-up to the festival.
For tickets and more information go to www.mostlyjazz.co.uk
– Chris Hyde-Harrison