Jazz Breaking News: Sun Ra Arkestra, Courtney Pine, And Portico Quartet For Birmingham
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Mostly Jazz Festival in Birmingham takes place for the first time at the end of next week running over two days during Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 July featuring a strong line-up of contemporary jazz artists including the Sun Ra Arkestra, Courtney Pine, the James Taylor Quartet, Portico Quartet, and Led Bib.
The festival also continues the nationwide year-long Django Reinhardt centenary celebrations with a gypsy jazz concert on the second day at the Main Stage featuring the Gary Potter Trio and the Bright Size Gypsies. Other Main Stage artists include Polar Bear, Quantic and his Combo Barbaro, and Sister Henry and the Prescriptions on the Saturday; and Cymande II, Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes, and Steve Ajao on the Sunday.
In addition to the Main Stage in Moseley Park, two other nearby stages will feature a variety of performances. One of these called the Yardbird Stage on Saturday, features a programme booked by the Yardbird club and includes the Fantastics, Lizzy Parks and Groove Cartel. On the Sunday it becomes the Birmingham Jazz Stage, featuring local talent, including Sara Colman, the TG Collective Trio, and the Birmingham Jazz Youth Group. Another stage operating on both days, the Swing Meadow Stage, features a programme that includes film screenings and spoken word.
The Mostly Jazz Festival is one of a small number of UK jazz festivals that are completely open-air. Moseley Park, also the site of the Moseley Folk Festival, is about two miles from the centre of Birmingham. Day and weekend tickets and more information about the festival are available on the festival website.
– Nivedita Sarnath
For more go to www.mostlyjazz.co.uk