Enjoy music across Sandwell’s six towns with the Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival.
Sandwell is an official partner in the international festival for the third year running, with events from 19-28 July 2019, most of which are free.
International artists from America, France, Lithuania and Spain will be joining a host of homegrown talent including stars from Sandwell.
There are amazing events in each of Sandwell’s six towns, including at libraries, museums, parks, Sandwell Arts Café and West Bromwich town centre.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for people from Sandwell and the rest of the Black Country to enjoy high-quality music right on their doorstep.
Among the many highlights are festival favourites King Pleasure & the Biscuit Boys and Ricky Cool & the In Crowd, who are both performing at Central Library West Bromwich.
Students from SIPS Music and Arts Service Rock School are getting everyone in the mood for the festival with a performance at Central Library tonight (Tuesday 9 July).
Sandwell Council Leader Councillor Yvonne Davies said: “There’s a wonderful range of entertaining music and colourful, eye-catching performances on offer, with something to suit all ages.
“We are proud to be part of this international festival, welcoming artists from across the UK and around the world as well as celebrating musicians from closer to home.
“We’ll give everyone a warm Sandwell welcome – and hope visitors will enjoy discovering our libraries, museums, parks and other venues at the same time.
“It’s an exciting time for music in Sandwell, with the recent announcement that a brand-new music school will be built in West Bromwich with the City of Birmingham Orchestra and Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust – the first school of its kind in the country.”
Go to www.sandwell.gov.uk/jazzfestival for details of Sandwell events.
Events in Sandwell are as follows (free entry unless stated):
Friday 19 July:
- 12noon: Sandwell Arts Café – Bruce Adams & Dave Newton
- 7pm: Lightwoods Park – Bruce Adams/Dave Newton Quartet
- 7pm: West Bromwich Central Library – Ricky Cool & The In Crowd (£5.50 advance, £7.50 door)
- 7pm: Manor House, Stone Cross – Les Zautos Stompers De Paris (France)
Saturday 20 July:
- 2.30pm: Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery – Florence Joelle (France)
- 7pm: Cradley Heath Library – Bobby Woods (USA)
- 7pm: Wednesbury Library – Anvil Chorus
Sunday 21 July:
- 2pm: Manor House, Stone Cross – Rip Roaring Success
- 7pm: Thimblemill Library – The Schwings (Lithuania)
Monday 22 July:
- 7pm: Great Bridge Library – Roy Forbes
Tuesday 23 July:
- 7pm: Bleakhouse Library – The Dirty Ragtimers (France)
Wednesday 24 July:
- 7pm: Wednesbury Library – Deborah Rose & Martin Riley
Thursday 25 July:
- 7pm: Great Barr Library – Bob Wilson & Honeyboy Hickling
Friday 26 July:
- 12noon: Sandwell Arts Café – Val Wiseman & the Wise Guys (with Q&A with Val Wiseman from 11.30am)
- 12noon: Glebefields Library, Tipton – Jules Cockshott from Ukulele Rocks (a ukulele workshop for beginners of all ages)
- 7pm: Blackheath Library – Potato Head Jazz Band (Spain) (£5.50 advance, £7.50 door)
Saturday 27 July:
- 11am: New Square Shopping Centre – Potato Head Jazz Band (Spain)
- 12.45pm: New Square Shopping Centre – Ricky Cool & the In Crowd
- 2.30pm: New Square Shopping Centre – Tenement Jazz Band (Scotland)
- 7pm: West Bromwich Central Library – King Pleasure & the Biscuit Boys (£12.50 advance/£15 door) plus question and answer session with King Pleasure at 6.30pm (doors open 6.15pm)
- 8pm: Great Barr Conservative Club – Tiptinia (£6.50 advance/£7.50 door)
Sunday 28 July:
- 2pm: Haden Hill House, Cradley Heath – Tenement Jazz Band (Scotland)
- 2.30pm: Oak House, West Bromwich – David Moore Blues Band
You can follow the festival on Twitter @BirmJazzFest and on Facebook and Instagram. Go to www.birminghamjazzfestival.com for the full programme for this year’s festival.
There will be more jazz and blues events happening in August, September and October in Sandwell libraries.
