Live music is delighting audiences across Sandwell as part of an international festival – and there are more concerts to come all this week and over the weekend.
The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Ann Jaron helped to officially launch the Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival on Friday (19 July) with jazz trumpeter Bruce Adams and pianist Dave Newton kicking off a weekend of fabulous entertainment.
This week, there’s a library concert every evening (through to Saturday 27 July), plus events at Sandwell Arts Café on Friday (26 July) and at museums and West Bromwich town centre over the weekend.
Go to www.sandwell.gov.uk/jazzfestival to check out the full Sandwell line-up of events, most of which are free.
Councillor Bob Lloyd, cabinet member with responsibility for culture, said: “It’s fantastic to have international and homegrown artists performing here in Sandwell, bringing fun and great entertainment for people to enjoy.”
Tonight (Tuesday 23 July) sees Paris-based The Dirty Ragtimers bring their mix of violin, guitar and singing to Bleakhouse Library, Oldbury, at 7pm. Tomorrow (Wednesday 24 July), Deborah Rose joins Martin Riley to lend her stunningly pure vocals to interpretations of folk, jazz and Americana at Wednesbury Library at 7pm.
On Thursday (25 July), guitarist Bob Wilson and singer/harmonica player Simon ‘Honeyboy’ Hickling perform at Great Barr Library at 7pm.
Get in the weekend mood on Friday (26 July), with jazz legend Val Wiseman & the Wise Guys at Sandwell Arts Café, West Bromwich, at 12noon and a ukulele workshop with Jules Cockshott from Ukulele Rocks at 12noon at Glebefields Library, Tipton. Free admission.
Buy tickets now for Spain’s Potato Head Jazz Band performing hot jazz, swing and Dixieland at 7pm on Friday (26 July) at Blackheath Library (£5.50 advance, £7.50 door).
On Saturday (27 July), West Bromwich Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting a series of free jazz concerts at New Square Shopping Centre from 11am-4pm.
Then on Saturday (27 July) evening, it’s a big highlight of the festival as King Pleasure & the Biscuit Boys perform at Central Library West Bromwich at 7pm. Tickets cost £12.50 in advance or £15 on the door). There’s also a question and answer session with King Pleasure at 6.30pm (doors open 6.15pm).
Rounding off the festival on Sunday (28 July) are Scotland’s Tenement Jazz Band at 2pm at Haden Hill House & Park, Cradley Heath, and Dave Moore Blues Band at 2.30pm at Oak House, West Bromwich.
You can follow the festival on Twitter @BirmJazzFest and on Facebook and Instagram. Go to the festival website www.birminghamjazzfestival.com for the full programme of events.
There will be more jazz and blues events happening in August, September and October in Sandwell libraries.
