The annual jazz festival in Birmingham launched on Friday and is continuing every day with dozens of live gigs at venues across the city until 25 October.
The 36th Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival’s first performance was Bruce Adams, along with the Dave Newton Quartet, at Velvet Music Rooms on Broad Street.
The jazz festival is going ahead thanks to sponsors like Westside BID and a £50,040 from the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
Jim Simpson, festival director, said: “In 36 years, there’s never been anything quite like this, and we’d like to thank sponsors like Westside BID for its support.
“We were determined to safely launch the jazz festival and now have dozens of gigs for the public to enjoy at venues across the city.”
A new video from Jas Sansi showing clips from the launch night and an interview with festival director Jim Simpson is here:
Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “The jazz festival is always wonderful to listen to but is even more so this year, when it is quite possibly the only live music festival currently taking place in the whole of the UK right now.
“We’re working with all our partners and venues to make sure that Jim and his team are able to run every single gig safely and according to all restrictions, keeping everyone both safe and happy.”
Full details of the dozens of gigs taking place until Sunday 25 October can be found here: www.birminghamjazzfestival.com
By Steve Dyson.
