ED’S PICK: April ‘18

Words by Ed King

Easter Sunday, 1st April… There’s probably a joke in there somewhere. But with a basket of listings and entertainment based excel spreadsheets to plough through who has the time to be witty? Or hunt for Easter eggs, for that matter. Being an adult sucks.

However (…are you ready for this segue) it does allow me to enjoy all the delights of the Flatpack Film Festival without worrying about ID – actually, I’m not sure there’s too much on the programme with an age restriction but Dots & Loops are part of the festival and they brought us Lesley the Pony Has and A+ Day!, so…

Back for festival number 12, those glorious creatives at Flatpack have put on a nine day smorgasbord of celluloid, digital, and other audio/visual treats – running from 13th to 22nd April, in a variety of venue across the city. Too much to cram into this round up; look out for our more in-depth cherry pick in the days to come, or click here for more direct information on the full programme.

Elsewhere in the non-greenfield, Ebola flirting, footwear wrecking land of multi-stage events, we have the Birmingham Literature Festival – hop scotching from various corners of the REP to the Birmingham and Midland Institute from 27th to 29th April. Now old enough to drink beer in America, this year’s Birmingham Literature Festival has a focus on women in literature and publishing, alongside a weekend long programme of ‘inspiring conversations, writing and debate’. Again too much to adequately surmise, but click here for more direct info.

Following on with a female focus, Birmingham Jazz launches its Legends Festival on 27th April – running as a series of satellite events across the city until 20th May. This year’s linchpin is ‘Celebrating Women in Jazz’, with local artists such as Trish Clowes joining a myriad of talent from across the globe. Too much to fit into… you know the drill, click here.

Theatre comes in all shapes and sizes this month, including a couple of choice cuts on Hurst Street – with Wicked beginning its Birmingham run at the Hippodrome (4th-29th Apr) and The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel at the Patrick Centre (4th– 8th Apr).

Across the duel carriageways and road works we have Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock coming to the Birmingham REP (10th – 14th) followed by the political see-saw of 1970’s Britain in This House (17th – 21st) – reminding us fear mongering comes from both sides of the aisle and a dash of vitriol isn’t a particular new idea. How times have changed… or not.

Music takes its usual fat belly slice of our monthly listings, with a few ‘big gigs’ of notE coming to the NEC portfolio – as the Genting Arena sees both Arcade Fire (15th Apr) and Dua Lipa (17th Apr), whilst Arena Birmingham welcomes the Manic Street Preachers (27th Apr) back to the city.

Playing across the non-arena rooms of our musical city, the Hare & Hounds has another eclectic mix – with Kushikatsu Records presenting Shonen Knife (15th Apr) followed Snowpoet (19th Apr) courtesy of Jazzlines. Whilst The Glee Club sees the very welcome return of Nerina Pallot (9th Apr) stopping off in Birmingham on the second date if her UK tour. Fingers crossed there’s a piano on stage.

The Sunflower Lounge sees Killer Wave and Outlander host their ‘Help the Homeless’ pay-as-you-feel charity fundraiser (8th Apr) – with all money raised going to Shelter and Tabor House. Then we have Lucy May Walker playing her first headline show in Birmingham (18th Apr) – both events well worth a stop, look and listen. And £5 of your hard earned cash, of course.

Our mobile branded venues see a bevy of acts this month too, with the O2 Academy presenting George Ezra (4th Apr), The Vaccines (7th Apr), Trivium (17th Apr), The Streets (19th Apr), Coasts (21st Apr) and Akala (24th Apr). Whilst the O2 Institute leads out with Walk the Moon (7th Apr), Little Comets (14th Apr), Aquilo (16th Apr), Of Mice and Men (25th Apr) and Sharon Needles: Battle Axe Tour (26th Apr).

A special mention also has to go to the Hummingbird-Menagerie-Indie-salad days-nostalgia trip coming to the O2 Academy with Love From Stourbridge – featuring The Wonder Stuff and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (14th Apr). Someone pass me my German army shirt, skateboard and a can of Red Stripe, we’re going early 90’s feral…

And if you’re committed to your anti-corporate support of live music, never fear as mac welcomes Juice Aleem & Surge Orchestra (21st Apr) whilst Mama Roux’s serves two sides of the musical rainbow with The Herbaliser (19th Apr) and Mallory Knox (24th Apr)… probably not a good idea to get those dates mixed up in your diary.

Elsewhere in the city, comedy offers a relatively strong respite from those kids and their music – with The Glee Club presenting Tony Law (13th Apr), Alun Cochrane (15th Apr) and Craig Campbell (22nd Apr).

Or if you just want to stand and stare, you could waste a happy hour or two at Lewes Herriot: The Glass Arcana exhibition at Artefact in Stirchley (13th – 14th Apr). Or watching the flyers unfold with an exhibition from the seminal 90’s ambient electro club Oscillate, at Centrala (16th – 28th Apr) – bearing in mind there is an end of exhibition party with HIA and POLE (28th Apr) so you might want to do more than actually just stand and stare. Or not. Depends how you dance to Sun Electric, I suppose. Necking enough amphetamines to kill a small horse always worked for me, but vegetarian options are available.

But to end on the most glamorous of high notes (pun absolutely intended) Paul Alexsandr and Dragpunk present Candyland at The Nightingale (6th Apr) – a choc full celebration of ‘local and national UK drag of all genders, sexualities and abilities that you’ll adore.’ Then at the other end of the April rainbow, Opulence are launching Mother’s Meeting at Bar Jester (28th Apr) – a band spanking new ‘performance night dedicated to showing off a variety of drag and queer talent across Birmingham and the U.K.’, with special guest Charity Kase joined by a pageant of the Opulence crew on stage and Elliot Barnicle on the decks.

Birmingham can be proud for many reasons, but the cross over embrace of its drag community is one to really get those flags waving. We love covering it, and it seems the punters of Birmingham love supporting it. So, Vive la/le drag community of our fair/fairer city, alongside all who sail on these most wonderful of waters. Save some energy though, Birmingham Pride is a mere calendar page turn away.

And wait, I’ve just thought of one. A Jewish carpenter and a 6ft rabbit walk into Cadbury World…

For more on any of the events listed here, click on the highlighted hyperlinks. Ed King is Editor-in-Chief of Review Publishing, which issues both the Birmingham Review and Birmingham Preview. To follow Ed King on Twitter, click here.

BREVIEW: Trish Clowes – My Iris @ Eastside Jazz Club 25.01.18

BREVIEW: Trish Clowes - My Iris @ Eastside Jazz Club 25.01.18

Words by Anna Whittaker

Eastside Jazz Club is a new venue inside Birmingham Royal Conservatoire at Birmingham City University. Given the gig started at 6.30pm and was set in a university building, I was prepared to feel like I was still at work and be horrified by the lack of alcohol. 

In fact, there is a cafe bar, from which you can take your drinks through to the venue, and they even do a little bit of food. Actually with the lighting and seating, it feels less like a lecture theatre-cum-practice room and less like a typical jazz club replete with sticky floor, general trodden in smell and dingy bar in the corner. The band gets loads more room than you see at most places, and the acoustics are great. Get here early for a seat.

Trampette, the support band of students at the Conservatoire, come on stage at 6.30pm. They’ve only been playing together since the summer but Tom Harris, Tommy Fuller, Josh Savage and Kai Chareunsy have a funky sound with songs based on your typical student things like a game of Jenga that went horribly wrong. It’s an interesting combo of keyboard/grand piano and bass guitar, with a drum kit and percussion section featuring bongos and a beat box to modernise the sound. Guest singer, Rebekah Wilkins, brings another dimension, and sounds beautifully like Melody Gardot. The best thing is they are definitely enjoying themselves. Trampette are also joined by a tenor sax player Harry Lear, for ‘Chickpea Mash’ they regularly stay with a slow rhythm then switch on the offbeat to more upbeat with impeccable timing on those pauses.

Talented saxophonist and composer, Trish Clowes, tours with her new quartet, My Iris. Clowes plays tenor and soprano sax with the accompaniment of Chris Montague on guitar, Ross Stanley on piano and Hammond Organ, and James Maddren on drums. Evocative and dreamy, Trish Clowes and My Iris build up slowly to an entrancing wall of sound as an intro to a much funkier guitar-led beat. There’s quite a lot of instrument switching going on but it’s smooth. The improv is fast but coordinated, reminding me a little bit of Ken Peplowski as there is a lot of doodle-oodle going on but it then fades into what seems to be her classic style on this album which sounds like the end of a rain storm. The puddles of sound keep coming, and actually this isn’t quite like any other jazz; with plenty of tempo switches. Clowes mixes in new material to the album My Iris released last year.

Next up is a ballad that makes the most of the gorgeous sounding grand piano. If you had to sum up the style of this set, perhaps ‘dreamy’ and ‘echoes’ would be the sort of words you would use. The piano solo in this piece is stunning to the point where the audience barely dare breathe; it’s reminiscent of Debussy. ‘Lightning Les’ finishes the first set and sounds like a barge coming through with discordant tones; you could be forgiven for thinking that the main chords were being played by an inexperienced clarinetist, blowing too hard and aiming at setting your teeth on edge, but it’s certainly a unique sound.

James Maddren’s drum solo provides some relief. But for some this might prove a little bit too experimental although it’s certainly not derivative in any way, and each musician is clearly highly talented; they meld together well, but it’s not relaxing listening. It would be nice to hear a few more solos from Clowes herself, amongst the bridges and twirls of the other artists, and we get a bit more of that towards the end of this piece on her tenor sax.

The start of the second set is more moody with just sax and piano before getting more boisterous. They’ve got sheet music in front of them, but I’d love to know how the ensemble get what they play from a mere couple of pages of scribble. This is more of a foot tapper and intriguing in its melodies. The older chairs in the audience all sit forward and start nodding in their seats, ‘Eric’s Tune’ is hitting the jazz nerve. Tap Dance (for Baby Dodds) is next, continuing the drum theme. This tune indeed has a tap dancing undercurrent throughout, with lead solo on tenor sax; it’s jumpy, it’s rhythmic while somehow mellow at the same time.

There is definitely something special about the weird wobbly sound of a Hammond organ that introduces the next piece, but what we didn’t expect was Clowes to do vocals rather than sax, in a sort of sound poem. This is really different, and such a contrasting intro to what comes next – an up tempo syncopation with echoes of the sax followed through on the piano. Tuning up the sustain on the guitar it’s very atmospheric; the moody ending is what makes them unmistakable.

Finally, ‘A Cat Called Behemoth’: the organ and guitar are the rhythm of its giant paws, the sax it’s swaggering walk, and the drums are fizzing the sound of each tensed muscle and especially every hair in his fluffed out tail. The students are amazingly attentive, by now mine are out on Sports Night ten sheets to the wind and don’t know what they’re missing.

My Iris is a completely unique sound, inspired by Clowes’ grandmother and messenger from Roman and Greek mythology (as well as a song called ‘Iris’). But as Trish Clowes says, Iris kept coming up from all directions as inspiration, like the many colours from the instruments her band.

For more on Trish Clowes’ My Iris, visit www.trishclowes.com

For more on Trampette, visit www.facebook.com/trampetteband

For more from Jazzlines, visit www.thsh.co.uk/whats-on/org/jazzlines

For more events from Eastside Jazz Club and Birmingham Conservatoire, including venue details and links to online ticket sales, visit www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar

ED’S PICK: January 2018

Words by Ed King

January 1st… no finer day to cross off the calendar. But as the world crawls out of bed with hangovers and resolutions, Birmingham’s events diary looks forward to a pretty vibrant January. It seems the ‘quiet month’ is not so dormant this year. Which is a good thing, right? I mean, who needs to stay in and save money? Food and heating are for quitters.

Some pretty big gigs happening this month, with the rock powerhouse that is Paramore (ain’t alliteration ace) coming to the Genting Arena on Jan 14th. Tickets may be sold out by the time I finish this sentence, so you’d better act rápido por favor (just finished watching Narcos) if you want to catch them tour their fifth album, After Laughter, through the second city. On the Lord’s Day as well… dios nos perdone.

On the smaller stages in Birmingham, Surprise You’re Dead are tearing the city in two on 24th Jan – as Ohio’s metalcore Miss May I come to Mamma Roux’s, whilst London’s pop punksters The Bottom Line are joined by Nottingham’s Lacey at The Asylum. In fact, overall it’s quite a strong start to 2018 from SYD as the Birmingham’s stalwart rock/punk promoters are also bringing Dead! to The Flapper on 31st Jan and The Bronx to Mama Roux’s on 17th Jan – although The Bronx gig has already sold out so check the relevant corners of t’interweb for returns.

Elsewhere in the land of live gigs, we have the rising stars Riscas headlining an uber line up at The Sunflower Lounge on 19th Jan – with Spilt Milk Society, Candid and The Real Cool all in support. If this gig doesn’t sell out then I will 1) buy a hat, 2) eat my hat, 3) buy another hat. 2018 is set to be a big year for Riscas, we reckon, so catch them when and where you can. Then The Hunna return to the O2 Academy on 11th Jan, whilst Setting Son Records present Average Sex and Semantics (one of our faves) at the Hare & Hounds on 24th Jan.

Hot on the heels of their recent triumphant homecoming, KIOKO headline a stellar line up of local acts at The Crossing on 26th Jan – with Namiwa Jazz, Zara Sykes, VITAL, Elektric, and revered local poet Kurly all performing as part of the Love Music Hate Racism event at the Milk Street venue. Trish Clowes presents her latest album, My Iris, with a new ensemble of the same name at Eastside Jazz Club on 25th Jan. Whilst those somewhat silent psychedelics, Moon Duo, come back to the Hare & Hounds on 30th Jan courtesy of This Is Tmrw. Then there’s the gig I’m throwing my metaphor in the ring for – This is the Kit showcase their new album, Moonshine Freeze, at The Glee Club on 24th Jan.

January also sees a strong line up of comedy in the city, kicking off with Tina T’urner Tea Lady Steamy Bingo at The Old Joint Stock on 5th Jan. Tracey Collins will be bringing her ‘camp alter ego’ back to The Old Joint Stock in March, so if you miss your numbers this time around you can always try again in spring.

Stand up also starts strong at The Glee Club, with Andy Zaltzman bringing his Satirist for Hire tour to The Arcadian Centre venue on 19th Jan – a week before Fern Brady’s debut Suffer Fools tour lands there on 26th Jan. Quick tip, if either of these stand ups ask you to email in suggestions or comments… don’t. Or at least don’t sign your name. Or sit in the front row. You have been warned. Whilst over at the Town Hall, Ed Byrne brings his Spoiler Alert tour to Birmingham on 27th Jan – a room big enough for some safe anonymity, for the audience at least.

Theatre stamps a reassuringly eclectic foot down on the first month of 2018, with Outer Circle Arts presenting The Death Show at The Rep Door on 26th and 27th Jan. Whilst a stone’s throw behind them in Hockley, Blue Orange Theatre present The Late Marilyn Monroe – running from 30th Jan to 3rd Feb. Then over at The Patrick Centre is the somewhat less self-explanatory Translunar Paradise  – Ad Infinitum’s unspoken story ‘of life, death and enduring love’, presented at the Hurst Street venue for one night only on 31st Jan.

Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet present Swan Lake, also for one night only, at the Symphony Hall on 7th Jan. Whilst The Mockingbird continues to its mission to save The Custard Factory from the cultural abyss with a double screening of Clerks and the documentary behind Silent Bob’s directorial debut, Shooting Clerks, on 19th Jan. There will also be a Q&Q with the latter’s director, Christopher Downie, and some cast members at 9pm.

For more film, mac hosts Playback from 7th to 24th Jan – a touring and ‘interactive exhibition’ of over 200 short films from ‘krumping and parkour dance shorts, to an animated tale of teenage love that unearths our desire to be as cool as the zines we read’. Held in the arts centre’s First Floor Gallery, with free admission, Playback carries a Tubbs and Edward local angle too, as ‘some of the films were originally made in and around Birmingham, where young people based in the Midlands were given the support and funding to create a short film.’

Then rounding off Birmingham’s cultural cache for the New Year, The Chefs’ Forum present their ‘Pay What You Can’ lunch at University College Birmingham on 15th Jan – a networking, trade and showcase event with four courses from some of the city’s top restaurants. Having launched its Midlands’ agenda at UCB back in February this… sorry, last year, The Chefs’ Forum is hosting their Jan ‘18 lunch to raise funds and awareness for its Educational Foundation which supports young chefs across the UK.

And with Louisa Ellis (The Wilderness), Mark Walsh (Opus Restaurant), Luke Tipping and Leo Kattou (Simpsons) and Olivier Briault (The Edgbaston Boutique Hotel) all chipping in a course, it should do just that. Although, the non-fixed donation approach is gratefully received in mid January.

Now if I can just find an energy provider with the same approach…

**Also straddling this month and the next are the two rescheduled Lady Gaga concerts, as the uber-star kicks off the UK leg of her Joanna World Tour at Arena Birmingham on 31st January before returning to play the Genting Arena on 1st February. Tickets to both arena shows are priced at £48.50 (+ fees), as presented by Live Nation UK.

In memoriam of her paternal auntie and namesake, Lady Gaga’s latest song, album and tour appear as personal an affair as you can offer when delivering it to millions of strangers. A curious dichotomy, but one Birmingham will get to see on stage first as the Live Nation machine sets down in our city before anywhere else in the UK. Kudos.

And with tickets being transferred from the previous dates in October 2017, it’s fair to say there may be a bit of a bun fight to get in to these gigs. No doubt it’ll be worth a few scuffed elbows though, but even if ‘I’m never going to know you now, I’m gonna love you any how’. OX Joanne.

For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, for Lady Gaga at Arena Birmingham on 31st January, click here. For Lady Gaga at the Genting Arena on 1st February, click here.’

Tickets for the originally scheduled Lada Gaga shows at the Genting Arena (12th Oct ’17) at Arena Birmingham (15th Oct ’17) can be transferred to the new dates. According to the venues’ websites, ‘if you cannot make the new date, refunds can be obtained at your point of purchase for a limited period’.**

Playback @ mac 7th to 24th Jan

For more on any of the events listed here, click on the highlighted hyperlink. 

Ed King is Editor-in-Chief of Review Publishing, which issues both the Birmingham Review and Birmingham Preview titles.

BREVIEW: Tom Harrison & Cleveland Watkiss present ‘Ellington’ @ The Red Lion UAB 03.03.17

 

 

Words by Anna Whittaker / Pics courtesy of Tom Harrison & Cleveland Watkiss

Jazzlines at The Red Lion in the Jewellery Quarter; it becomes clear this is a place for the jazz regulars of Birmingham. I arrive bang on time to find nearly every seat taken, and myself to fit somewhere in between the hipsters and middle-aged aficionados.

(My last jazz gig was in a tiny standing room only dive in Copenhagen. Before that it was the complete opposite, Maria Schneider orchestra at Symphony hall, massive, seated, multiple instruments – and that’s just per musician. A real queen bee set-up).

Tonight is the first night of the Tom Harrison and Cleveland Watkiss‘ tour, their ‘Ellington Project’. My plus one and I thought it would be a quintet but there is no pianist. No matter, as Cleveland Watkiss can do things with his mouth that go so far beyond beat boxing; he’s practically a walking orchestra and vocalist wrapped up in one – that explains the awards.

If you’re not an ardent jazz fan you may find this weird to the point of funny, but if you love jazz you will stare at Watkiss in disbelief as he takes scat singing to a whole new level, then slides back effortlessly into vocals blending easily with Tom Harrison‘s twirls on his faded alto sax. Harrison might look straight out of school, with the addition of stubble, belt, and braces, but clearly has the lung capacity of a blue whale and makes the thing sing.

With the accompanying drums and double bass, Harrison and Watkiss’s ‘Ellington Project’ is a showcase of some fantastic pieces from the Duke himself. Tonight kicks off with ‘Take the ‘A’ Train’, with accompanying train brakes sounds from Watkiss. Percy Pursglove and David Lyttle are the double bass and drums, respectively.

Continuing the legends of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, next up was ‘My Little Brown Book’ by Strayhorn. The piece finely illustrates how Tom Harrison has put a great collection of musicians together for this project and is proper familiar improv jazz (if improv can be familiar) around the theme of well known and lesser known jazz classics.

Yes, we’re admiring the skill, yes, we’re tapping our feet and fingers, and then just as we think we know how this is going to go, the musicians do something more experimental on the drums or Cleveland Watkiss kicks into the bass solo with whatever instrument he is feeling right then. This project is not to simply play covers, but their own interpretation of historical jazz foundations, as Harrison echoes and ping pongs with Watkiss‘ vocals.

Song three is a bit more up tempo (you could dance to this, if there was room, or a dance floor) moving smoothly into swing from more mellow jazz, with similar adaptability to that shown by Ellington throughout his 50yr career.  At this stage we’re treated to a bit of audience participation, led confidently by Tom Harrison‘s Mum and a team of the regulars. We are graciously given a few chances to get it right but “basically it needed sorting out”, as Cleveland Watkiss tells us. Both effort and laughter ensue and we almost get it, until the complicated bits where we all remember why this is not our day job.

As the set continues we find ourselves holding our breath and wondering when Tom Harrison will breathe, as the bass and the venue hots up. Tonight’s gig is, after all, upstairs in an old pub and looks like a larger version of your great auntie’s lounge without the lingering smell of cigs. Were this venue bigger you could argue out a bit of a wooden dance floor and a regular to take you round swing-style in his brogues.

Next up ‘Things Ain’t What They Used To Be’ (written by Duke Ellington’s son Mercer) and what Tom Harrison says rings true, “the more well known it is the more creative you have to be”. Duet vocals and sax turns to trio with the trumpet and soft brush additions with Lyttle on the cymbals. Cleveland Watkiss takes over as the double bass (with his mouth of course) so Percy Pursglove can get his hands on the trumpet, but I imagine they could also do vice versa.  So what we have now is basically four blokes playing, or sounding like, about eight instruments.

I think whatever set up Tom Harrison put together would be good, but this ensemble bring that bit more experimentation and fun to your usual dive pub jazz gig (no offence to The Red Lion – I love a proper traditional dive pub).

Then ‘A Flower is a Lovesome Thing’ gives a nice bonus beyond Harrison‘s latest album – Unfolding in Tempo, should you wish to part with your tenner  (I did. I’m listening to it now on my plus one’s surprisingly good sound system, with a rather nice Tempranillo. And yes, it’s worth it).

David Lyttle makes his cymbals sing like a harmonic on the violin (I checked this later and Lyttle agreed a harmonic is the closest description) or a piccolo’s highest note, bringing another orchestral section to this version of a classic – leaving Watkiss to sing the melody with moody echoes from Harrison to compliment. “An acquired taste”, says my plus one. Jazz in general or this particular interpretation? Jazz apparently, but by the end of the first set he concedes “they are rather good”.

Set two, after we refurbish with moderate amounts of alcohol, rolls straight into ‘There May Be Trouble Ahead’ – one I like to comedy sing at any appropriate moment. Watkiss astounds us again with three sounds at once that honestly make you check if he’s using a sampler. You can’t do that naturally… yep, he is, it’s on the mic stand.

Moving to the slightly less well known with ‘Upper Manhattan Medical Group’, another Billy Strayhorn which to me epitomises the sound of New York streets.  On the aside, I doubt there will be many who haven’t heard of Duke Ellington, but Billy Strayhorn..? His long term (and apparently unpaid) collaborator maybe less so, but Strayhorn is the composer of many of these great tracks and tonight’s ensemble delivers them with a whole bunch of tricks.

Duke Ellington’s ‘Solitude’ follows and possibly draws a tear from some of the audience – I’m not admitting to anything. Tom Harrison displays considerable humility given his palpable talent and hands over to David Lyttle for a drum led, ‘The Intimacy of The Blues’. Harrison plays mini tambourine that looks like your mother’s old icing sugar sieve, then back on the sax, as joint vocals and sax in unison carry the main melody.

My plus one likes this, it’s a bit tidier. We get our missing pianist after all as Watkiss briefly takes to the keys, which may be the only instrument he can’t impersonate.  Then there’s a flourish of a double bass finish from Percy Pursglove, whose calluses must be large enough to have their own names.

If you want traditional jazz in the style it has been played in for decades, the ‘Ellington Project’ may not be for you. But if you’re happy to let your imagination run loose then Harrison, Watkiss, Lyttle and Pursglove will transform classics – perhaps in a way you’d only find in a little room, in a proper pub,  featuring your great auntie’s carpet.  And for afters… silk sheets style sax and double bass encore. Serious but friendly, and enough fun to make you smile whether you’re a scat singing newbie or an old jazz hand.

__________

For more on Tom Harrison, visit www.tomhrriosonsax.com

For more from Cleveland Watkiss, visit www.clevelandwatkiss.net

For more from Jazzlines, including a full event programme and online ticket sales, visit www.thsh.co.uk/whats-on/org/jazzlines

For more from The Red Lion UAB, visit www.theredlionbirmingham.com