Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival

Paradise is thrilled to sponsor a number of bands once again at the annual Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival.

The festival brings live local, national and international music to Birmingham and the West Midlands every year and we are looking forward to welcoming them and the public to Chamberlain Square.

The acts performing at Paradise are below and the full programme is here.

Jump Jive and Wail

Friday 24^th @ 12:30 – Chamberlain Square

With a live set guaranteed to make the joint swing, combining boogie woogie piano, honking sax, exuberant harmonica and 3-part vocal harmonies Jump Jive and Wail bring a tireless energy to multiple styles of dance music from the 1940’s and early 50’s.

Spanning musical genres including jazz, the swing of the big band era, the American influences of G.I. Jive to the beginnings of rock ’n’ roll and musical influences from Louis Prima and Louis Jordan to Big Joe Turner and Fats Waller, this dynamic band create music for everyone.

Hot Club of Halifax

Saturday 25^th @ 12:30 – Chamberlain Square

Hot Jazz, Jazz Manouche and Swing for dancers and listeners alike.

Hot Club of Halifax are a highly acclaimed and charismatic band made up of some of the best Jazz & Swing musicians in England.

Tipitina

Sunday 26^th @ 12:30 – Chamberlain Square

At the heart of Tipitina are powerhouse singer Debbie Jones with her roots in gospel and Justin Randall, quite simply the finest and most exciting New Orleans-style piano player outside of Louisiana. The great Irma Thomas said of Debbie, ‘She has a lot of soul in her voice.’ Together they deliver the red hot and rocking music of Dr John, James Booker, Professor Longhair and Fats Domino.

‘Tipitina are a barnstorming live act. Few do this with such conviction. A joyous ride through up-tempo feel-good rockers and gospel-tinged blues.’ – Rock’n’Reel magazine.

Django Chutney

Monday 27^th @ 16:30 – Dishoom

Django Chutney are a trio from Brighton made up of two guitars and a bass fiddle.

Their eclectic sound ranges from frantic manouche swing, mellow three part harmony jazz, ridiculous guitar show-offery, violently slapped bass solos, the occasional Black Sabbath cover, chaotic energy and much more.

Walter Smitty

Tuesday 28^th @ 18:00 – Cow & Sow

Walter Smitty and Unviables, with vocals by international singer SUZI WOODS, are an acoustic band playing Latin, jazz and bluesy pop. Returning to the Birmingham Festival, they are popular favourites throughout the Midlands.

Roy Forbes

Thursday 30^th @ 18:00 – La Bellezza**

An immaculate and stylish singer who is equally at home with the blues, Roy Forbes’ enthusiasm for jazz started early, with a particular devotion to the music of Nat ‘King’ Cole and the jazz/funk acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a principal singer with Andy Hamilton’s band and then as an in-demand freelance he has shared a stage with Scott Hamilton, Benny Waters, Al Casey, Sweets Edison and many others. As well as his many appearances at Birmingham, he has appeared at festivals in Brecon, Greenwich, Milan, St. Lucia and Marbella.

Ben Toury (France)

Friday 31^st July @ 12:30 – Chamberlain Square

Pianist, harmonica player, singer and composer, Ben Toury is a true whirlwind of modern boogie. A gifted self-taught musician, he first stepped on stage as a child alongside his bluesman father and recorded his first CD at the age of 13. That same year, in 1995, he opened for Bob Brozman at the Le Creusot Blues Festival, marking the beginning of an extraordinary musical journey.

Moving to Paris at the age of 20, he built an international career on the jazz and blues scene. His various line-ups — from duo to septet — have performed at prestigious venues such as Salle Pleyel, the Grand Palais and the Sunset Jazz Club, as well as major festivals across Europe and the United States.

** Table must have been booked