Jazz breaking news: Harmonic Festival In Birmingham Confirms Full Programme
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Birmingham’s Harmonic festival, running over four days from Thursday 29 September to Sunday 2 October, launches with trumpeter Sam Wooster’s Husk at a free entry gig from 8pm in the city’s Yardbird jazz club on the opening night.
Next day at the MAC in Cannon Hill Park it’s the turn of headliner the influential Norwegian trumpeter and composer Arve Henriksen (Main Theatre, Friday 30 September) whose iconoclastic style encompasses Japanese influences particularly the sound of shakuhachi flute. He’s in performance with the Dreams Of Tall Buildings soundscape duo of Darren Joyce and Justin Wiggan. Additionally, the Jonathan Silk Quartet play a late-night free set in the foyer beginning at 10pm.
Billed as “Birmingham’s Cutting Edge Jazz Festival”, the earlier Friday afternoon session includes a Collectives Triple Bill with London Loop Collective band Splice, Lluis Mather’s band Noose (Birmingham), and Efpi Collective band 265 Quartet from Manchester.
A symposium is also taking place during Harmonic in the MAC’s Foyle Studio from midday on Friday titled Jazz And The Media 2 following last year’s initial running; later the Miles Levin Quintet play in the Symphony Hall foyer at 5.30pm. The busy Saturday 1 October programme features headliner Food (9pm MAC Main Theatre), the Anglo-Norwegian group featuring saxophonist Iain Ballamy and drummer Thomas Strønen, plus special guest guitarist Bjørn Klakegg. Festival curator trumpeter/bassist Percy Pursglove’s Enchanted Heart (with guest Hans Koller) perform earlier at 6pm again in the main theatre, preceded by the Mike Fletcher Quartet at 3.30pm.
Fizzle motivator Mike Hurley presents Tasting Notes scheduled for the MAC’s Hexagon Theatre at various points throughout the day, with musicians taking part including Hurley, Simon H. Fell, Shabaka Hutchings, Tony Marsh and Gail Brand. In the free entry Best of Cobweb slot also running throughout the day in the foyer the bands comprise the soundtrack-inspired Greyish Quartet, and Aaron Diaz with festival curator Chris Mapp combine in electronic/free improv group Elda. Also playing throughout the day in a “solo improv marathon” is composer/pianist Steve Tromans who aims to play for some 11 hours. The Birmingham Creative Composers Ensemble appear on the final day of this year’s festival on the Sunday, in the foyer of the MAC at 1pm.
– Stephen Graham
Day passes are available for Friday and Saturday. For more info and ticket details go to www.harmonicfestival.co.uk