Harmonic » Harmonic Festival

Day 3

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:35:45 +0000

We’ve had a fantastic third day at Harmonic with a fantastic performance from Ben Markland’s Quintet which really got Symphony Hall buzzing early on. A very lucky CBSO Centre crowd were tested to a special gig from firstly Claudia Quintet and then an extended band featuring Percy Pursglove and Steve Tromans.

John Hollenbeck’s music was beuatiful played by the band and Percy and Steve really enhanced the sound and direction of the band. Thanks again to John and the rest of Claudia for being so open and willing to experiment. It certainly paid off tonight.

Tomorrow is the final day of Harmonic 2010 and I personally can’t wait. We’ve got a huge amount of music to fit in. There are still tickets available on the door so please come down and experience what promises to be an amazing day of music.

Thoughts on the first day

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:21:41 +0000

Well, day one of Harmonic went off in fine style. The students nailed it and did a fantastic job of playing Dave Holland’s tunes. The ever efficient Peter Bacon has already posted a review of the gig too, you can find it here.

Dave Holland also treated us to a brief solo set and the end of the gig which was a real treat. We’re adding snapshots of our days to the Media page via our Flickr account.

For a very in-depth look at Dave’s visit to the Conservatoire (including mid-gig video footage from the musicians!) head over to http://hollandforaweek.com. Soweto Kinch trio and Lluis Mather quartet at The Yardbird tomorrow; can’t wait!

Getting tickets

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:08:40 +0000

Tickets are still available for Harmonic for all of the concerts. If you’d like to buy one for any event you can do it via our Buy Tickets page, over the phone on 0121 780 3333 or on the door at the CBSO Centre on the day of the gig. We’ll also be in the following places at these times if you’d like to buy one from us in person:

2nd March: Buffalo Collision at the CBSO Centre from 7pm
4th March: The Yardbird jazz club, Paradise Place from 9pm
5th March: Rush Hour Blues at Symphony Hall Foyer from 5.30pm – 7pm
6th March: Created In Birmingham shop, The Bullring from 1pm – 4pm
11th March: The Yardbird jazz club, Paradise Place from 9pm

We also have heavily discounted tickets available fro students but you’ll need to see us in person to get one.

Dave Holland & Soweto Kinch for Harmonic

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:21:39 +0000

We can reveal that iconic bass player Dave Holland and stalwart of the Birmingham scene Soweto Kinch will both be appearing as part of Harmonic. Dave will be presenting a concert with Birmingham Conservatoire students playing his own compositions to kick Harmonic off in style on Wednesday 10th March. Dave has been regularly visiting the Conservatoire in recent years, and we’re very pleased to launch Harmonic with an event which reflects our ethos of collaboration and innovation in jazz. Hopefully someone will leave a spare bass lying around for Dave too… Details can be found here

Soweto will be making his first ever appearance at Cobweb Collective’s weekly residency at The Yardbird Jazz Club on Thursday 11th March. Well known throughout the city and indeed the country for pioneering jazz and hip-hop, Soweto never fails to impress and astound audiences and musicians alike. Known equally for his fluid alto playing and his sharp freestyle, this is a great opportunity to check him out at a great venue free of charge.

Also appearing at The Yardbird will be Lluis Mather with his award-winning quartet. Lluis is fast becoming one of the most in demand sax players on the Birmingham scene. His fantastic quartet were the deserved recipients of the Dave Holland Ensemble Prize this year, so it seems only fitting that they appear on the same bill.

Details of the gig can be found here

Dave Holland with Birmingham Conservatoire students

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:54:06 +0000

Possibly the midlands most well known jazz export with a C.V. reading like a who’s who of jazz, Dave has become a regular visitor to the Conservatoire’s jazz course for the last few years. Events include the Dave Holland ensemble prize, masterclasses and for Harmonic, a special concert presented by the man himself. Students of the Conservatoire will be working with Dave on his own compositions and playing them for the first concert of Harmonic. There may just happen to be a spare bass lying around too…

Line-up:

TBC