Ten good reasons to visit the Birmingham International Jazz Festival this year (3rd – 12th July):

1. Festival Poet Steve Steinhaus will take you on a tour of verse straight out of the Beat Era, all wrapped around the history and heroes of jazz and blues. And what’s more, he’ll be doing it for free, on the bus. (10.30am Fri 3rd July on National Express Buses, free).
2. Pee Wee Ellis at Star City. Reedman/composer/arranger and MD for the late James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis deserves the title of ‘The Man Who Invented Funk’. (7pm Sun 5th July at Star City, free).
3. Browns Brass Band at Snow Hill Station. Continuing the festival tradition of great music in unusual locations, Arthur Brown’s brass section will be entertaining travellers in the Colmore Business District. (8am Tues 7th July, free).
4. Nomy Rosenberg Trio. Sensational Dutch gypsy guitarist, and direct descendent of Django Reinhardt, Nomy Rosenberg will be making his UK debut in Birmingham. (5pm Fri 10th July at the Waters Edge Bandstand, free. Plus other dates).
5. The Botanical Gardens Allstar Jam Session. It was a jam session that started the festival off in 1984 and to celebrate 25 years of bringing jazz to Birmingham, this year’s event will see Digby Fairweather leading an outstanding line up of some of the biggest names in UK jazz. (7pm Thurs 9th July at the Botanical Gardens, £10. Tickets from 0121 454 7020).
6. Festival Ale ‘Digby’s Dilemma’. This year’s official festival beer will be brewed by the Urban Arts Bar at The Lord Clifden, and will also be available at the Hotel Du Vin and The Brasshouse.
7. Hot D’Jazz Trio of Cracow. One of the many international acts at this year’s festival, Hot D’Jazz are a regular on the festival circuit and have played with the likes of Nigel Kennedy and Ronald Anderssen. (1pm Sat 4th July at the Round Room, Museum and Art Gallery, free).
8. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. Last time the great Kenny Ball came to play in Birmingham, he played to a sell-out (paying) audience at the Symphony Hall. This time he’ll be paying Star City, for free. (7pm Fri 3rd July).
9. Jazz in Lee Longlands furniture showroom. Midlands based Millenium Eagle Jazz Band play classic jazz from the 1920s-1940s, in the unlikeliest of musical venues. (4.30pm Thurs 9th July at Lee Longlands, free).
10. Art Themen at the Waters Edge Bandstand. An event that symbolises what this festival is all about – world class jazz at an accessible venue, totally free. (1pm Sat 11th July, free).