This is a co-promotion with the Royal Brimingham Conservatoire presenting three elements performed at the Conservatoire itself. For this performance the Orchestra has been commissioned by Birmingham Jazz to write a new five movement suite for our 2026/2027 celebrations of Black History Month and BJ @ 50.

This is the programme for the night:

6.30pm RBC student support band in the Eastside Jazz Club

7.45pm Birmingham Jazz Orchestra performance in Recital Hall

9.00pm Jam Session in Eastside Jazz Club

In a very special gig at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra will celebrate 50 years of Birmingham Jazz – a crucial contributor to the current thriving jazz scene in the city. Following a student support set in the Eastside Jazz Club at 6.30pm, the audience will transfer to the Recital Hall for the BJO performance, which will include the premiere of a brand-new multi-movement suite of music by five Birmingham-based composers, specially commissioned for the occasion by Phil Rose at Birmingham Jazz.

Each movement is inspired by the musical influences from Birmingham Jazz’s five decades:

Movement 1 is influenced by the Jazz-Rock of the 1970s, including Mike Gibbs, Neil Ardley and Ian Carr; composed by Ed Puddick

Movement 2 celebrates some of the joyous music being made in the UK jazz scene in the 1980s: composed by Alicia Gardner-Trejo

Movement 3 reflects the maturing compositional style of writers like Kenny Wheeler in the 1990s: composed by Jonathan Silk

Movement 4 remembers the expanding musical influences of the early 2000s on the UK jazz scene: composed by Dave Sear

Movement 5 takes inspiration from all five decades of Birmingham Jazz to create a uniquely contemporary finale: composed by Alex Astbury

Following the conclusion of the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra set there will be a student-led jam session in the Eastside Jazz Club, so bring your horn and join in the celebration! Birmingham Jazz Orchestra is the city’s premier auditioned jazz ensemble, creatively directed by Jonathan Silk. It explores contemporary music written for large jazz ensemble, working on theme-based projects over the course of the academic year, and collaborating with a range of artists. In recent years the ensemble has worked on a variety of challenging musical projects; including interpretations of Kenny Wheeler’s Sweet Time Suite and Jim McNeely’s East Coast Blowout albums at CBSO Centre.