Great Vocalists Join BBC Big Band for Second Town Hall Season

Issued: 28 July 2008

SEASON OPENER – IAN SHAW, Fri 17 October (7.30pm)
JACK BRUCE – ONLY UK PERFORMANCE, Fri 14 November (8pm)
A SWINGING CHRISTMAS with MATTHEW FORD, Fri 12 December (7.30pm)
ALL AT TOWN HALL, BIRMINGHAM

Event Info:
Ian Shaw
Jack Bruce
A Swinging Christmas with Matthew Ford

The BBC Big Band enters its second season as a Town Hall Associate Artist with some great guest artists in the coming months.

For the season opener, on Friday 17 October, Britain’s finest Big Band is joined by the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards’ Best Vocalist, Ian Shaw, for an evening of jazz and swing. The concert features a selection of jazz standards and songs from Ian’s recent albums, Drawn To All Things-The Songs of Joni Mitchell and the self-penned Lifejacket. Renowned for his interpretation of the great songwriters, Ian Shaw has been cited along with Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy as one of the world’s finest male vocalists.

A likely highlight of the jazz year comes on Friday 14 November when the BBC Big Band welcomes legendary singer, bassist and composer Jack Bruce in his only scheduled UK performance. With conductor and arranger Jorg Achim Keller, the collaboration features music from Jack’s solo career along with classics from the supergroup Cream; including Smiles and Grins, The Consul at Sunset, Spoonful, Deserted Cities of the Heart and Sunshine of Your Love. The date is sure to be special for Jack, revisiting the Town Hall where he gave one of his first post-Cream concerts in November 1970. A new 6-CD career retrospective was released in June in celebration of his 65th birthday.

Seasonal and swinging classics herald the festive season on Friday 12 December when the BBC Big Band is joined by acclaimed vocalist Matthew Ford. Favourites include Midnight Sleighride, The Christmas Song, Let it Snow, Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

All concerts are at Town Hall Birmingham and tickets are available from the Box Office on 0121 780 3333 or via www.thsh.co.uk.

ENDS

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Note to Editors
PLEASE NOTE: The concert on 14 November, featuring Jack Bruce, replaces the previously advertised concert with Koop.
BBC Big Band’s Town Hall concerts are recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s Big Band Special.
BBC Big Band is a Town Hall Associate Artist. All concerts are at Town Hall, Birmingham

Weblinks:
BBC Radio 2 Big Band Special website
Ian Shaw website
Jack Bruce website

Town Hall and Symphony Hall are managed together by Performances Birmingham Limited, an independent charitable trust. Between them, the two halls present an exciting and varied programme of over 600 concerts and events a year, designed to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. Over 500,000 people visit Town Hall and Symphony Hall annually, and a thriving education/community department reaches a further 20,000 people of all ages.

Town Hall Birmingham re-opened in October 2007 following a £35m renovation funded by Birmingham City Council (£18.3m), Heritage Lottery Fund (£13.7m), European Regional Development Fund (£3m).