The inaugural Eastside Jazz Festival makes its debut at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire this month (Thursday 12 & Friday 13 February), presenting performances in the venue’s foyers, purpose-built jazz club and concert halls.

A showcase of the city’s creative jazz scene, the festival brings together esteemed musicians and innovative performers, grassroots promoters and exciting local and student musicians. ‘Roaming’ tickets provide access to each day’s events - including performances by the four internationally acclaimed headline acts featured below, all of whom will be taking to the stage in the venue’s atmospheric Eastside Jazz Club...

Chris Potter with the Pablo Held Trio | Thursday 12 February, 8pm - 9.30pm
German pianist Pablo Held (pictured) and his acclaimed trio are celebrating two decades of jazz, joining forces with American master saxophonist Chris Potter for a European tour. They stop off in Birmingham to cause a stir on Eastside Jazz Festival’s opening night.

It’s not the first time Chris has made music at the Conservatoire - he worked with a large ensemble of students back in 2012, creating a jazz suite which was subsequently performed at Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

Aurum Trio | Friday 13 February, 5pm - 6pm
Already well established on the UK jazz scene, Bristol-born pianist Rebecca Nash (pictured) is now beginning to make a splash internationally with her distinctive and heartfelt sound.

The evening’s gig features the newly formed Aurum Trio, promising to combine Rebecca’s ethereal melodies and densely saturated harmonies with warm tones provided by Henrik Jensen on bass and the punk-spirited drumming of Dave Smith.

Olie Brice Quartet | Friday 13 February, 6pm - 7.30pm
Double bassist Olie Brice is here joined for a night of forward-thinking music featuring Alexander Hawkins on piano, Rachel Musson on tenor sax and Will Glaser on drums... Offering a combination of formal structure and free improvisation, the quartet brings to life Olie’s own compositions, which are presented in balance with his interactive free-playing. The result is an engaging and impressively original contemporary jazz performance.

BBC Big Band | Friday 13 February, 8pm - 10pm
One of the world’s most versatile jazz orchestras, the BBC Big Band, under the musical direction of Barry Forgie, continues to delight audiences across the globe with its radio broadcasts.

Boasting a star-studded list of previous collaborators - Robert Palmer, Van Morrison, Amy Winehouse and Ray Charles, to name but a few - the orchestra’s pedigree is undisputed. Their Eastside Jazz Club gig is the perfect way to close this inaugural festival. 

Visit bcu.ac.uk/performances for more information and to book tickets