Friday September 6
Root Down with World Service Project at Peggy’s Skylight on George Street in Hockley from 7pm where this Brit punk-jazz outfit play a mix of Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Meshuggah and Stravinsky spiralling around in a Monty Python universe – sounds cool. Tickets at £10/8 are best bought in advance via the website to avoid disappointment. Stray’s in Newark continue their first Friday of the month jazz nights with rising star Kit Dellow Jones on trumpet alongside Dickie Baker on keys plus Stray’s house band PRS (Si Potts on drums, Steve Rodda on guitar and Mat Short on bass). Entry is £5 and it’s best to book your seats in advance.
Saturday September 7
Saxophonist Nadim Teimoori’s stellar quintet play at Peggy’s, featuring Hugh Pascall on trumpet, John Turville on the grand piano, James Owston on bass and Euan Palmer on drums. Tickets are £12/10 and doors open at 7pm. There is also afternoon tea accompanied by Paul Deats’ jazz piano between 12 and 5pm.
Sunday September 8
Co-owners of Peggy’s Rachel Foster and Paul Deats are also the vocalist and pianist known as Me and Mr Jones who play a Sunday Mezinee concert between 12 midday and 3pm. At 5pm the same venue celebrates 75 years of the Birdland Jazz Club; this performance is arranged by pianist Pete Beardsworth and curated by Joe Buhdha and Pete Woosh. Saxophonist George Crowley’s experimental jazz band perform a satisfying melange of post-bop, free-er sounds and rhythmic variety at the Lion in Basford from 1.30-3.30pm. There’s a Malt Cross Sunday session at 5.30pm featuring the fabulous Ray Butcher on trumpet plus support from Joe Binks (also trumpet). The house band are Stephen Sherriff on keys, Martyn Spencer on double bass and Tymoteusz Jozwiak on drums.
Monday September 9
The Alfa Big Swing Band are back at the Village Inn in Marehay from 8.30pm. All the way from Leeds! Yaatri are what you get when you blend up Scandinavian jazz, Indian rhythms and rock and roll. This young band from Leeds play at the Jam Café from 6pm courtesy of HoT SauCe; tickets are £5 available in advance from Gigantic.
Tuesday September 10
The Risley Big Band plays every Tuesday night at the Risley Park; they are one of the longest established swing bands in the Midlands boasting two top class vocalists and seventeen seasoned musicians; join them from 8.30pm. You can also find The Ben Ward Big Band at Peggy’s from 7pm.
Wednesday September 11
There’s folk-jazz with guitarist and baritone singer Jimi Mack at Peggy’s who creates music that sounds like Ernest Hemingway and Joni Mitchell’s lovechild. Doors open at 7pm.
Thursday September 12
Jazz Steps present the award-winning team of two of the UK’s leading artists; vocalist/lyricist Georgia Mancio and pianist/composer Kate Williams, who are joined by Conor Chaplin on bass and Dave Ohm on drums at the Bonington Theatre in Arnold from 8pm, tickets are £12/5 NUS. Pianist Matt Ratcliffe’s trio pay homage to one of jazz music’s most original composers and performers Thelonious Sphere Monk. He is joined by Simon Paterson on double bass and Tymoteusz Jozwiak on drums at Peggy’s where doors open at 7pm.
Where no entry fee is mentioned please assume your purchases from the venue support the live music.
