Business News
Exhibition set to jazz up festival
Food festival goes green
The Colmore Food Festival is aiming to become one of the most sustainable events in Birmingham with a mission to achieve zero waste to landfill and a total ban on plastic drinking straws. Now established as one of
the UK’s leading free-to-enter food and drink events, Colmore Food Festival attracts more than 30,000 visitors each year. The festival, sponsored by
Business District legal firm DWF, is returning to Victoria Square for the eighth time in July and the BID is working with recycling experts First Mile to ensure the weekend event is as environmentally conscious as possible by banning plastic straws. In addition to recycling
Little Richard: The self-proclaimed ‘prettiest man in rock and roll’
A photography exhibition featuring the greats of jazz, blues and rock and roll of the Sixties will take place in Birmingham during July as part of the Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell Jazz Festival. The pictures, including shots of
the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Black Sabbath, Nina Simone, Marianne Faithfull and Ginger Baker, were taken by Jim Simpson, director of the Jazz Festival. Called “Jagger, The Killer (Jerry
Lee Lewis) and the Prettiest Man in Rock & Roll (Little Richard),” the exhibition takes place at Lee Longlands furniture store on Broad Street for viewing and purchase. Jim, who once managed Black
Sabbath, has created a prolific collection of pictures and documents.
‘We have received tremendous support from 130 businesses’
His historic pictures are a
remarkable record of the stars when they appeared in Birmingham. The Jazz Festival runs from
Friday 20 July, to Sunday 29 July, with 231 performances (218 free) across 112 venues, in an area covering Coventry to Sutton, Wolverhampton to Halesowen. Jim said: “We have received
tremendous support from 130 businesses, including venues, hotels, bars and restaurants across the region. “We have again attracted jazz and blues musicians from across
the world and there are films, workshops, master-classes, talks, dance, photography, sketching and a 35-piece ladies’ barbershop group.” Performers include Art Themen,
the former consultant orthopaedic surgeon who played saxophone on Joe Cocker’s hit ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’, legendary pianist Brian Dee, Birmingham favourites King Pleasure at the Biscuit Boys, who are celebrating 30 years on the road, the chart-topping Leo Sayer, back in the UK for a series of concerts and festival appearances, and Ricky Cool & the In Crowd.
For full details about this year’s Jazz Festival go to:
www.birminghamjazzfestival.com
stations at the Festival, specialist sustainability initiatives will include coffee recycling; where all coffee grounds will be recycled into pellets to use in wood-burners and stoves. And food waste will be taken to a state-of-the-art plant where it can be recycled into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser. First Mile will be at the
Festival to offer advice on business sustainability and the latest recycling initiatives. Mike Best, Colmore BID
board director, said: “As a Business District we are acutely aware of the impact of single-use plastics and the damaging effect they are having on the environment. “We hope that by working
with recycling experts First Mile we can host a sustainable, environmentally-friendly Colmore Food Festival.”
Top brass appointment hits the right notes
One of the UK’s most prolific trombonists has been announced as the new Head of Brass at Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Originally from Bristol, Amos
Miller (pictured) started playing the trombone aged nine and went on to study at Oxford University – during which time he studied with Denis Wick – and the Royal Academy of Music, learning with Ian Bousfield. Having gained the DipRAM, the
Royal Academy’s highest award for performance, he completed the Jazz Course at the Banff Center for the Arts in Canada.
Amos said: “The resources of
talent in both the staff and student cohort are world-leading combine these with the astonishing new building and it is an unmissable opportunity. “Birmingham is finding
its rightful place at the heart of the UK’s cultural life, and it’s a real thrill to be a part of it. I can’t wait to get started.” Amos is a founder member of
internationally acclaimed brass quintet Onyx Brass, and has combined the post of principal trombone with the Royal Ballet
Sinfonia (the orchestra of Birmingham Royal Ballet) with a busy freelance career, in which he has worked with many of the UK’s leading orchestras. He has played on a
range of film soundtracks, including Solo: A Star Wars Story, Wonder Woman, Lord
of the Rings, Harry Potter,
Terminator Salvation, Inception, Paddington, Mission: Impossible and Superman. Amos has performed under
esteemed conductors such as Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Kurt
Masur, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Colin Davis, Yuri Temirkanov, Sir Simon Rattle, Sakari Oramo, Pierre Boulez, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Mackerras and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire principal, Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, said: “Amos is renowned throughout the music profession as one of the world’s top brass players and it will be a privilege to work alongside such a master.” Amos will take up his new role in
September.
More patrons’ news – pages 30 and 31
July/August 2018 CHAMBERLINK 23
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