Beats & Pieces at Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Schedule
Wed Feb 08 2023 at 07:00 pm
Location
B:Music | Birmingham, EN
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To celebrate the release of their new album, Good Days, on 27th January, Beats & Pieces are embarking on a UK tour in February 2023.Comprising many of Manchester’s best musicians Beats and Pieces are one of the most exciting ensembles to emerge from the north of England. Under the direction of composer and conductor Ben Cottrell, their music is an expression of the varied musical backgrounds and activities of the band’s members and Cottrell’s inspired writing. Known for their explosive energy and heavyweight sound, they have reinvented big band music for a new generation, drawing on sources as diverse as The Beatles, Radiohead, Loose Tubes and Björk. As Ben Cottrell says “Beats & Pieces is not your average big band, rather a band that’s big”.
“[Beats & Pieces’] extraordinary achievement is to combine discipline with anarchy, and rock’n’roll energy with textures from the entire canon of big band jazz history” – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music
First playing together as in 2008, today these musicians know each other inside out, socially and musically and this familiarity is part of what sets them aside from other big bands. Since then they have become a tight knit group, open to a huge diversity of music. The influence of artists such as David Bowie, The Beach Boys, Gil Evans and Kenny Wheeler pop up in their performances.
The band was initially inspired by the now defunct Acoustic Ladyland and how they combined indie rock values with jazz sophistication in a way that exuded energy and attitude. Other cutting edge British bands have also been cited as influences, including Ladyland’s close musical relatives Polar Bear, Troyka and Led Bib. There is a strong collective identity about the ensemble and a wilful DIY, almost punk spirit and energy that has evoked comparisons with Loose Tubes.
Their debut release, a five track EP simply titled “Beats & Pieces” in 2010 was followed in 2012 by their award-winning debut album ‘Big Ideas’ which brought them a host of new fans. Their next, ‘All In’ released in 2015, captured the warmth, energy and vitality of the group’s live performances and earned numerous 4 star reviews. The band tours regularly across the UK, Europe and further afield and marked their 10th anniversary in 2018 with their debut North American tour and a new album ’ten’.
“Spine-tinglingly good” – MOJO
“A return to the idea that contemporary jazz for big band can still generate the kind of direct impact more associated with rock and pop music, but without undermining its essential craft and sophistication” – Jazzwise
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Where is it happening?
B:Music, 8 Centenary Square,Birmingham, United Kingdom, Birmingham, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays: