Autumn 2020 CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE Featuring Annie Ross, Britain’s international jazz singing star, who died in July –…
Spring 2020 CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE The special lockdown edition, featuring: Al Gay remembered by Simon Spillett Interview with…
THE QUADS: THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS EP BB41 ‘There Must Be Thousands,’ the debut record release of Birmingham band The…
It has been decided not to proceed with the 2020 edition planned for this Autumn.The award is always based on…
CHICK WILLIS: THINGS I USED TO DO BEARCD59 Previously unheard material recorded by The Stoop Down man himself, Chick Willis,…
Jazz Rag 160 Winter 2020 Click here to read online Packed with the usual flush of news, reviews and features,…
THE JAZZ RAG 159 Winter 2019 Click here to read online Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and…
The Jazz Rag 158 Autumn 2019 Click here to read online Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and…
2019 British Jazz Awards Results Announced! After a record 8200 jazz fans voted in this year’s British Jazz Awards, we’re…
THE JAZZ RAG 157 Summer 2019 CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and…
We are delighted to announce the nominations in this year’s British Jazz Awards. The UK’s longest-running awards for recognising the…
POTATO HEAD JAZZ BAND: STOMPIN’ AROUND Straight-ahead swinging Dixieland is not a music form normally associated with Southern Spain, but…
THE JAZZ RAG 156 Spring 2019 CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINE Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and…
Spring 2019 Click here to read online Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: The scandalous…
The Jazz Rag 154 Winter 2018 Click here to read online Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and…
The Jazz Rag 153 Autumn 2018 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: Big Bear…
Alan Musson’s Jazz Kaleidoscope Big Bear MD Jim Simpson sat down with Alan Musson on Monday night on his Jazz Kaleidoscope…
BLUES & RHYTHM REVUE VOL.1: KING PLEASURE AND THE BISCUIT BOYS Catalogue number BEARCD41 Track listing: Kidney Stew Blues What…
2018 British Jazz Awards results announced Many thanks to the 5500 people who voted in this year’s British…
All photos copyright Jim Simpson
Click here for captions accompanying the photos Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Mick Jagger have all been…
Events Organised by Big Bear Music A Night At The Cotton Club [Countdown to The Millennium], sponsored by Ernst…
A Selected list of bands who have appeared in the Birmingham Jazz Festival Miles Davis [USA] Dizzy Gillespie Big Band…
American Bluesmen Brought to Europe, Toured and Recorded by Big Bear Music Al Copley [New York, New York] Homesick…
A PArtial List of Bands Who Played Henry’s Blueshouse Alexis Korner John Hammond Jr Angus Judas Priest Anno Domini…
Life Stories With Des Tong October 2018 marks our 50th anniversary, but how did it all begin? Big…
UK Chinese Times We were pleased to receive coverage for the Jagger, The Killer and The Prettiest Man In Rock…
Interview On Brum Radio Dave Travis invites Jim Simpson of Big Bear Records on to Brum Radio for music and…
The Other Side Of… Adrian Goldberg welcomed Big Bear MD Jim Simpson onto his BBC WM series, The Other…
Jagger, The Killer and The Prettiest Man In Rock and Roll Before founding Big Bear Music in 1968, Jim Simpson…
The Vinyl Guide Big Bear MD Jim Simpson talks to Australian journalist on his The Vinyl Guide podcast about the Big…
Black Sabbath: The End Black Sabbath’s first manager, and current Big Bear Music MD Jim Simpson, discusses the history…
Birmingham: The UK Capital of Rock and Roll Jim Simpson, Big Bear Music MD, makes the case for Birmingham…
Big Bear on Blues Unlimited During the 1970s, Big Bear had the pleasure of working with a number…
The Jazz Rag 152 Summer 2018 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: – Scott…
The Jazz Rag 151 Spring 2018 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: -Plan your summer…
HOWARD MCCRARY: MOMENTS LIKE THIS Catalogue number BEARCD58 Howard, the ninth of ten siblings, was part of The McCrary Family…
VARIOUS ARTISTS: JAZZ CITY UK VOLUME 2 Catalogue number BEARCD57 “This is probably as close as we’ll ever get…
It gives us great pleasure to announce the nominations for this year’s British Jazz Awards. They’ve chosen their four favourites…
The Jazz Rag 150 Winter 2018 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: -Alan Barnes looking back at…
The Jazz Rag 149 Winter 2017 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: Charlie And His Orchestra…
VARIOUS ARTISTS: JAZZ CITY UK Catalogue number BEARCD56 Having hosted a major international Jazz Festival for 33 years,…
LAUGHING AT LIFE Catalogue number BEARCD54 Billie Holiday’s life-story, as it has been told and retold over the…
THE WHISKEY BROTHERS: BOTTLE UP AND GO Catalogue number BEARCD54 The Whiskey Brothers’ journey has taken them…
The Jazz Rag 148 Autumn 2017 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: Dave Green’s journey…
After receiving over 5000 votes, we are now pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 British Jazz Awards! Now in…
The Jazz Rag 147 Summer 2017 Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including: Trumpeters on Retrospective…
The nominations for the 31st edition of the British Jazz Awards have been announced. Now in their 31st year, the…
Winter/Spring 2017 Featuring Nat Hentoff remembered Jazz Centre UK (Digby Fairweather) Last of the Gunslingers (Simon Spillet) Intakt Records (At…
WINTER 2016 Featuring Chops (New jazz quiz) Non- Musicians in Jazz (Scott Yanow) The Mysteries of Glen Miller (Ron Simpson)…
AUTUMN 2016 Featuring Birmingham and Solihull Festival in Pictures Robert Fowler Rising Star: Alexander Bone Sorry Mr. Margolick John Billet…
AUTUMN 2016 Featuring Lady and the Communists (Origins of Strange Fruit) Jim Chapin Get in right: Joe Temperley Still swinging?:…
SPRING/SUMMER 2016 Featuring Julian Marc Stringle Who was George Frazier? Whisper Not (Benny Golson’s Autobiography) Epistles to the World (South…
SPRING 2016 Featuring Earl Hines (New Collection) 26 & Counting (Lady Sings the Blues Recordings Anniversary) New Branch of Jazz…
WINTER 2015 Featuring David Gordon Trio (New CD) Obituaries (Don Rendell, Allen Toussaint) Newark Jazz Exhibit (Jewish & African-American Jazz)…
AUTUMN 2015 Featuring British Jazz Awards 2015 with Art Themen nominated Alan Barnes talks to Ron Simpson Keeping it in…
SUMMER 2015 Featuring Leroy Jones (New Orleans Trumpeter) The Surprising Melody Gardot (Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Pianist) Visiting Birmingham (European Musicians at the Jazz…