Category: Uncategorized

Big Bear Events

Post author By bbadmin
Post date September 12, 2025

We might be most well-known for our annual Jazz and Blues Festival, but we have also hosted other events over the years.

In 2025, we celebrated the Black Sabbath reunion with our Visit of Oz Event, holding live music events throughout the city. We also held the 41st Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, which was a resounding success, featuring talent from across the UK and beyond, bringing together our local community. Click here for press stories about the festival.

For information about upcoming events, including the 2026 Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, stay tuned. We have lots of exciting things in store. To stay up to date about our events, we recommend following the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival Facebook or Instagram Page.

And if live music is what you’re after, we’ve got plenty of that. Every Tuesday is Blues-day at Henry’s Blueshouse, held at Snobs Bar, and we host Birmingham Rocks every Sunday in the same place.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Past Events

2026 Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival (coming soon!)

Live Uncategorized

Henry’s Blueshouse at The Bull’s Head

Post author By bbadmin
Post date January 28, 2020

Jazz Rag Previous Issues Uncategorized

The Jazz Rag 155

Post author By bbadmin
Post date May 22, 2019

Spring 2019

Click here to read online

Packed with the usual array of news, reviews and features, including:

The scandalous truth about the death of Nat Gonella
Simon Spillett on life after Tubby Hayes
Dick Laurie on an unsavoury brush with Pizza Express founder Peter Boizot
Scott Yanow runs the rule over the class of 1919
Andrew Liddle celebrates Dave Bartholemew’s 100th birthday

To order or subscribe, click here

Uncategorized

Blues & Rhythm Revue Vol. 1: King Pleasure And The Biscuit Boys

Post author By bbadmin
Post date November 7, 2018

BLUES & RHYTHM REVUE VOL.1: KING PLEASURE AND THE BISCUIT BOYS

Catalogue number BEARCD41

Track listing:

Kidney Stew Blues
What More Do You Want Me To Do?
Blues For My Baby
That’s Fine The Way To Treat Your Woman
Since I Fell For You
Let The Good Times Roll
Fools Paradise
What Can I Do?
Harvard Blues
Now Baby Or Never
So Tired
Tear Drops from My Eyes
Goin’ To Chicago

Not available on CD, download and streaming only

Photo Archive Uncategorized

Jazz, The Blues and The Bear

Post author By bbadmin
Post date October 12, 2018

An exhibition of rarely seen Jazz and Blues photography from the 1960s by Jim Simpson, taken in Birmingham.

The musicians, from New York, Chicago, Mississippi, New Orleans, Kansas City and London have one thing in common. They were all on international tours and were photographed in Birmingham.

Among the subjects are Tommy Tucker, who had a huge hit with Hi Heeled Sneakers, touring coast to coast co-headlining with Ray Charles. Buddy Guy, photographed as a shy but smartly dressed 27 year old in the College of Advanced Technology, now Aston University, is now the grand old man of Chicago Blues.

Click here to view the captions

All photos copyright Jim Simpson

Press Coverage Uncategorized

Jagger, The Killer and The Prettiest Man In Rock and Roll

Post author By bbadmin
Post date October 10, 2018

Jagger, The Killer and The Prettiest Man In Rock and Roll

Before founding Big Bear Music in 1968, Jim Simpson worked as a photographer for Melody Maker and Midland Beat. In this interview on BBC WM’s The Sunny and Shay Show, he talks about his experiences of capturing such legendary figures as The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Nina Simone on film.

To view the photos featured in the exhibition at Lee Longlands, click here. All of them are available to purchase as prints from Havill & Travis gallery, Harborne, Birmingham

Uncategorized

Nomy Rosenberg Trio

Post author By bigbear68
Post date December 1, 2014

Download NOMY ROSENBERG TRIO here