Bradford jazz club JATPJazz will celebrate its tenth birthday with a gig at its new base on Friday.
Singer Sarah Bennett and the Curt Shaw Quintet feature on the bill at the club’s new headquarters, Bradford Irish Club, in Rebecca Street.
Club founder Brian Bicat hopes the special occasion will attract additional fans of modern jazz to the venue.
Back in 2001 when the club was formed, the name reflected its venue: Jazz at the Priestley, later Jazz at the Playhouse. The association with the theatre lasted until 2009.
Mr Bicat said: “The Playhouse was a very successful venue. In the cellar bar we built an atmosphere that was informal and relaxed. We built up an audience of about 70 with a high proportion of women. Now we get audiences of about 50.”
Bradford has a long and diversely rich musical tradition, from classical choral music, brass bands, orchestral concerts, chamber music, Rock and pop, banghra and jazz.
In the 1950s, for example, the late George Melly used to perform at the subterranean Students’ Club, now under Prince’s Way near the Odeon.
In a typical season JATPJazz puts on 14 concerts involving some 70 musicians in total. Those musicians are usually from the North.
“We have always specialised in regional musicians of which there are a plenitude of very high standard.We have never felt the need to engage big London names,” Mr Bicat added.
Tickets for JATPJazz’s October 7 anniversary show are £7. Doors open at 7.45pm for an 8.30pm start.
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