The Jazz Rag

11/09/2026

Here is a little SNEAK PEAK of the CD Reviews for the next issue of THE JAZZ RAG #192! 🎷🎺
Click the link to pre-order your copy now!
https://www.bigbearmusic.com/jazzrag/

09/09/2026

Retrospective March and May new releases spotted in the summer issue of The Jazz Rag!

RTS 4436: Ivie Anderson with Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra (t Don't Mean a Thing)

RTS 4438: Tony Bennett (I Left my Heart...)

Both available now from wyastone.co.uk!

The Jazz Rag

03/09/2026

The Autumn 2026 issue of The Jazz Rag is coming soon! Get ready for the latest jazz news, some exclusive interviews and the usual selection of CD, book and live performance reviews. Issue #192 will be available in October 2026.

Order a single issue of The Jazz Rag from www.bigbearmusic.com/jazzrag/ for just £4.50, or buy as part of a six-issue subscription to stay updated on the current jazz scene.

01/09/2026

In the new Summer 2026 edition of the Jazz Rag, virtuoso guitarist Bireli Lagrene talks to Ron Simpson about his career, his recent album, and his signature guitar manufactured by Fibonacci.

“It’s a wonderfully versatile guitar that lets me play many different styles… I’ve always been interested in all types of music.”

Bireli was seen from outside as a successor to Django Reinhardt… he was encouraged by his father to follow the manouche tradition and was improvising Django-style at the age of 7!

“Django helped me see what was happening elsewhere. By the time I was 16, I was listening to Weather Report, Frank Sinatra, The Headhunters and many others, and I really wanted to explore something different. That curiosity has stayed with me my whole life.”

On his new album Elegant People Bireli emphasised that he had cut out all that is unnecessary, trusting a simple construction:

“I wanted to make a much more simple album than what I have done in the past. For me it’s always about the feel and the groove that grabs me in the moment. For Elegant People, I wanted that cool blues feeling.”

To read the rest, order your copy of Issue #191 at www.bigbearmusic.com/jazzrag/ for just £4.50, or as part of a six-issue subscription to stay updated on the current jazz scene.

14/07/2025

Send your CV and cover letter to [email protected]
See the link below for the full job description.

📢 JOB VACANCY 📢
Big Bear Music and Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival are recruiting for a full time, permanent staff member to support all areas of the company’s administration and marketing.
Send your CV and cover letter to [email protected]
A full job description is available here:https://www.bigbearmusic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Big-Bear-Music-Group-Project-Coordinator-Job-Description.pdf