Digbeth Jazz

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Jazz Venue of the Year (APPJG)
Formerly Jazz at the Spotted Dog
Time Out - "Putting on some of the country’s best jazz nights for more than a decade"

29/10/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ Q4 S5 / NICK MALCOLM TRIO / TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3RD 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

Nick Malcolm’s new trio is a joyous celebration of favourite composers whose tunes he loves to play. In loving imitation of canonical tenor/bass/drums trios, this band plays tunes by Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, plus underexplored repertoire by AACM composers such as Roscoe Mitchell and Anthony Braxton.

Featuring long time musical associate Will Harris on bass, plus wonderful young drummer Luke McCarthy, this trio will be a virtuosic and hard swinging celebration of the jazz tradition.

22/10/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ Q4 S4 / STILL WATERS / TUESDAY OCTOBER 27TH 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

Niklas Lukassen: Still Waters

Alex Hitchcock (ts), Ivo Neame (p), Niklas Lukassen (db) & Jon Scott (dr)

German-born, New York-seasoned and now UK based “versatile bass virtuoso” (Jazzwise) Niklas Lukassen presents his acclaimed new album Still Waters on Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Heartcore Records.

“A great bassist with very musical instincts!” – Mike Stern
“Confident & sophisticated“ – Arts Fuse
“A versatile bass virtuoso“ & „a future jazz star“ – Jazzwise Magazine
“Niklas Lukassen’s album Still Waters is a strong offering. I am proud to be a part of this clear vision and glistening sound. It’s a pleasure to hear some of the great musicians of the new generation playing their best.” – Kurt Rosenwinkel
“Niklas Lukassen clearly developed his own artistic voice on his instrument and has a gift for jazz composition” – Richie Beirach

15/10/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ Q4 S3 / TOM OLLENDORFF TRIO / TUES 20 OCT 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

This autumn, Tom Ollendorff embarks on a major European tour showcasing the artistry that has established him as one of the most compelling young voices in contemporary jazz.

Renowned for his distinctive guitar sound, melodic imagination, and emotional depth, Ollendorff continues to captivate audiences with music that is both accessible and richly rewarding.

Joining him on this tour are two of the world’s most sought-after musicians, legendary drummer Jason Brown and the highly sought after double bassist Will Sach.

“Elegance and taste are his watchwords, but he deploys fire with consummate, almost disarming ease.”
— All About Jazz
“Tom Ollendorff often reclaims jazz guitar-playing’s classic past, but he also understands its fast-changing present.”
— The Guardian

08/10/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ Q4 S2 / BIRMINGHAM JAZZ ORCHESTRA / TUES 13 OCT 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

The Birmingham Jazz Orchestra is made up of internationally renowned musicians based in or associated with Birmingham, many of whom are key creative voices on the Birmingham music scene. The ensemble aims to showcase the composing and improvising talents of its members, as well as featuring guest artists.

01/10/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ Q4 S1 / ALI WATSON TRIO / TUES 6 OCTOBER 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

Ali Watson was born in the Scottish Highlands, before moving to Glasgow at the age of 3 where he had his upbringing. Watson began upright bass lessons at the age of 12, and quickly took a liking to jazz music after joining his regional schools jazz orchestra at 14, where he first met long time friend and musical collaborator Matt Carmichael. Upon being emphasized the importance of classical study, Watson joined the Junior department of the RCS and the music school of Douglas academy, where he received Classical tuition from John van Lierop and Tom Berry. With his main interest being jazz music however, he moved to jazz lessons with Mario Caribe and joined the National Youth Jazz orchestra of Scotland.
Watson moved to London to study at the Guildhall School, graduating with first class in 2021. Here he began exploring writing music under his own name and started a trio with Tim Lallemant and Tom Potter. In 2021, Watson successfully auditioned for the Gutenberg Jazz collective, where he recorded with Larry Grenadier and performed with Sullivan Fortner and Ben Wendel.
In 2022 Watson moved back to Glasgow where he formed a new quartet (Matt Carmichael, Alan Benzie, Greg Irons). With this band he recorded and released his debut album ‘Terrarium’, receiving many reviews of high acclaim from the likes of Jazzviews, Paris Move and the NYC Jazz Record. The band have since performed at various venues across the UK such as the Vortex Jazz club, Pizza Express Dean St, NQ Jazz Manchester, Yardbird Cardiff, the Merchants House Glasgow and many others.
Watson recently recorded his follow-up album alongside Carmichael, Irons joined by both Fergus Mccreadie and Tim Lallemant on the Piano.

REVIEW QUOTES
“TERRARIUM is an album of quiet brilliance, where every note feels deliberate, yet natural.”
Jazz Views
”A must-listen for those intrigued by their unique approach to jazz.”
NYC Jazz Record
“Behind this music, there are artists, humans, with their joys, dreams, and also their wounds.”
Paris Move

Ali Watson - Upright Bass
Fergus Mccreadie - Piano
Greg Irons - Drums

29/09/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ LINEUP Q4 2026

06/10 - ALI WATSON TRIO Ali Watson
13/10 - BIRMINGHAM JAZZ ORCHESTRA
20/10 - TOM OLLENDORFF TRIO Tom Ollendorff
27/10 - NIKLAS LUKASSEN Niklas Lukassen
03/11 - NICK MALCOLM Nick Malcolm
10/11 - BUSTOS David Bustos
17/11 - GEORGE COLLIGAN George Colligan
24/11 - JONNY MANSFIELD FT EMMANUEL MICHAEL Jonny Mansfield Emmanuel Michael
01/12 - DIGBETH JAZZ X TDE: CHRIS BOWDEN Chris Bowden Fizzle + TDE Promotions
08/12 - XMAS BIG BAND DIGBETH JAZZ

🚨🫪🚨

24/09/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ Q3 S13 / GIULIA MARRO QUARTET / TUES 29 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

Led by rising UK jazz clarinettist and vocalist Giulia Marro, the Giulia Marro Quartet brings together some of London’s most exciting young musicians for an evening of swing. Blending original compositions with deep cuts from the Great American Songbook, the quartet draws inspiration from the chamber-like interplay of Jimmy Giuffre and the expressive writing of Carla Bley. With rich storytelling, melodic improvisation and a distinctive sound, the band creates music that feels both rooted in tradition and strikingly individual.

Featuring:
Giulia Marro - Vocals / Clarinet
Nick Manz - Piano
Ben Love - Bass
Jack Thomas - Drums

17/09/2026

DIGBETH JAZZ / Q3 2026 S12 / TOM BARFORD QUINTET / TUES 22 SEPTEMBER 7:30PM / THE NIGHT OWL B9 4AG / £8 / £6 STUDENT

Tom gained a scholarship place on the Undergraduate Jazz Programme at the Royal Academy of Music in 2013 earning a First Class Hons degree in 2017. During his time at the Academy, Tom slowly became recognised as one of the most exciting players on the international jazz scene. Tom released his Kenny Wheeler Prize winning album BLOOMER on Edition Records back in 2018. Tom also enjoys co-leading AuB- who released their debut album in May 2020, also on Edition Records, with another album in the works.

Tom Barford - Saxophone
Miguel Gorodi - Trumpet
Ivo Neame - Piano
Oli Hayhurst - Bass
Tim Giles - Drums

16/09/2026

We raised £1,500 for cancer charities!!

We decided that for our 2nd birthday last month that the gig should be a charity fundraiser. We spoke to our good friend Stef Wok and he chose to nominate the on our behalf. We then a few days later learned of the passing of Brian Homer, a much beloved member of the Birmingham Jazz scene. In honour of Brian Homer we decided we would also want to donate to

Thanks to the generosity of our audience and the community surrounding this night, we are pleased to announce that we raised a fantastic £1,500!! We are immensely honoured to be able to donate £750 to both charities on behalf of the Digbeth Jazz community and want to thank everyone that helped, supported and contributed to our birthday event. We couldn’t have done it without you all.

Much love

Digbeth Jazz team 🫶

10/09/2026

in//motion presents itself as the gateway between the worlds of contemporary improvised music and the sounds of post-rock, shoegaze and grunge. Rich harmonic writing meets harsh tones and deftly woven improvisation, drawing on the sounds of artists such as Brian Blade, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Alva Noto and Adrianne Lenker.

in//motion releases their debut album this Tuesday September 15th alongside this show.

Featuring:
Luke Chakrabarti - Saxophone
Julien Durand - Guitar
Daniel Kemshell - Guitar
Fergus Quill - Bass
Matthew Holmes - Drums

Address

The Night Owl, 17-18 Lower Trinity Street
Birmingham
B94AG

Website

https://linktr.ee/digbethjazz

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