Jazz: Sixways

Sixways is an ensemble made up of some of the most exciting up-and-coming musicians in Birmingham put together by saxophonist Ben Partridge. A few years back Ben won the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Mike Gibbs Award for composition and arranging, and he provides all the music for the band.

Sixways incorporates elements of small and large ensemble jazz and combines forward-thinking composition in the mould of Kenny Wheeler, Maria Schneider and John Hollenbeck, free improvisation and elements from other music beyond jazz such as Radiohead and Adrienne Lenker (Big Thief). After performances supporting John Stowell and at Exit Velocity Jazz festival at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Eastside Jazz Club, the band had its debut outing under the Sixways banner at Birmingham’s Spotted Dog in November 2023.