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CADILLAC KINGS
Since their debut in 2001, the Cadillac Kings have gained an enviable reputation for their brand of jumping, swinging blues. Gary Potts is regularly voted one of the top UK harmonica players. Lead vocalist Mike Thomas and pianist Mike Adcock were both members of the Poorboys, with Adcock also working with such diverse talents as Ray Charles and composer Gavin Bryars. Guitarist Mal Barclay, drummer Roy Uncle Webber and double bassist T.C. Coop complete the line-up. In 2004 the Cadillac Kings' Highway 17 was voted one of The Times' Best CDs of the Year.

CAROL SUDHALTER (USA)
One of the great successes of last year's festival, Carol is from a noted musical family, the sister of famed jazz author/cornetist Richard Sudhalter and daughter of saxophonist/violinist Albert Sudhalter. Her style on alto, tenor and baritone recalls the warm, rich sound of past saxophone giants. Time Out NY recently observed, saxophonist Carol Sudhalter's warm gutsy sound will put you in mind of Hawk and Ben Webster. For three months each year Carol tours Europe, notably Italy, and her most recent CD, Shades of Carol, a mix of jazz standards and her original compositions, was released in Italy in 2005.

CONNIE LUSH & BLUES SHOUTER
Connie Lush is officially recognised as one of the finest blues singers this country has ever produced, being voted Best UK Female Vocalist by readers of Blues in Britain for five separate years and European Singer of the Year for 2003, 2004 and 2005.

CRAIG MILVERTON
One of the UK's top jazz pianists, Craig is a long-standing member of Digby Fairweather's Half Dozen and has worked with many top British and international players. Recent developments in his career include linking up with Paul Jones as part of Digby's band and joining Digby and Val Wiseman in a new show, Jazz Goes to the Movies. Earlier this year Craig worked with Carol Sudhalter in New York.

DANNY HEALY (AUSTRALIA)
Australian saxophonist and composer Danny Healy trained at the Victorian College of The Arts in Melbourne, gigged with leading Aussie piano players Tony Gould and Bob Sedergreen, built a strong reputation through Shanghai's jazz clubs and has an Australian CD release Another Time, Another Place on the Vorticity Label.

DAVE MOORWOOD'S RASCALS OF RHYTHM
Making a return to the festival, the ever-popular Rascals of Rhythm are notoriously difficult to pigeonhole, bringing enthusiasm and expertise to a wide variety of jazz from different eras. The band's distinctive sound owes much to the vocals of Susan Valliant Speer and the multi-reed front-line of Mike Willis and Tony Blincowe.

DAVID MOORE BLUES BAND
David's obsession with the blues started at the age of 16 when he was spending time in Texas and Louisiana. This led him to taking up the guitar and forming his first band, the Accidentals, playing covers of Buddy Guy, the three Kings, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the rest. At the age of 19, despite having no musical education, David won a place at the Birmingham Conservatoire to study electric guitar. Now David is pursuing his ambition of playing the Delta to Chicago blues repertoire with a rock attitude.

DIGBY FAIRWEATHER
Digby needs no introduction to Birmingham Jazz Festival audiences, nor indeed to the jazz public in general. His unique reputation as trumpeter, bandleader, writer, archivist and broadcaster has been enhanced in recent years by his Half Dozen's work with the late George Melly and Digby's regular slot on the now sadly defunct theJazz. In 2003 Digby took on the role of George's bandleader from John Chilton and their collaboration produced two memorable and very different CDs. The Ultimate Melly and Farewell Blues, a television film and Digby's excellent memoir, On the Road with George Melly. In his own right Digby is a superb trumpeter whose Half Dozen were honoured as Best Small Group in the 2006 British Jazz Awards.

DJANGO'S CASTLE (SPAIN)
Founded by Pere Soto in 1984, Django's Castle is one of the most devoted of Django tributes, but is also highly original and innovative. One of the great successes of the 2001 Birmingham International Jazz Festival, Django's Castle has since made many appearances here, the last in 2006. In a varied career, guitar virtuoso Pere Soto has recorded a CD in New York with Bill Gebhardt, Dave Douglas, Dave Liebman, Ben Allison and Jeff Ballard, played festivals in Mexico and the USA as well as throughout Europe and created, in Django's Castle, a constant tribute to Django Reinhardt.

DOMINIC NORCROSS QUARTET
Pembrokeshire saxophonist Dominic Norcross leads a quartet known for their fine interpretations of classic numbers by the likes of Miles Davis, Oliver Nelson, Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan and McCoy Tyner. Dominic, who studied at Salford University with Mike Walker and Andy Scofield, picked up the performance award on graduation and has moved on to a successful career back in Wales. Nothing if not versatile, the saxophonist, whose style has been compared to Zoot Sims, has worked with musicians as diverse as Peter Green and Digby Fairweather.

EDDIE MARTIN & HIS BAND
Born in London in the 1960s, Eddie Martin wrote his first songs aged 12 and, influenced by acoustic and rock singer-songwriters from both sides of the Atlantic, turned professional after being nominated for Best British Blues Guitarist, Band and Album between 1996 and 1998. Since then he has recorded and performed with such greats as John Mayall, Peter Green, Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal.

FAT LIP
Fat Lip was formed more than five years ago, originally as a four piece blues band playing small pubs around the West Midlands. The style has since changed to include more soul and funk tunes, particularly Stevie Wonder, James Brown and other groove based American influences but of late have returned to their blues roots.

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