Jez Collins

Jez Collins is a social and cultural entrepreneur and is employed as a researcher in the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research at Birmingham City University where he studies the creative industries and cultural policy. He has a particular interest in the music industries with music as a tool for social change, music as culture and music heritage as current areas of practice and research. Jez is the founder of the Birmingham Popular Music Archive (http://birminghammusicarchive.com) The archive was created to recognize and celebrate the rich musical heritage of the city of Birmingham and as way of ensuring that multiple voices, stories and narratives tell their stories, of their music no matter how obscure. The project seeks to build the complete musical history of the city bottom up
Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Bryce Dessner and Eighth Blackbird Collaborate on ‘When We Are Inhuman’

Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Bryce Dessner and Eighth Blackbird Collaborate on ‘When We Are Inhuman’

A rewarding, enriching and outstanding collaboration between Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Bryce Dessner, and Eighth Blackbird makes the old sound new, the new sound old and shines a light on a long lost minimalist composer.

Poppies: Assorted Finery from the First Psychedelic Age

Poppies: Assorted Finery from the First Psychedelic Age

Poppies is a journey through the outer reaches of obscure but brilliant psychedelic songs on this wonderfully crafted compilation from Craft Recordings.

Mediations of Life Shine Brightly on Rajna Swaminathan’s Brilliant Debut Album

Mediations of Life Shine Brightly on Rajna Swaminathan’s Brilliant Debut Album

An Indian jazz fusion album introduces a vital new voice to the scene with Rajna Swaminathan's debut, Of Agency and Abstraction.

He Shoots! He Scores! Bunny Lee: Dreads Enter the Gates With Praise

He Shoots! He Scores! Bunny Lee: Dreads Enter the Gates With Praise

This brilliant Soul Jazz Records compilation of Jamaican reggae producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee hits the mark with 23 prime cuts of roots reggae and dub.

The Matthew Herbert Great Britain and Gibraltar European Union Membership Referendum Big Band: The State Between Us

The Matthew Herbert Great Britain and Gibraltar European Union Membership Referendum Big Band: The State Between Us

Matthew Herbert's The State Between Us is an extraordinary album for extraordinary times, as it addresses Brexit and what it means to be British and European.

Dexys: One Day I’m Going to Soar

Janelle Monáe: The Electric Lady

Lau Nau: Valohiukkanen

William Tyler: Impossible Truth

Peace: In Love

Alice Russell: To Dust

The Thermals: Desperate Ground