Just a quick note from the Ort HQ – as you will notice if you’ve been to the cafe this week, some of our prices have gone up. It was not an easy decision, believe us, and it is because we value your custom that we wanted to give you a heads up to our thinking. We have some wonderful staff here who we want to look after, and costs have gone up from our suppliers. To continue to do all that we do here, we have to cover these costs.

We hope you’ll agree that we’re still competitive compared with other cafes and bars in the Balsall Heath, Moseley and Kings Heath communities. Thank you for all your support over the past (nearly) two years and we hope you will continue to support us!

…and don’t worry, our tea is still only 50p!

Ort team x

Join artist Neil Caldwell for the Opening of his Solo Exhibition at Ort Cafe. Neil paints photo-realist paintings depicting Birmingham, Political issues and more in a sarcastic manner. Well worth a visit!

Sardinian musicians Sebastiano Dessanay on double bass and Gianluca Corona on guitar are joined by drummer Tymoteusz Jozwiak for a set that includes original compositions from Dessanay and Corona.

Quiz Night with Graham – fancy an Ort style quiz?

The winners get the pot + bottle of wine!

The BASS Festival SOUL Cafe – featuring Emma Marie, Alyssa Rochelle, Amahra, Cristof Jennings + more

Find out more here:
http://punch-records.co.uk/tag/bass-festival

KC McKanzie

K.C. McKanzie is a songwriter of the rarest kind. Joyful melancholy, intense lightness – seemingly incompatible extremes blend together effortlessly in her music. She does her very own brand of Americana and Folk. A bittersweet Old-Time-flavour combines with
a contemporary touch of rootsy rhythms.

On her 4th album “DryLand” K.C. McKanzie (voc, guit, banjo) and her partner in crime Budi (bs, banjo, drums, p) present a multitude of melodies, supplemented now and then
with cello and piano. The simple acoustic instrumentation gives an unpretentious but very intense sound.

K.C. McKanzie’s soft voice leads wistfully and clear through the haunting but passionate lyrics. Love and despair, longing and lust are put expressively into powerful symbols
by using dry, simple writing. Subtle arrangements with plenty of detail create
a timeless yet intimate mood. K.C. McKanzie’s songwriting is complex and stripped bare, it sparkles with energy.

“A far cry from traditional purism, closer to new acoustic and british folk.”
Rolling Stone

“She vaporizes the boundaries between the genres folk and roots without even trying.”
rocktimes

“First-class Folkmusic ”
Melodie & Rhythmus

“Songs breathing a lot of experience of life. Very moving and brilliant.”
rootstime

www.kcmckanzie.com

Will McNicol

Will McNicol began playing guitar at the age of six, and since then has gone on to become UK Acoustic Guitarist of the Year (2011) and a Fellow of Trinity College London for his playing and compositions. He has released three albums of original material, and has gigged up and down the country; whether it be headlining his own solo shows, or supporting artists from Pierre Bensusan to Mumford & Sons. Will’s music is influenced by styles from all over the world, and he has developed his own unique sound, with Celtic folk being the underlying inspiration behind a large majority of his own pieces. His performances have been described as “beautifully flawless”, as he swaps between nylon and steel string guitars to show the sheer variety of tone guitars can offer.

https://soundcloud.com/willmcnicol

Andrew’s latest trio project features a new set of original compositions written specially for this band as well as music by Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter and J.S. Bach – the musical direction of the band reflects his early classical training (including the exploration of counterpoint and voice-leading techniques) as well as jazz and folk influences.

The trio first began playing together in January 2012 as house band for a weekly jam session residency in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham run by Jim Bashford, the band’s drummer. Originally focusing on exploring repertoire from the Great American Songbook, the band soon began to branch out to include lesser-known material from jazz composers and eventually Andrew began writing his own tunes for the trio to play.

They perform regularly at Matt and Phred’s Jazz Club in Manchester as well as in various venues around Birmingham. They have also played at Wakefield Jazz Club, The Yardbird Jazz Club and The Grove Inn in Leeds.