When Tony Levin, the internationally respected free jazz drummer, died aged 71 back in February, his passing was met with much grief and sadness around the jazz community. He had recently undertaken a British tour to celebrate his 70th birthday with a trio featuring pianist Aki Takase and bassist John Edwards and with his old friends from the seminal quartet Muijcian, Paul Dunmall, Keith Tippett and Paul Rogers.

This Saturday at mac in Birmingham, friends and colleagues of Levin’s are putting on a special memorial hosted by Birmingham Jazz concert to celebrate his life and work. Eleven musicians are taking part with one set focussing on Tony’s ’straight’ playing featuring saxophonists Ray Warleigh, Stan Sulzmann and Jean Toussaint and a rhythm section of John Taylor on piano, Arnie Somogyi on bass and Clark Tracey on drums. The second set takes in Tony’s free jazz side with Keith Tippett on piano, Paul Rogers on bass and Paul Dunmall on saxophones plus two drummers, Tony’s son Miles and Mark Sanders. All income after costs will be donated to Blue Chairs: the Shropshire Blood Trust.

Levin was born on 30 January 1940 in Much Wenlock, Shropshire and became a widely respected jazz drummer playing at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in the 1960s with artists including Joe Harriott, Al Cohn, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Zoot Sims, and Toots Thielemans. His first major break came when he joined Tubby Hayes' Quartet (1965-9). He worked with numerous groups and artists, including the Alan Skidmore quintet (1969), Humphrey Lyttelton band (1969), John Taylor Trio & Sextet (1970s), Ian Carr’s Nucleus (1970s), Stan Sulzmann quartet, Gordon Beck’s Gyroscope, duo with John Surman (1976), European Jazz Ensemble, Third Eye (1979), Rob van den Broeck (1982), Philip Catherine's trio and quartet (1990s), Sophia Domancich Trio (with Paul Rogers, double bass; 1991-2000), Philippe Aerts trio and quartet (2000s). He also played on an ongoing basis with bass player Ali Haurand in many different groups. From 1980, Levin worked extensively with saxophonist Paul Dunmall, including as a member of the Quartet Mujician, with Paul Rogers (double bass) and Keith Tippett (piano). In 1994, Levin released his solo album Spiritual Empathy, again with Dunmall on saxophones. In 2006 he played a trio gig with Dunmall and Rogers featuring Ellery Eskelin, Ray Anderson, Tony Malaby as guests at John Zorn's The Stone in NYC. He later recorded with Dunmall plus his son Miles Levin on drums. Levin ran his own monthly club in Birmingham, and often performed duets with Paul Dunmall and guest musicians as well as producing records for his label Rare Music. – Stephen Graham

For tickets to the Birmingham memorial concert go to www.macarts.co.uk
A further Tony Levin tribute evening will take place at the Vortex in London on 31 July.