Opened on the coincidental date of 7/7/07 the Seven Arts venue in Chapel Allerton, Leeds was started by three local women Penny Sanders, Pat Hunter and Anne Skevington who wanted to create a successful community arts centre and jazz venue.

Now celebrating its fifth anniversary the venue continues to thrive, albeit with little public funding but with plenty of community support, and was recently awarded Club Of The Year at this year’s Yorkshire Jazz Awards. Encouraging and nurturing local musicians has always featured heavily in the club’s activities via regular jazz workshops, an improvisation group, a jazz day as part of the local arts festival, and a soon-to- be-formed jazz choir.

Highlights of the forthcoming fifth anniversary season include the Brandon Allen/Quentin Collins Quintet (27 September); a solo piano performance from John Taylor (4 October, pictured above left); the Liane Carroll trio (18 October); Benn Clatworthy Quintet (8 November) and tenorist Peter King (13 December).

Local talent gets a look in too with trumpeter Kim Macari performing her specially commissioned piece ‘6for7’ with a fine band featuring tenor/soprano saxophonist Riley Stone-Lonergan and guitarist Ant Law (22 November), while renowned US baritone sax man Gary Smulyan lines up with the Yorkshire Jazz Orchestra for a tribute to Pepper Adams (23 November). The club’s regular Sunday lunchtime sessions continue each week right into December.

For full listings go to www.sevenleeds.co.uk

– Mike Flynn