19th October. Returning to The Old Courts, Mike Ciaputa is known for his past performances across the North West, both with the Ciaputa Trio and as a solo artist. Performing a new set that bridges his previous trio project and his solo acoustic endeavours, including music from the ‘String Theory’ album, prepare to be immersed in a sonic landscape that seamlessly blends organic acoustic tones with ambient electric textures. Mike’s musical palette is rich and diverse, Influenced by the likes of Stuart McAllum, Andy Mckee, Mateus Asato, Gilad Hekselman, and Julian Lange. His compositions reflect a modern jazz ethos that defies genre boundaries. Delve into an evening of intricate melodies and masterful guitar craftsmanship and a love of all things guitar.

16th November. Part of our remit, both at The Old Courts and our Pocket Jazz series, is to encourage the development of jazz players. Luke Gee is a familiar face on the North West music scene, especially around the Wigan area. As a solo artist, and a member of several of Wigan’s popular music scene bands. Including Tommy Jones’s Quaintest Show on Earth. Luke is a highly skilled guitar player, with his own unique energy and playing style. With a keen interest in jazz, and a phenomenal musical style across all genres, this will be Luke’s first public outing as a player of jazz, and we look forward to welcoming him to the Bailiff Bar to play his set.

21st December. This will be Phil Shotton’s second outing for our Pocket Jazz series, along with the equally talented Matt Lowton on stand up bass. Phil regularly performs alongside many national and international jazz artists and has appeared at major jazz festivals, venues and music festivals throughout the country and abroad. Highly sought-after as both a performer and recording artist, Phil has released two albums under his own name and appeared on numerous recordings as a sideman. We look forward to welcoming both Phil & Matt back to the Bailiff Bar for our final concert of 2023.