Leftfoot are the curates of Birmingham’s brilliant urban festival, Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul, bestowed with the honour of opening up proceedings on Friday 5^th July in the leafy splendor of Moseley Park. Headliner Bonobo takes centre stage, with his latest opus, The North Borders, just released to great acclaim. Following on from Black Sands, his latest album shows just how much of an important figure he is; with his music thematic, resonant, addictive and perfectly formed, his latest work showcases an inimitable melodic genius infused with cutting-edge electronics, bass and drums, which Bonobo brings to Leftfoot and Mostly Jazz this summer.

Such a figure is exemplary of Leftfoot’s own stance. Founded by Adam Regan and Richard Whittingham in 2000, Leftfoot has evolved into one of the most important left-of-centre, soul-based projects in the UK. Voted the best Club Night by Gilles Peterson in 2003, the intervening decade has witnessed Leftfoot’s pioneering progression, hosting guests across a vibrant palette covering house, hip-hop, disco, jazz, funk, soul, reggae, drum & bass, techno, Afrobeat, Latin and more. It’s this broad global palate spread across so many sounds which is indicative of the talent on show at Mostly Jazz.

Friday is packed with talent in the same eclectic spirit which underpins Leftfoot, from the sensational Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and their New Orleans-inspired, bass-heavy and high-energy sounds, to Troumaca’s homegrown and world inspired "sun-drenched tropical blissdom" and a mash-up of jazz, hip-hop, soul, electronic, rock and opera from Melbourne’s Hiatus Kaiyote. There’s also the Alternative Dubstep Orchestra, a collective of Birmingham-based musicians and DJs who experiment, rework, compose and improvise orchestral dubstep to stunning effect with Tropicala Soundsystem in support, and over on the second stage, Yes King headline alongside a vibrant lineup of Stubborn Heart, Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame, BJ Smith and Antelope.

As for Leftfoot, the brand never stands still and is continually striving to push underground music in Birmingham and beyond. This summer the guys are back in Croatia’s The Garden Festival, taking over the stunning open air Barbarellas club with Theo Parrish. Leftfoot's residents have always been very important to the growth of the brand too, making sure the sounds are always on-point for the headliners. The latest addition to the Leftfoot residents team is Midlands deep house don Mark E, who has long being a supporter of the party, and expect to catch Mark at select shows throughout the year.

The Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul festival also stars Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Bonobo, Candi Staton, Soul II Soul, Craig Charles, Blockheads, The Fantasy Funk Band, Smoove & Turrell, Snarky Puppy and many more.**

Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival Friday 5^th – Sunday 7^th July 2013at  Moseley Park, Birmingham, B13 8DD Tickets on sale here

Leftfoot curates Friday with Bonobo, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Troumaca, Hiatus Kaiyote, Alternative Dubstep Orchestra, Tropicala Soundsystem.
On the second stage Yes King, Stubborn Heart, Greg Bird & Flamingo Flame, BJ Smith and Antelope star.

Across the weekend Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Bonobo, Candi Staton, Soul II Soul, Craig Charles and many more all play.