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Young Jazz musicians set to star at top venue |
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East Midlands young jazz musicians are to battle it out to win a recording session and perform at a top London jazz venue.
The East Midlands Young Jazz Awards 2008 is open to musicians, vocalists, big bands and groups with prizes which could open the door to professional careers.
Young performers and bands are invited
to send in a CD of two songs to a panel of judges including eight times
Best British Jazz Pianist, David Newton, composer and trumpeter Byron
Wallen and Pete Long musical director of Ronnie Scott’s Big Band, who
will choose winners of four categories: Big Band of more than 12
musicians, Small Group of up to 9 musicians, Under 19 soloist and
Rising Star, a vocalist or instrumentalist up to 25 years old.
The four category winners will be invited to a play in a winners’
Newark Jazz Festival. Other category prizes include a workshop with a
leading jazz educator, an invitation to a series of rehearsals with the
National Youth Jazz Orchestra and a recording session at Nottingham’s
state of the art Confetti Studios.
After last year’s competition concert at The Palace Theatre one member
of the audience commented: “That was the best couple of quid I ever
spent.”
Competition patron, iconic jazz pianist and composer, Stan Tracey CBE
said: “There are a lot of kids out there who are interested in jazz and
just need their talents to be channelled and encouraged. The East
Midlands Young Jazz Awards is a fantastic way of achieving that.”
Big Band Winners in the East Midlands Young Jazz Awards 2007 - the
Derby-based East Midlands Youth jazz Orchestra – will play at this
year’s festival’s opening concert on May 16th alongside trumpeter
Nathan Bray, Pete Long, Trombonist David Williamson, one of the West
End’s busiest drummers, Elliott Henshaw, and pianist John Turville.
Newark Jazz Festival is running the competition with support from East
Midlands Jazz Consortium (EMJAZZ), the development agency for jazz
throughout Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire
and Northamptonshire.
Competition coordinator, Nathan Bray, who is one of the country's
fastest rising jazz trumpet players, says the awards give young
performers an unparalleled opportunity: “Jazz is played by school and
youth bands which harbour many highly talented individuals who dream of
becoming professional musicians. We have engaged some of the highest
regarded jazz musicians to be on the judging panel and secured prizes
that showcase winners’ talent and further skill development.
“Jazz can be slow, moody and mellow, energetic, feisty and exotic – it
can be performed by one person or as part of a large band. No wonder it
inspires such enthusiasm among our young performers and offers a
platform for artists to perfect their musical skills.”
Geoff Wright, EMJAZZ figurehead and founder of the respected Derby Jazz
organisation is delighted to be supporting the awards and to be part of
Newark Jazz Festival 2008.
• Closing date for entries is April 28 2008. Information and entry
forms can be downloaded from www.newarkjazz.co.uk. Newark Jazz Festival
2008 takes place over the weekend of May 16-18.
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