Youth Jazz
Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Chairperson, Geoff Jackson, has successfully gained access to a significant grants for promoting events, learning workshops and promotions for young, aspiring jazz musicians.
This has given RVJ&B a big boost, because one of our objectives is to actively support young jazz & blues musicians. Lancashire is already well blessed with young people playing our music, mainly through school Big/Swing Bands in the county. St Christophers School Big Band, St Augustines School Big Band and Clitheroe Royal Grammar School have played for us as part of our Youth Jazz programme, and several of its players have set up there own small bands; hence The John Wickham Trio and The Jazz Commandos, both of whom have performed for us, and supported various workshops. There are also bands from further afield, such as Chethams School of music who have performed for us.
Not far away, in Wigan, there is the excellent Wigan Jazz Club which has two youth jazz bands, both of which perform regularly at club events, and at the annual Wigan Jazz Festival – look on their site at www.wiganjazzclub.org.uk They have a performance for us at The Grand on September 12th 2010.
We shall be organising a number of Learning Workshops this year, employing both local and international workshop tutors to work with young people age 12 to 25 and adults 50+ to improve levels of skills and confidence, and to develop improvisational techniques. The workshop series will develop an intergenerational experience for participants.
A saxophone workshop was held at Haslingden Cricket Club in association with Dunnrhthym on 28th July 2010 by world class saxophonist Greg Abate from the USA.
Also, on the 9th July, Paul Rigby ran a Drum Workshop at The New Atrium Cafe Bar in Clitheroe Castle.
Anyone interested in further workshops should contact by ringing 07870 908 159, or email info@rvjazzandblues.co.uk
