By TANIA PHILLIPS
WATCH out for some very cool jazz this July with the Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival partnering with the Jazz Music Institute of Brisbane for the first time.
The Fortitude Valley-based JMI is a specialist jazz school delivering courses in jazz performance since 1997.
The JMI has formed a promotional partnership with the festival through sponsorship.
The festival will promote the institute as a quality musical education facility, which may well appeal to Southern Downs music students.
In addition, they will send one of their feature bands – JMI New Orleans Street Band to perform as part of the festival jazz program.
As either a roving or stationary band, the JMI New Orleans Street Band rolls into Warwick as a five-piece ensemble on Friday 29 July to perform on the street at the Downtown Lounge Stage outside the historic Warwick Town Hall in Palmerin Street.
This will indeed be the place to be on the second weekend of the festival as the JMI musicians will be playing alongside another exciting new addition to the festival jazz scene, Brisbane Jazz muso’s, The Mal Woods Band.
Wynton Marsalis, internationally acclaimed musician and composer is a supporter of the JMI Brisbane program.
“This is one of the first jazz curriculums that addresses the entire fundamental range of jazz styles; from New Orleans to Bebop to Modern, it’s all there,” Mr Marsalis said.
Following their first performance, festival goers can look out for the Festival Jazz Jam from 5.30pm – knock-off drinks time – when both these bands head to The Criterion Hotel to jam with each other and any local musicians who care to join them.
As a roving act, JMI New Orleans Band will also appear at the Saturday 30 July Warwick Credit Union Stoll and Swing event and the Sunday 31 July Picnic in the Park, so everyone on the Southern Downs will have the opportunity to experience the traditional music of New Orleans.
The full Jumpers and Jazz in July program will be announced in May on the festival website. The 10-day festival which kicks off on Thursday 21 July will run until Sunday 31 July.
