International Jazz Day
UNESCO International Jazz Day on Saturday 30 April will be celebrated at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with a line-up of fantastic events.
Evening performances from two of the great male voices in contemporary jazz, Todd Gordon and Ian Shaw, a free workshop for aspiring singers, a daytime Jazz Club with free live music from local professional and amateur jazz ensembles, and events for babies and toddlers and the under 7s to make their very own music with the help of the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra will make it a day to remember for music lovers of all ages.
The music making at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, which takes place along with events throughout the world as part of fifth annual UNESCO International Jazz Day, runs from 11am to 11.30pm.
A workshop with Jazz Choir Scotland on the basic techniques of singing great jazz standards in an authentic jazz style takes place in the New Auditorium from 11am. Participants, led by music instructor and big band leader Eliot Murray accompanied by pianist Jim Clelland, can learn how to turn their singing into an authentic and exciting jazz performance. The workshop is open to all and free.
From 11am to 5pm the Exhibition Hall will be transformed into a Jazz Club for the day with performances from the Byres Road Big Band, Paul Towndrow and Steve Hamilton, Jazz Choir Scotland, Glasgow Schools Big Band, and Ken Mathieson’s Classic Jazz Orchestra. All the music is free to enjoy and the Exhibition Bar will be open.
Over in the City of Music Studio there’s the opportunity for children aged up to 4 and aged 5 – 7 and their carers to take part in two improvised music workshops with the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra (GIO). There will be the chance to play different instruments, see professional musicians play a variety of instruments and have a fantastic amount of fun creating music together, with the GIOBabies workshop beginning at 11am, followed by GIOKids at 12 noon.
At 7.30pm in the New Auditorium, the first of two evening concerts takes place when Todd Gordon Sings The Tony Bennett Song Book. A hugely popular Scottish performer specialising in American classics who appears frequently at venues including Ronnie Scott’s and The 606 and major jazz festivals such as the London Jazz Festival, just two notable moments from his career include one his tracks being used as the theme song in a top-rating Korean tv drama and duetting with Christopher Walken on I’ve Got You Under My Skin at The Algonquin Hotel in New York. Todd is more usally found on stage performing alongside artists such as Alan Barnes, Steve Brown, Jay Leonhart and Curtis Stigers Todd. He be accompanied for this Glasgow Royal Concert Hall appearance by David Patrick (piano), Andrew Sharkey (bass) and Tom Gordon (drums).
The day closes in style with a Late Night Studio Jazz performance in the City of Music Studio by Ian Shaw of his acclaimed album, The Theory of Joy. Twice winner of the Best Jazz vocalist in the BBC Jazz Awards, Ian unusually began his career on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit alongside performers such as Julian Clary before developing into an in demand jazz musician performing in countries including the UK, America, Canada, Australia and Malaysia. Ian is also a musical collaborator with artists such as Claire Martin, Quincy Jones, Abdullah Ibrahim, Guy Barker, and Kenny Wheeler, and a popular radio broadcaster. Barry Green (piano), Mick Hutton (bass), Dave Ohm (drums) will join Ian on stage for his latest Glasgow date.
For more information and tickets visit http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com or call 0141 353 8000
For more information on UNESCO International Jazz Day visit: www.unesco.org/jazzday.