Jazz musicians get together at Lower Hutt

Press, 20 August 1984, Page 28

Jazz musicians get together at Lower Hutt

PA Wellington Forty-four young New Zealand jazz musicians, including eight from Christchurch, will assemble in Lower Hutt at the Hutt Valley High School during the first week of the school holidays. John Joyce, president of the Jazz Foundation, said yesterday that two orchestras would be formed. “One, for those up to 18 Sof age, we call the iha National High School Jazz Orchestra. The other, those aged 19 to 26, is the Yamaha National Youth Jazz Orchestra,” he said. Lucy Cummings, a saxophonist, is the only Christchurch musician in the youth orchestra. In the high school orchestra, three saxophonists — Gavin Hamburger, Andrew Bickers, and Tony Hyde — two trombonists — lain Hunter and Julian Brown — a trumpeter, Kim Wilkinson, and a rhythm player, Kere Buchanan, make up the Christchurch contingent. Russ Garcia, an American composer arranger and long-time resident of the Bay of Islands, will conduct the youth band, and Calder Prescott, a well-known Dunedin pianist and big

band conductor, will lead the younger group. The musicians were chosen by audition, held throughout New Zealand by the Jazz Foundation. During the week they will play both private and public concerts in Wellington and Masterton area, and record for radio and television.