YOUNG and younger musicians who would relish taking part in September 28-30’s jazz festival celebrating 30 years of Limerick Jazz Society, take note. Steve Hanks is a jazz educator and also one hell of a saxophonist, clarinet player, professional musician and composer. He has played in various bands and with an international line up of musicians. A teacher with Limerick School of Music, with Kileeley’s Learning Hub and with Limerick Jazz’s improvisation classes in LIT, Hanks is inspired by the music of New Orleans to create a youth band performance for the festival.
He is already committed to the new 8-piece Crisis Point ensemble of professional musicians booked for Belltable Arts Centre for Limerick Jazz Festival on Sunday September 30.
Looking for young recruits for a separate Louisiana influenced ensemble, “I regard this as an outreach project to the festival,” the likeable Briton tell Arts page. “Think of the ‘Tremor’ HBO television series set in New Orleans which is where jazz originated. It’s a city noted for Mardi Gras, its marching and Mardi Gras bands going back to the roots of jazz.
“For young people it is fun, not overly complicated and I want to build on the tradition of marching bands in Limerick but do something different. Creating a big New Orleans style band for young people, they will learn about musical harmony and performance”.
If you are aged at least nine or ten to 30, and can play an instrument – trombone, trumpet, whatever – make your enquiries to [email protected].
