Jazz Voices Choir – The jazz choir at Northlight (the new name for Inkwell) 31 Potternewton Lane Leeds LS7 3DD will start again soon- it will be a weekly choir  running weekly on Monday evenings 7.30-9pm

Join the choir by  contacting Tessa Smith on info@tessasmith.com

Jazz Instrumental Workshops – these are back now at Northlight on Sunday Mornings 10.30-12.30pm. Cost per session: £15/10. All instruments and standards welcome – all you need is a wish to learn how to improvise and play jazz tunes. There is a piano available and a drum kit, otherwise please bring your instruments.

To join – contact Dom Moore on soundoodle@gmail. 

Richard Ormrod’s Instant World Orchestra @Northlight Come down to Northlight and bring your instrument – be part of the biggest, newest band on the planet. We’ll be creating an ensemble playing fantastic groove-led music inspired by the great musical traditions of the world: from Cuba to Cape Town, and from Kingston to Kabul. No reading necessary, all abilities welcome: a unique and inclusive workshop for adults of all ages, and high school age children. The Orchestra  rehearses every Sunday at Northlight 5-8pm £10 per session

Contact Richard on rinkadon@yahoo.co.uk

Schools Jazz Programme 2022/3 In reponse to the tragic lack of music education in some of our schools, Jazz Leeds has embarked on a programme to assist secondary schools in Leeds in running jazz education using it’s own project funds to kick start the process. Following discussions with Leeds Conservatoire and Leeds Artforms (the music hub) we decided to go ahead with a pilot project with Roundhay school. The school was chosen because it was the nearest secondary school to the JazzLeeds main base at Seven Arts Leeds, and it was a school that has maintained a culture of music making.  Jazz Leeds approached experienced musician and educator Dave Evans to lead the project. The programme included

1. Improvisation room with tuned percussion instruments – led by Dave Evans
2. African Drumming/singing led by Xolani Mbatha and Sandile
3. Electronic music – James Jelliman
4. Vocal workshop – Liz Welburn

Out of the pupil premium cohort of 60 young people – 16 of them are now having regular lessons. This is a direct result of the project

Dave Evans delivered an initial taster session to around 18 young people from across years 10 – 13. All of the students involved were instrumentalists/vocalist but very few of them had ever played Jazz or improvised music.

Dave then led a weekly ensemble session 3pm – 4.30pm every Monday during Autumn 2022 and Spring/Summer 2023 including a Jazz band performance at Seven Arts as part of the Jazz Leeds programme on 4 Dec 2022, a support band performance at Leeds Conservatoire with the Generation Jazz orchestra on Mar 23, a performance at RefuJazz Heart on 18 March and an appearance at Leeds Jazz Festival tent in Cookridge Street on 29 May 2023.

“We were delighted to be joined by the Roundhay School jazz band at Leeds Conservatoire. They treated us to an exhilarating performance with a wide range of songs including jazz pop and a beautiful original song”  Karen Gourlay

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Roundhay School Jazz Orchestra at Leeds Conservatoire 23/3/23

Given the success of the model in the pilot we have now extended the approach to two other Leeds  schools in 2024 –  Leeds City Academy in Woodhouse and Allerton Grange secondary school in  Leeds. The Roundhay school element is continuing. Funding for this has been obtained from the Mohn Westlake charity.

For more information please contact Karen Gourlay – JazzLeeds Trustee and leader of Leeds Junior Conservatoire on kpgourlay@gmail.com