Just the right image

New Zealand School of Music’s Big Band trumpeters Dave Kempton, Michael Costello, Imogen Thirlwall, James Wisnesky, and Ben Hunt showing a fine selection of their instruments.
Imogen Thirlwall might be just one of the band, but she must be exactly the right image for the New Zealand School of Music. She plays jazz trumpet with the NZSM’s Big Band under Rodger Fox, and sings opera - most lately in Midsummer Night’s Dream at Victoria University.
Imogen came down from Tauranga on a Victoria University scholarship to do a BMus in voice and music studies (as well as a BA in English) and seems never to have looked back. She’s got those degrees, won another scholarship, and is now doing an honours year in voice and and music.
“Being with the School of Music’s Big Band has been one of the best experiences of my life,” she enthuses. “It started in 2008 when we toured with trumpeter Clay Jenkins, then in 2009 we recorded Run for Cover which won best NZ Jazz Album, and in 2010 we recorded Funk City OLA and we’re very much looking forward to see what happens to that.”
“It’s wonderful to play with all these amazing musicians who tour in New Zealand. They’re such nice guys and the way the school works the younger players get to work with the more experienced students and it all gets sort of handed down. Everyone wins”.
Thirlwall is very much looking forward to the NZSM’s Jazz Festival. This first time event is both an interschool jazz competition, and a chance for students to hear and learn from top people in the industry.
Around 20 secondary school bands and combos from as far away as Auckland and Christchurch are competing for best instrumentalist, composition, improvisation, arrangement, and young musician, as well as band and combo prizes.
Three “heavies” from overseas will judge.
• Russian born Alex Sipiagin, the top trumpeter who was inspired by hearing what few jazz recordings were available in Russia when he was 15, and who now lives and plays mostly with big name bands in New York.
• Drummer Steve Houghton who’s got more than 100 recordings to his credit, and is professor of percussion and jazz at at Indiana University.
• Bob Sheppard whose music on flutes clarinets and saxophones has featured with more important jazz names than we’ve room for.
They’ll feature along with Rodger Fox’s Jazz Orchestra, and the NZSM’s own 20 strong Big Band in what has the makings of a jazz night not to missed.
NZSM Gala Jazz Concert, Wellington Town Hall, August 19.









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