Jazzworks Non-Competitive Band Festival at Yardbird Suite

Students From Across the Province Partake in Program

The Yardbird Suite in Edmonton hosts Jazzworks, a non-competitive band festival for music students from across the province, on February 13 – 16.

Jazzworks started in the early 90′s as part of an education program run by the Yardbird Suite. Gordon Towell was the director of a youth band (Littlebirds Big Band) that met every Saturday morning from 9am to 12 pm. Gordon further augmented the Littlebirds by starting a non competitive Jazz festival to run over four days. The program has now been running successfully for 12 years.

Adjudicators rehearse and perform with each band at the Cosmopolitan Music Society rehearsal space, with the preparation culminating in performances before live audiences at the Yardbird Suite. Each band will feature a guest soloist from the adjudication panel and the final evening concert features the two Littlebirds bands and the adjudicators band.

Adjudicators this year include Edmonton-based Thom Bennett (drums), Bobby Cairns (guitar), Calgary native Mark De Jong (saxophone) and Vancouver’s Brad Turner (trumpet).

for more info visit www.jazzworks.ca