Trinity Laban students embark on New Orleans adventure
Wed 14 December 2016A group of enterprising Trinity Laban students are seeking support for an ambitious performance and education project that will could see them head across the Atlantic.
The Old Jelly Rollers – seven young jazz musicians from Trinity Laban – are aiming to travel to New Orleans in February 2017 to perform at Mardi Gras and to create an online resource for music students and children in the UK.
The group are planning to conduct interviews with celebrated musicians in New Orleans, the home of jazz. They will also document their experience of Mardi Gras and music culture in the French Quarter, using their discoveries to develop online resources and interactive workshops for students back in the UK. By making jazz education accessible to a wider audience, the Jelly Rollers aim to protect and promote this rich heritage, and to take arts education to a broader audience.
The Old Jelly Rollers came together to celebrate the centennial anniversaries of both the first ever jazz recording and the birth of George Webb, regarded by many as the father of the trad jazz movement in the UK. The septet comprises alumnus Louise Balkwill (Voice) plus current students Johnny Woodham (Trumpet), Hannah Hever (Clarinet), Laura Impallomeni(Trombone), Martin Lee Thomson (Multi-instrumentalist), Adam Chinery (Banjo) and Tom Wright (Drums).
The ensemble currently relies entirely on crowd funding to support their journey, hoping to raise £10,000 by 20th December 2016 in order to make their vision a reality.
For more information visit The Old Jelly Rollers website. To make a donation, please visit their crowdfunding page.
Image: Henrijs Grabovskis