The Jazz Sextet & Big Band Enjoyed Workshops With Top Jazz Musician Miguel Gorodi & His Nonet

October 15th 2019

On Tuesday 15^th October, we were very fortunate to be able to welcome the Miguel Gorodi Nonet to King’s to work with the Jazz Sextet and Big Band.

The Miguel Gorodi Nonet consists of top London-based musicians who all perform and record professionally in their own right. They worked with the Jazz Sextet to develop important listening skills that are so essential to jazz. The pupils responded brilliantly to the suggestions made and could really see a positive difference to their musical output during the workshop. The group also worked with the Big Band and again were able to work on the tightness of rhythm and paying particular attention to dynamics and the balance of parts. Many of the suggestions pointed to the importance of listening to each other to produce the most coherent and balanced sound. The pupils once again rose valiantly to the task and challenges presented by the group, and I am sure that the pupils will take many of the ideas forward as they continue to rehearse and perform throughout the academic year.

In the evening, we were treated to a performance given by the Miguel Gorodi Nonet. The rhythm vitality and complexity was totally staggering! The music is avant-garde and can be challenging for the listener, but there was a great appreciation for the thought process and many musical influences including Stravinsky and Reich heard within these highly original compositions, along with the abundance of talent and dexterity shown in the performance.

It was a wonderful evening performance given by sought-after members of the flourishing London jazz scene. We were also pleased to have some A-Level artists painting in the gallery during the concert, producing artwork inspired by the tapestry and kaleidoscope of sound!

Ashley Marshfield - Director of Music

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