The program for the 2023 Merimbula Jazz Festival has been released. Every June long weekend one or more bands from Jazz Workshop Australia play at this great festival on the far south coast of NSW. This year we have three groups going – two combos and the SYJO big band.
The ‘Young Jazz Workshoppers’ is our Saturday 4:15 combo with some extra members to fill in for those who couldn’t make it.
The ‘Jazz Workshoppers’ is, with minor personnel changes, the same advanced band that played in Merimbula in February at the Down South Jazz Club.
SYJO is the Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra, our resident big band at JWA and proudly sponsored by us.
These are the official programmed performances. There will probably be more ‘off-program’ sets. I’ll update this post as they are confirmed.
JWA at 2023 Merimbula Jazz Festival
Friday 9 June
- 6:15 pm Satay House restaurant
- 8pm Young Jazz Workshoppers, Merimbula RSL function room
- 9pm The Jazz Workshoppers, Merimbula RSL function room
Saturday 10 June
- 9am, Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra, Waterfront Cafe
- 11am, The Jazz Workshoppers, Lakeview Hotel
- 12noon, The Young Jazz Workshoppers, Waterfront Cafe,
- 2pm, Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra, Sapphire Club auditorium
- 5:45pm Satay House restaurant
Sunday 12 June
- 8:30am, Young Jazz Workshoppers, Waterfront Cafe
- 9:30am, The Jazz Workshoppers, Waterfront Cafe
- 11am, Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra, Waterfront Cafe
- 5pm, Sydney Youth Jazz Orchestra, Merimbula RSL function room
- 5:45pm, Satay House Restaurant
- 9pm, Young Jazz Workshoppers combo, Merimbula RSL function room
Some JWA students will also be involved in ‘Jazz Quest’, an annual event at the Merimbula Jazz Festival in which young musicians aged 25 or under compete for generous cash prizes, winners selected by expert adjudicators. Prize money for Jazz Quest 2023 has been boosted significantly by a new sponsor – the local bank.
Adjudicators this year will be Gary France, percussionist, educator, and associate professor at the ANU School of Music; and composer/performer/teacher Sandra France.
