Friday Night YouTube Music #10
Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a youth jazz band from Barcelona, featuring 7- to 20-year-olds
I happened on this wonderful group of youth musicians a few years ago while listening to various renditions of the Antonio Jobim classic, “Triste” on YT. The bandleader is bassist/ saxophonist Joan Chamorro. He likes to showcase these talented youngsters by mixing in older players in performance situations. This performance is attention-grabbing:
Most of these youngsters are not only gifted singers but can play their instruments with great skill. Here 15-year-old Alba Armengou exhibits a mature tone and an excellent grasp of jazz vocabulary on another Jobim tune. Scott Hamilton, a well-known American saxophonist joins the group.
Two other talented vocalists/ instrumentalists, Rita Payes and Andrea Motis, are featured on Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek”.
Miss Motis has gotten support from Joan Charmarro in launching a solo career. Prior to the pandemic, he brought her to New York for several performances.
Apologies for the quality of this video. You can find an entire set of her performance at Dizzy’sNYC here.
Playing American jazz is not just a musical exercise for these young people but an expression of joy.
Jazz is one of the great contributions America has made to the culture. It is should be a source of pride for us that these young people from a different country embrace the tradition.
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