For the second time PRO HELVETIA sponsored this event, arranged for and run by Serious Productions in London, this time featuring 7 young Swiss jazz musicians plus one young man from South Africa – the event was held, as in the past, at Bore Place, outside of London and lasted a full week.
I arrived on Thursday around midday and had my general session, together with agent and manager Mike Bindraban and concert promoter Jan Ole Otnæs, talking more general how the music business works and how labels, managers, agents and concert promoters (festivals and clubs and other venues) need to work together in the long run to create awareness for new artists and built careers.
After that initial session we had that evening and all of Friday morning for one-to-one discussion, so we could discuss topics individually important to each musician and maybe give advice and guiding.
An interesting change in the program, these face-to-face sessions proved to be extremely valuable and interesting – not only for the musicians (at least I hope that was the case) but as well for me, as it is interesting to get to know these young artists a bit better and, as this is an exchange, to learn something as well.
The participants this year were (plus a listening recommendation):
Julie Campiche – harp / ORIOXY Lost Children – GLM Music
Yilian Canizares – violin/vocals / Invocacion – Naïve Rec.
Yeal Miller – vocals / ORIOXY Lost children – GLM Music
Nils Fischer – sax/cl / The Great Harry Hillmann Veer Off Course – KLAENG
Joel Graf – sax / pommelHORSE Winter Madness – Unit Records
Christoph Irniger – sax / PILGRIM Italian Circus Story – Intakt Records
Manuel Troller – guit / SCHNELLERTROLLERMEIER X – Cuneiform Records
And from South Africa
Mandla Mlangeni – tp / Amandla Freedom Ensemble Bhekisizwe self released
A great variety of different approaches and a lot of great music – In case you want to hear some of these guys, and more that Switzerland has to offer, live, come to jazz ahead in Bremen and check them out at the Swiss Night on April 21st – See you there!
For more info on the Take Five initiative, please follow this link: http://www.serious.org.uk/about/artists/artist-development/take-five
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