NJ Advent Calendar - Video: Phil Meadows (December 20th)

 Saxophonist Phil Meadows has been extremely busy in the last few years, leading his own ensembles, setting up and running Engines Orchestra and releasing albums. As a graduate of Chetham's School of Music and Leeds College of Music, Phil flies the flag for Northern Jazz. You can find out more on his website and the Engines Orchestra site.

Chetham's Big Band & Jazz Ensemble at Band on the Wall

Chetham's School of Music is renowned nationally as a producer of highly skilled and talented young musicians. Set up in 1990, the school's big band programme has provided these young musicians numerous performance opportunities to play big band music live across the country, win countless awards and to perform alongside musicians like Bob Mintzer, Pete King, Bobby Shew and Tim Garland.

On 23rd June, the big bands and jazz ensembles from Chetham's will put on a concert at Band on the Wall in Manchester, led by directors Richard Iles and Jim Muirhead. The evening is a chance for audiences to catch the upcoming jazz talent ( the school boasts a number of respected jazz musicians among their alumni, including Phil Meadows, John Escreet and Alex Bone).

Tickets cost £10/8 and can be bought from the Band on the Wall website. The site also has listings for other upcoming gigs including Martin Taylor, Soil and Pimp Sessions and a special Jazz on 3 broadcast.

BBC Young Jazz Musician Finalists announced

                                          Finalist Jake Labazzi

The finalists for the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2014 have been announced and two out of the five come from the North's Chethams School of Music.

Alex Bone and Freddie Jensen will join the other finalists - Tom Smith, Sean Payne and Jake Labazzi (pictured above) - at the finals on March 8th.

Congratulations to all the finalists and we wish them the best of luck in March!