National Youth Jazz Orchestra
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The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is a British jazz orchestra founded in 1963 by its current chairman, Bill Ashton.
Based in Harrow, Middlesex, the NYJO started life as the London Schools' Jazz Orchestra. Its aims are to provide an opportunity for gifted young musicians from around the UK to perform big band jazz in major concert halls, theatres, and on radio and television, and to make recordings, commission new works from British composers and arrangers, and to introduce a love of jazz to as wide an audience as possible, but especially to schoolchildren. It is also the only full-time big band operating in the UK.
The NYJO's extensive discography, of some 20 recordings, includes a tribute to British jazz pianist, big band leader and arranger, Harry South.
The NYJO's members have included many of the major names in British jazz over the last three decades, including Guy Barker, Richard James Burgess, Nigel Hitchcock, Brian Priestley, Dave O'Higgins, Simon Gardner, Andy Cleyndert, Julian Argüelles, Jamie Talbot, Simon Phillips, Chris Biscoe, Carol Kenyon, Neil Yates and Gerard Presencer.
[edit] Discography
- 2001: Portraits: NYJO Plays the Music of Harry South - featuring guest artists Georgie Fame, Ronnie Ross and Dick Morrissey.
[edit] References
- Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, & Brian Priestley. Jazz: The Rough Guide. ISBN 1-85828-528-3
