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Jazz Gigs & Events

The BMJazz Collective with guest John Close at Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny.

Date: Sunday, January 12, 2025

Featuring: BMJ Collective

More details

From;
https://www.facebook.com/events/597368466108890


Event by Black Mountain Jazz


Melville Centre
Pen y Pound, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP75UD


http://www.blackmountainjazz.co.uk


http://www.john-close.co.uk


BMJ Collective involves a number of talented young jazz musicians, drawn mainly from the Cardiff area. They partner Black Mountain Jazz through the year on some of its programmes and workshop projects.


This event, the first of our BMJazz Katz tutor series 2025, brings together the current tutors of our exciting youth project BMJazz Katz - Jack Mac (sax and vocals), Ryan Thrupp (drums) and Nick Kacal (bass)
They are joined for this performance by Cardiff based guitarist John Close.


John Close is a Jazz guitarist based in Cardiff. He has performed in a variety of settings and ensembles at venues such as The Southbank Centre, Jazz at the Lescar, The Vortex, The Flute and Tankard and the Dora Stoutsker Concert Hall.


Originally from Northumberland, John studied an Undergraduate degree in English Literature and Music at the University of Sheffield where he began studying Jazz guitar with Jamie Taylor. In 2017 John moved to Cardiff to study on the MA Jazz course at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, graduating in 2019.


Whilst at RWCMD John studied with Jez Franks, Ant Law and Geoff Simkins and in his final year performed in RWCMD student showcase led by New York based guitarist Gilad Hekselman at the Vortex in London.


John performed as part of our wall2wall Jazz Piano Lounge series to great acclaim and we are delighted to invite him back to BMJ.


John is a recipient of a 2018 Help Musicians UK Postgraduate Award and is grateful for their support whilst at RWCMD.

BMJazz Katz currently have 18 students who meet once a month at the Melville Centre-Abergavenny. There is room for more if you know any interested young musicians?
This gig is part of a series, giving an opportunity to INSPIRE these young minds and see their tutors perform in the Theatre and show what is possible if you enjoy the learning journey and make the most of your chosen instrument.
By attending this exciting event, you will be both supporting this new YOUTH initiative by Black Mountain Jazz Club and also help to keep jazz alive in the younger generations of musicians in Abergavenny.
We hope to see you there!