FREE CONCERT – Enjoy a couple of hours of Sunday afternoon jazz and entertainment by international vocalists Jenny B and John McGill with the Prohibition Jazz Swingtet in beautiful Cornwall Park, 5pm till 7pm Sunday 19 February.
Featuring:
Jenny B
Jenny B (real name Giovanna Bersola) was born in Catania, Sicily and became well known in Italy then throughout Europe as the vocalist for the Italian Eurodance group Playahitty on hits, such as “The Summer Is Magic”. She was also the vocalist for the first hit of the Eurodance project Corona, “The Rhythm Of The Night”. Jenny performed regularly on television in Italy.
In 2000 she won the best female vocalist award and the press and critics award at the San Remo festival and in 2013 won the Award ‘Coltellino s’Oro’, the highest award of the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano.
After a move to New York where she performed with a variety of jazz and funk bans, Jenny took time out from her singing career to travel through the Pacific Islands, and in 2015 decided to settle in Auckland, where Trevor Thwaites heard word of her talent and coaxed her back into the limelight with performances at the Auckland Jazz & Blues Club.
For further background see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_B
Video clips of Jenny B performances can be found here.
John McGill
John who hails from Scotland, has been a regular vocalist with the Prohibition Big Band since 2009 and also performs as a member of the Prohibition Swingtet.
While he specialises in the repertoire of Frank Sinatra, John’s sets also feature classic standards of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Bobby Darren and other greats from the 1930s through to the 1960s.
Jim Langabeer
Jim is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist who has toured and recorded internationally with such world class performers as Sammy Davis Jnr, The Bee Gees, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Alan Broadbent and Mavis Rivers. Jim, a guest soloist with PBB, often teams up with PBB members Stu and Trevor (“Jim&Stu&Trev”) as well as other musicians for jazz concerts and functions.
Grant Langdon
Secondary School music teacher, Grant Langdon holds a Trumpet and Conducting Performance degree from Auckland University, and has a wealth of experience playing in Brass Bands, Orchestras, and Big Bands. As a Soloist, he has been placed regularly in the Flugelhorn Solo at the Nationals.
Grant is equally at home in Big Bands and Jazz groups, and has also played in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and Opus Chamber Orchestra. He has recorded for Television and Radio, and has played with and for International Artists including; Bobby Shew, Bill Reichenbach, Shirley Bassey, Kiri Te Kanawa, and John Rowles.
Markus Fritsch
Markus Fritsch is Head of Music Department at Rangitoto College. He holds a “Magister Artium” (Master of Arts) Degree in Music, Literature and Political Science from Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (Germany)
As a practicing musician, he has played in many New Zealand ensembles, including the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, the Manukau Symphony Orchestra, Prohibition Big Band, the Jazz Experience Big Band, as well as being a member of the renowned Auckland Saxophone Quartet for the last 12 years.
Lukas Fritsch
Saxophonist and front man for the talented young Auckland jazz group Fritsch’s Brew, member of Queen City Big Band and the NZ Youth Jazz Orchestra, awarded as Best Saxophonist at National Youth Jazz Festival Tauranga 2014. Currently studying for a degree at the University of Auckland Jazz School.
Nathan Collings
Gifted guitarist Nathan Collings is an University of Auckland graduate from the jazz school and a music teacher at Rangitoto College.
Nathan plays guitar in numerous Auckland bands playing jazz, rock and a variety of other genres.
Stu Johnstone
Stu Johnstone is a former rock bass guitarist and keyboard player who has been playing double bass with the Prohibition Big Band since the early 1990s. He also composes and arranges music and plays bass in a variety of smaller jazz band and other-genre bands.
Trevor Thwaites
Leader of the Prohibition stable of bands, Trevor Thwaites PhD, MEd, Bmus, DipTchg is Principal Lecturer – School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, The University of Auckland – Jazz drummer, vibraphonist and composer.
Trevor established the Prohibition Big Band in 1988 as a vehicle for secondary school music teacher interaction. Trevor is also the drummer in several other Auckland jazz groups.
In August 2011 a CD album of Trevor’s compositions was released as “A Bridge to Somewhere – Jazz Perspectives of Auckland”. The album features Trevor on drums, vibraphone, marimba, and other percussion instruments in a variety of Auckland bands.