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Students out to jazz up festival

Emily AceSouth Western Times

Jazz tunes will fill the air this WA Day long weekend with the biggest Jazz By the Bay festival to date boasting more than 40 events across 20 locations in the Margaret River region.

The festival will feature more than 200 musicians, including international and interstate visitors, with the Bunbury Catholic College Jazz Guitar Ensemble taking over the Provence Estate on Monday at 10.40am.

The group honed their skills at a workshop lead by the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra musical director last month ahead of this year’s festival, which will be their third

Guitarist Jacob McKeig, 16, who has played for 10 years and joined the ensemble in Year 9, said the workshop equipped the students with tips to improve ahead of the show.

“I have performed at the festival for the last two years so it’s pretty fun having a different setting.”

Jacob said while the ensemble line-up had changed since the last performance after several students graduated, the younger musicians were ready to step up.

The BCC Jazz Guitar Ensemble will perform at the Estate alongside the Margaret River SHS Jazz Band, the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra and Geographe Bay Music I.

Other festival highlights include the Buena Vista Social Club Young Guns with Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys at Broadwater Farm and Vintage Hollywood Jazz by Catherine Summers and her six-piece ensemble at Chandeliers on Abbey.

There will be music for all ages and tastes, including swing, traditional, gyspy, blues and neo-vintage soul-funk.

Tickets and tables are still available for several events, with other performances already selling out.

The full schedule is available at http://www.jazzbythebay.com.au/view/program.

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