Sant Andreu Jazz Band is truly unique. The band is styled after the Big Bands of the 1940s, but with a twist. In particular, it’s the musicians, who range in age from 7 – 20 years old. It started as a class project at the Municipal School of Music in Sant Andreu, Barcelona. One of the main features of the band is the blending of youngsters with established jazz musicians.
The band creator and leader is former Municipal School of Music student and teacher, Joan Chamorro. Although the school focused mainly on classical music, he was a passionate jazz musician and took it upon himself to introduce a small group of his students to jazz. The rest is, as they say, history.
EASY MONEY by the SANT ANDREU JAZZ BAND w/JESSE DAVIS. To
I can imagine dancing a fine Foxtrot to this fabulous arrangement. Notice how the bandleader. Joan Chamorro, encourages his proteges. Love it!
What stands out to me is the professionalism and confidence the children have. As a result, they’ve received invitations to perform at many concerts and festivals. Equally important, are tremendous sales of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band’s recordings beginning with their first from 2009, Jazzing – Live at Casa Fuster. They continue to release new recordings to this day.
Breakout Performer
As you can imagine, this group of talented children has produced a number of success stories. Actually, one such standout is Andrea Motis.
At age 13, Andrea joined the band as a trumpet player and vocalist. By the age of 15 she was featured on an album of romantic standards, Joan Chamorro Presents Andrea Motis. Similar in style to Diana Krall and Norah Jones, I know you’ll enjoy her lusty rendition of “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To“.
A Film About Kids and Music
Fascinated by the young performers, film director Ramon Tort decided to make a documentary about them. Released in 2012, the movie, A Film About Kids and Music, Sant Andreu Jazz Band was a hit. Because of his craftsmanship, the film was awarded Best Feature Film at the Lights, Camera, Help Festival in Austin, Texas, in 2013.
Click here for more videos of Sant Andreu Jazz Band’s performances, as well as, their schedule, and a trailer for A Film About Kids and Music.
And, to learn more about how you might dance to this music, check out this Dance Safari post, “Lindy Hop Dancing, Yeah, It’s Still Cool“.
Thanks!