HYJE
FREE ADMISSION. 'Our future.'
Clark Tracey
OK, here's a quick teaser. Which jazz group has appeared at every single Herts Jazz Festival since its inception in 2011? Easy, right? Got to be one led by Alan Barnes? No. How about Dave Newton? No? Art Themen's band then...
You could keep on guessing and sadly overlook the fact that the Herts Youth Jazz Ensemble is that group.
As Clark Tracey – who's taken various incarnations of the HYJE in masterclass sessions – says 'they are our future.' It's no casual observation. As a leading jazz educator himself, Clark knows full well the value in inculcating the values of the music in ones so young. It's a goal shared by the HYJE's director Duncan Fraser, whose motivational leadership help make a band of school aged youngsters a consistent proving ground for future jazz talent. As we've said before, come along and witness how the jazz baton gets passed from generation to generation in a practical, no fuss-made, manner.