Joan Chamorro and his inspirational band of young musicians known as the Sant Andreu Jazz Band make me wish I had grown up in Barcelona. See, I've dabbled with many musical instruments. As the daughter of a music addict, tunes were (are) a constant in my home, as necessary as food and important as air. We were constantly marinating in Pop's musical bidding.
Between me and my sisters we played the violin, viola, piano, guitar, flute, recorder (of course), and ukulele. I dabbled in the drums as well after copping a few off the cuff lessons by Karl Hill, drummer of a band called Sorry About Your Daughter backstage at a talent competition in DC, in return for tap dance lessons.
Eventually, my musical exploration took shape in my dance career, and now my writing. There just weren't enough hours in the day to play-it and shake-it at the same time. However, I may have been able to do it all had I been closer to the warm glow and inspirational magnatism of Joan Chamorro. Indeed, he has a unique ability to teach kids to really swing.
After watching a documentary by Ramon Tort about the SAJB entitled, A Film About Kids and Music, its clear that Mr. Chamorro inspires these young'ns to really love, feel and play jazz as it should be. With a happy/sly smirk, snapping fingers and a sense of appreciation/friendly competition with fellow musicians, these jazz kittens are both 100% passionate musicians and 100% kids. It's perfect and amazing and, as I said, I wish I were born in Barcelona. Sigh, as the song says, "somewhere theres music, its where you are." So, clearly one needs not be in Barcelona to celebrate this swoon, but still, woulda been nice
Luckily, SAJB has many successful deciples who can be thoroughly enjoyed and explored from anywhere in the world. This partcular concoction of talent, swing and swoon is called La Magia de la veu, here with one of my favorite jazz standards, How High the Moon, as performed by Eva Fernandez, Andrea Motis, Magali Datzira, Rita Payes with Joan Chomorro (bass).
A mass exodus to Barcelona may ensue... Let's brush up on our Spanish, I'll meet you there.
❤️
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