HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-05-14 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

Generations in Jazz

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, please, we have moved on. The Hon. Mr Stephens has the call. It is an important question.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Of course. In case you didn't hear, sir—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I am assuming. The Hon. Mr Stephens, please, get it out.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Okay. Mr President, are you sure? I might scare some. My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister please tell the chamber about the influx of thousands of young musicians, supporters and world-class musicians for the recent Generations in Jazz festival held from 3 to 5 May in the mighty town of Mount Gambier?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:57): I thank the honourable member for his question and his ongoing interest in music, jazz and particularly the regions of South Australia. As members will know, Mount Gambier has positioned itself as the global headquarters of youth jazz, and it was showcased brilliantly over the weekend of 3 to 5 May. For those not familiar, it is a music festival that incorporates the National Stage Band Award, Small Jazz Combo Award, the Vocal Ensemble Award, the GIJ Vocal Scholarship and the James Morrison Scholarship, as well as a host of other awards for excellence in music.

In 2018, 5,000 participants gave 1,000 performances across 13 stages. The Generations in Jazz weekend is the largest event of its kind in the region. Thousands of student musicians shared the stage with some of the world's brightest jazz stars during the three-day festival. Artistic director, James Morrison, confirmed that more than 5,300 participants from 134 Australian and New Zealand schools were involved in this year's history-making event. He commented that, even after three decades of the event, organisers never get used to the numbers and the talent on display.

One of the highlights was the acclaimed jazz, blues and gospel singer, Lizz Wright, receiving a standing ovation from the 7,700-strong crowd at the gala concert for her rendition of Amazing Grace. This is a musician who is accustomed to taking the stage before tens of thousands of fans, yet she was dazzled by the presence of so many young and aspiring musicians and jazz enthusiasts.

The high-profile line-up of US artists also included master organist, Joey DeFrancesco; saxophonist, Rickey Woodard; pianist and drummer, Julius Rodriguez; UCLA's Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble; and Grammy award-winning vocalist, Kurt Elling, who described GIJ as one of a kind. This is why GIJ is a world-class event that showcases one of our tourism gems on the Limestone Coast.

In 1987, Generations in Jazz began in Mount Gambier as a small gathering of jazz lovers who wanted to pass on their passion for jazz music to the next generation. A little over 30 years later, it has grown to one of the largest events of its type in the world. This is an event that has been built by a passionate group and a very supportive community. It has gone from strength to strength over three decades without any financial support from government. It's a regional event, which is a real testament to what can be achieved through regional collaboration. With up to 500 community volunteers who contributed to the success of GIJ this year, the Limestone Coast reinforced its reputation for country hospitality.

All accommodation within a 100-kilometre radius of the Blue Lake city was fully booked for the festival, with participating schools also staying in halls, sporting club rooms and private homes across the region. Just quickly, to mention a few of the winners: Prince Alfred College was named as the Division 1 stage band winner; Marryatville High School had the top large vocal ensemble for the second year in a row; and the band director's award for the most outstanding jazz educator went to Prince Alfred College's Lizzie Gregory. For those members here, the son of former member the Hon. Angus Redford was also performing on the weekend.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT