For the first time, the Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival will partner with the Jazz Music Institute of Brisbane (JMI) based in Fortitude Valley.

JMI is a specialist jazz school delivering courses in jazz performance since 1997. The JMI has formed a promotional partnership with the Festival through sponsorship. The Festival will be promoting the Institute as a quality musical education facility, which may well be appealing to Southern Downs music students.

In addition, they will be send one of their feature bands – JMI New Orleans Street Band to perform as part of the Festival jazz program. As either a roving or stationery band, the JMI New Orleans Street Band rolls into Warwick as a five-piece ensemble on Friday 29 July to perform on the street at the Downtown Lounge Stage outside the historic Warwick Town Hall in Palmerin Street.

This will indeed be the place to be on the second weekend of the Festival as the JMI musicians will be playing alongside another exciting new addition to the Festival jazz scene, Brisbane Jazz muso’s, The Mal Woods Band.

Following this performance, festival goers can look out for the Festival Jazz Jam from 5.30 pm – knock-off drinks time – when both these bands head to The Criterion Hotel to jam with each other and any local musicians who care to join them.

As a roving act, JMI New Orleans Band will also appear at the Saturday 30th Warwick Credit Union Stoll and Swing event and the Sunday 31st Picnic in the Park, so everyone on the Southern Downs will have the opportunity to experience the traditional music of New Orleans. The JMI New Orleans band will have audiences smiling, tapping their feet and dancing along to this cheerful and lively music, encapsulating the melodies and rhythms of the streets of New Orleans.

JMI enjoys a reputation throughout Australia as one of the best jazz institutes in the country, producing graduates with the musical and business skills needed to thrive in the live jazz performance industry.

All courses offered at JMI are fully government accredited and are delivered by experienced and enthusiastic lecturers who have performed around the world with some of the biggest contemporary names in jazz.

Wynton Marsalis, internationally acclaimed musician and composer is a supporter of the JMI Brisbane program.

“This is one of the first jazz curriculums that addresses the entire fundamental range of jazz styles; from New Orleans to Bebop to Modern, it’s all there,” said Mr Marsalis, “ Dan Quigley has developed a template that should be followed by schools who are serious about the study and performance of jazz music”

The faculty at the JMI Brisbane is made up of inspiring and highly professional jazz musicians and teachers with a vast array of industry experience and expertise specific to the jazz performance industry, which they share on a daily basis with their students.

The Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival negotiated the involvement of JMI Brisbane with Dan QuigleynnHead of School Trumpet, Jazz Composition, Improvisation Techniques, Ensemble and Jazz in Context.

Dan Quigley’s early childhood was enriched by the presence of jazz legends Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, John Scofield, Randy Brecker, Mulgrew Miller, Steve Turre, Rufus Reid, Dave Liebman and many more. His father Greg Quigley also plays the trumpet and toured these jazz greats to Australia for concerts and workshops in the late 70’s and early 80’s while Dan was still an infant.

Dan’s trumpet playing displays a rich heritage of the jazz tradition. He has been a professional trumpet player since he was 17 and since has performed with some of Australia’s finest including Mike Nock, Dale Barlow, Judy Bailey, Craig Scott, Steve Brien, James Morrison, Col Loughnan, Grace Knight and David Campbell.

The full Jumpers and Jazz in July program will be announced in May on the Festival website. The ten day Festival kicks off on Thursday 21 July until Sunday 31 July.