Jazz class at Evolution another hidden gem!

 Wow a great class at Evolution this afternoon, well you know I am a fan of this centre, always friendly, unassuming and with a range of tasters, day classes and courses to suit everyone.

Today it was a jazz session with Imogen Ryall. (pic on right) After a brief no nonsense warm up, there were well paced exercises, making for an enjoyable workshop. Later with printed handouts of the songs supplied, off we go singing some great jazz songs, with Imogen demonstrating and adding the essential techniques as we went along.

      

Imogen studied jazz and studio music at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and, alongside a successful career as a jazz singer, has led workshops in jazz singing and improvisation for the last 20 years both in London and Brighton.

 Three hours later, we had tried out some harmonies in groups and pairs and by the end were sailing through three of the great jazz songs!  OK we are all amateurs and it was all ‘work in progress’, but Imogen treats everyone as a singer the minute they walk into the room,  which means we all seemed to rise to the occasion and gave of our best.

One brave student towards the end, offered to try a solo and before we knew it we were all adding bits and bobs to her rendition of ‘Hit the Road Jack’ by which time we were away and felt anything was possible!

(pic of brave student)

This class deserves to be on Evolution’s list of goodies. They are always coming up with something different!  I’ve attended several singing lessons in different places over the years and frankly I am not always impressed! This gave us exactly what it said on the tin and some more!

Imogen as well as being a  jazz singer in her own right, and a teacher of singing, runs jazz nights at The Plough in Rottingdean. once a month,  so they must be worth a go!

I heard her sing a year ago at a local music festival, but it simply had not registered that she was the tutor for today’s course when I booked it…but now with a lot more encouragement and some more lessons in di-ditll-a bu bi du ba d_u bo di-di-d1-a di ba bi ba-ah dn bi ba-oo dn bi ba..ummmm…..perhaps I could get good at this!

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