PRS for Music Foundation is managing a project of twenty new composition commissions as part of the 2012 Olympic Games Cultural Programme under the banner New Music 20 x 12. The winners have just been announced, and the two musicians from the jazz world to receive commissions are Julian Joseph and Jason Yarde.
Here are details of their successful bids:
"Julian Joseph and Hackney Music Development Trust have won funding for jazz proposal, ‘The Brown Bomber’, based on the famous boxing battle between American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling in 1938. The piece will bring to life the relationship between the two athletes, who were adversaries in sport, but became great friends despite the ideological opposition that surrounded them.
Composer, producer and saxophonist Jason Yarde and community band Wonderbrass, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012, are working on ‘Skip, Dash. Flow’ that will explore new world rhythms. "
PRS for Music is partnered up for this project with the BBC, LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) and Sound and Music, and the UK's Arts Councils are also funding it.
(Fantastic for Jason and Julian who are thoroughly deserving...I just regret that nobody thought of knocking Kenny Wheeler's door, a world-class composer in the heart of an Olympic borough.)
FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE PARTNERS , JUDGES, PROCESS, WINNERS SEE HERE
