[Dixielandjazz] Young jazzers headed to New Orleans

[David Robinson Jr.]

Trad jazz colleagues,

I direct the Capital Focus Jazz Band, a select group of young musicians from middle school to college age, based in Washington DC.  This is the band that got standing ovations at the JazzFest at Sea Caribbean cruise.  I'm happy to report that the band has been invited to perform in the Satchmo SummerFest in New Orleans.  They're the only non-New Orleans band invited. They'll also be performing at Preservation Hall and on the Creole Queen paddlewheeler, and other venues are being booked.

The band has to meet all its own expenses to make this trip.  These young people have worked hard to learn the nuances of New Orleans jazz, and this is their chance to hear this music at its source, and to share their interpretations with New Orleans audiences.  These guys have never been to New Orleans, and they're mighty excited...but meeting their travel costs is a challenge. The band therefore has started its own Indiegogo campaign to raise funds.  Indiegogo is a "crowdsourcing" platform like Kickstarter.  Please take a moment to look at what they've put together at  http://igg.me/at/CFJB-NO ,  including the entertaining video they've assembled.   There are nice prizes for your participation in the campaign, so please contribute what you can to the future of this music, pass the link on to your musical friends, and ask them to do the same.

Graduates of the CFJB have started their own trad bands and have been featured artists at jazz festivals across the country.  A number of them currently play with the likes of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, Bria Skonberg, Dan Levinson, etc.  Investing in these young people is a good investment.

On behalf of the band, thank you for your support!

Dave Robinson