Jake's journey to the Big Apple, and all that jazz
(posted 13.01.10)
Saxophone whiz-kid Jake Barden has been accepted into the 2010 Sydney Conservatorium of Music jazz studies program.
Jake, 17, who completed Year 12 at Matthew Flinders Anglican College in 2009, has just returned from three weeks in New York “visiting as many jazz clubs” as he could.
Accompanied by parents, Stacey and Jo, Jake was thrilled to meet jazz greats such as pianist Dave Brubeck, who is still going strong at 89, guitarist Mike Stern and trumpeter Randy Brecker.
“I also got to sit in and play with the New York University big band under the direction of Joe Lovano and meet NYU’s head of jazz, David Shroeder,” Jake said.
Already Jake’s love of jazz has taken him around the world.
In July 2008 he was chosen to play in the Zooo Big Band at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Then last year he took his trio, which included Peregian’s Mark Moroney (guitar) and Palmwoods’ Tim Finnigan (double bass), to the Mosaic Jazz Festival in Singapore.
Now, after some final “polishing” over the past two years by Flinders Head of Music Nick Campbell and Jake’s saxophone teacher Mark Spencer, he is off to the Sydney “Con”.
“I’m so pleased to have been chosen because they only take four saxophone players each year from more than 800 applicants for the jazz studies course overall,” Jake said.
While Jake will jump behind the counter for McDonald’s or Burger King if he has to, to help pay his way through the four-year course, he would much rather busk his way through or, even better, form his own band and pick up paying gigs.
“As well as playing at various gigs around the Sunshine Coast over the past two years, I’ve been busking at the Yandina Markets on Saturday morning,” he said.
As well as the ambition of forming his own quintet in Sydney, his other main aim will be to get a spot in one of Sydney’s “four or five” big bands.
He has already established a strong link with John Morrison and his Swing city Big Band.
To hear Jake, check out his website at: www.jakebarden.com.au
Story by Scott Nicol, Sunshine Coast Daily
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