Local jazz is coming to a stage near you.
The VI Jazz Collective just announced their World Premiere tour dates.
The group is an ensemble of young Virgin Islanders showcasing the musical heritage of the US Virgin Islands and their forefathers through jazz.
Under the Direction of Mr. Dion Parson, these young men have been developing their musical craft since 2014 as members of the VI Youth Ensemble (VIYE) – a performance-based education program administered by United Jazz Foundation for musically talented Junior High and High School students on the US Virgin Islands.
The VI Jazz Collective provides an opportunity for VIYE alumni to spread their wings and represent the US Virgin Islands on a National and International level as part of the world-wide campaign “Made in the VI”; a collaboration between the Economic Development Agency (EDA) of the US Virgin Islands and United Jazz Foundation!
The tour kicks off this weekend at the Livingston Music Festival in St. Thomas.
From there they’ll travel through the VI, to NYC, to New Jersey, to Maine.
Dates below:
VI Jazz Collective Tour
June 2, 2019 is the start of a month-long WORLD PREMIERtour for The VI Jazz Collectivethroughout the United States and Denmark.
To follow The VI Jazz Collective, follow the facebook site of United Jazz Foundation and for more information contact Nicole Parson by e-mail nicole@unitedjazz.org.
Tour Schedule
- June 1, 2019 – Mark Livingston Music FestivalUnited Jazz Foundation Musical Contribution towards the cause with Dion Parson, Victor Provost, Tabari Lake and the ‘VI Jazz Collective’ members.
- June 2, 2019 – The PremierConcert of VI Jazz Collectiveat the Prior-Jollek Hallon St. Thomas USVI, with special guests Mr. Victor Provost and Mr. Tabari Lake
- June 6 – 9, 2019 – New York City– To visit Jazz at Lincoln Center as well as visiting different performances and receiving private lessons of JALC Orchestra members for the VI Jazz Collective.
- June 10, 2019 – The VI Jazz Collectivewill perform their first major concert on the world stage of Dizzy’s Club, JALC, NYC – Live recorded and Live streamed through the Jazz at Lincoln Center website and facebooksite– with special thank you to Mr. Wynton Marsalis.
- June 10 – 15, 2019 – “Studio as a Musical Instrument”, The VI Jazz Collective is invited by Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken NJ, by the chair of the Department Mr. Robert Harari, for a fully funded Music Technology Camp. During the camp the VI Jazz Collective will work on mixing the recording of their performance at Dizzy’s Club, recoded the evening of June 10th. The goal is to have their first CD ready for production by the end of the camp: VI Jazz Collective, Live at Dizzy’s Club Vol. I.
- June 16 – 25, 2019 – members of The VI Jazz Collectiveand The VI Youth Ensemble(16 students total) will have the opportunity to attend The Caribbean Jazz Institute, a Summer Music Camp of the Snow Pond Music Festival in Sidney, Maine. Under the direction of Mr. Ron Blake and staff Mr. Dion Parson and Mr. Victor Provost and visiting members of 21stCentury Band; Mr. Melvin Jones (trumpet), Mr. Carlton Holmes (piano), Mr. Eric Wheeler (bass) and Mr. Alioune Faye (percussion) – for more information please check the following website: https://snowpond.org/spmf/jazz-institute/. Attended by 16 US Virgin Islands College Students, Collage Graduates and Music Educators of the Public-School System. We are grateful for the leadership of the Snow Pond Music Festival for organizing this 10-day camp for a strongly reduced camp fee for the students of the US Virgin Islands!
- June 21, 2019 – The VI Jazz Collectivewill perform with all attendees of the Caribbean Jazz Instituteat Waterville Brewer Company, Waterville ME. http://watervillebrewingcompany.com/
- June 29, 2019 – The VI Jazz Collectivewill perform at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem– http://jazzmuseuminharlem.org/
