Derrick launches Accra Jazz Project

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed Jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger, Derrick Gardener based in USA has launched an Accra Jazz repatriation project recently at the Coltrane Jazz Club in Adenta in Accra.

The new venture is a multi-stage project that aims to establish a higher international visibility for Ghanaian Jazz.

Speaking to Graphic Showbiz after the launch, Derrick Gardener said “The project will put Accra on the map as a Jazz destination through international tours and music collaborations with major ensembles, from orchestras to dance troupes.

 “For aficionados of Jazz music, this project provides a chance to reconnect and pay homage to ancestral routes, as the project embodies the return of not only people who are part of the African diaspora but the art form that keeps African history alive”, he said.

He added that his aim is to draw musicians and music lovers to Ghana from across the African diaspora. “As artistes from around the globe continue to respond to the call of their ancestral home, Accra is poised to become an international hub of Jazz and Jazz Accra is the path to that goal,” Gardener said.

Derrick looks forward to connecting with both local authorities and international bodies to see that the vision comes to fruition.

He also noted his intent to collaborate with South Africa’s Music Academy of Gauteng, to learn from their experiences in establishing and growing a community-based music academy.

Subsequently, Derrick and his The Prophet band will hold shows at venues including +233 Jazz Bar and Grill till the end of August.