Jazz greats to play in Hermannsburg

By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
Hermannsburg (Ntaria) is likely to be one of the venues for the “biggest jazz and blues festival in the world” to be staged throughout the Territory in early May.
 
The headline gig of this aspirationally named event is James Morrison’s Hot Horns Happening which is reforming for one week of performances, tentatively including one each in Alice Springs and Darwin.
 
“The Hot Horn Happening is a band made up of some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians,” says Tony Burns, of HPA Inc. (Helping People Achieve), one of the festival’s beneficiaries.
 
Lead by Australian Jazz Star James Morrison (pictured), the line-up includes the USA’s Jeff Clayton (Sax) and Rickey Woodard (Sax), England’s Mark Nightingale (Trombone), Scotland’s Brian Kellock (Piano), Germany’s Martin Wind (Bass) and Australia’s own John Morrison on drums.
 
Formed in 1994, Hot Horn Happening played only original music and toured for just three years.
 
Separately, they have appeared with the world’s greatest jazz bands including the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Orchestra and the BBC Big Band.
 
Mr Burns says concert goers will travel to Hermannsburg, 120 km west of Alice Springs – all on a sealed road – in their own cars and on buses, and will be able to camp overnight.
 
The question of permitting alcohol in the normally dry community is still being discussed.