A TOTAL of 600 young music lovers in 54 schools across Southampton and beyond will be involved in a new music education project to mark the centenary of the birth of six Giants of Jazz.

The Jazz Ticket, in honour of composer 'Tadd' Dameron, vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Thelonious Monk, drummer Buddy Rich, and percussionist Mongo Santamaria, will be launched in the city this month.

The project, led by jazz development company Tomorrow’s Warriors in association with Turner Sims and

Southampton Music Hub, will give young musicians aged 11-18 throughout the country the opportunity to

work with leading jazz professionals and develop their performance and improvisation skills, whilst

exploring the history of the genre and six of its pioneering artists born 100 years ago.

The project, in Southampton and eight other English regions, culminates in a series of concerts in prestigious arts venues featuring The Jazz Ticket schools, alongside Tomorrow’s Warriors’ flagship professional jazz ensemble, the Nu Civilisation Orchestra.

Turner Sims concert hall manager Kevin Appleby said: "Built on a simple idea - how to celebrate the centenaries of six jazz legends - The Jazz Ticket is a great opportunity not only for Turner Sims to showcase young talent as part of our international jazz series but to take some wonderful music and artists into schools. I'm excited to hear the results as the project develops."

Kath Page, Head of Southampton Music Hub, which helped kick off rehearsals at schools in the area, added: "We are delighted the Jazz Ticket project has come to Southampton - that it is the first one of many around the country makes it even more special.

"This is a fantastic, inclusive project enabling children from KS1-5 to become immersed in the six giants of Jazz from 1917. Working side by side with professional musicians and their peers is inspirational and will I'm sure prove to be aspirational for the future.

The project finale is a final concert open to all schools in the region and a special gala concert featuring the Nu Civilisation Orchestra performing a new music commission from Turner Sims, ‘A Journey with the Giants of Jazz’ by the award-winning pianist/composer, Peter Edwards.

The premiere of The Jazz Ticket takes place at Turner Sims on March 16.