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| Japanese Impresario Forms World-Class Swing Band Veteran Japanese producer and band leader Jimmy Ashida has a dream -- to bring back the authentic sound of Big Band Swing music by creating a brand-new orchestra. To do that he is now soliciting auditions from musicians throughout the world but especially in the United States. Backed by the likes of Pat Boone, entertainment attorney Donald K. Wilson, Jr., and producer David Diggs of Spoone Music Corp., Ashida is inviting musicians to send him a solo tape or CD of their music based on guidelines he provides. The roughly 20 who pass his audition will be invited to a one-to-two-month training camp during which they will perform at various venues. Then he plans a concert tour including Los Angeles, Japan, and the rest of Asia. His goal -- to create a world-class swing jazz orchestra to rival those of Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Stan Kenton and Les Brown. A measure of his seriousness is his creation of a non-profit Swing Foundation under California law. He is already soliciting contributions from major U.S. companies. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |