The Perfect Gift For Jazz Lovers - Festival Passes For Liverpool International Jazz Festival

TICKETS to gain entry to all 5 main concerts at next year's 10th Anniversary Liverpool International Jazz Festival are available now. The Capstone Theatre on Shaw Street will play host to a jazz extravaganza from:- 23 February to 26 February 2023, and will feature award winning international artists spanning a range of genres from:- Indo jazz to Afro funk and classical.

The:- 'All Performances Bundle' ticket is the perfect gift for the jazz lover in your life; saving over £40 on the individual concert prices.

Liverpool International Jazz Festival (LIJF) was established in 2013 by Liverpool Hope University, and in previous years has included performances from some of jazz music's leading lights. The emphasis of the festival is on contemporary instrumental jazz in a variety of styles with a focus on presenting work from an international selection of world class artists, taking audience members on a musical journey that traverses numerous genres and cross-genres.

Kicking off the festival on the 23 February 2023, will be a special collaboration with Milap; the UK's leading Indian arts and culture company. With original music, new improvisations and a collective harmony and groove, the Milap Indo Jazz Club will bring together some of England's top Indian and Jazz musicians in a performance curated specially for LIJF 2023.

The show will be 'the foremost contemporary collaboration between Indian and Jazz music in England today' and is the result of 10 years of creativity between the professionals of Milap and the National Youth Jazz Collective.

►  Milap Indo Jazz Club... On 24 February, electronic fusion trio Devils of Moko will take the stage at LIJF. The group consists of Dominic J Marshall on piano and synth (Dominic J Marshall Trio, The Cinematic Orchestra), Mulele Matondo on bass (Kongo Dia Ntotila) and Sam Gardner on drums (Septabeat, Samadhi Quintet). Their music is a collective melting pot that captures all of their individual styles. With the Western musical structure of Mulele's grooving Congolese rhythms and sonic stories, Sam's explorations of electronic music, drum and bass and production and the soulful jazz melodies of Dominic's piano playing, the trio's music has an uplifting and soul busting sound.

►  Devils of Moko... Luxembourg trio Dock In Absolute (DIA) will be flying in to Liverpool on the Saturday afternoon of the festival. Composed of Jean Philippe Koch on piano, Arne Wiegand on bass and Victor Kraus on drums, their music is built around Koch's original compositions, fusing different styles from progressive jazz to classical and rock elements. The group brought its 1st album out in 2017, under the Label CAM JAZZ with a second one following in 2019, and a third album planned for 2023. DIA has been named the:- "Export Artist of the Year 2017 and 2019" by music:LX and are considered the most active band in Luxembourg. The band's latest album has been listed in Jazzit Magazine Awards:- "100 Greatest Albums of the Year."

►  Dock In Absolute... Later on the Saturday, and presented by Milap, virtuoso British Asian bass player Shez Raja will bring his high energy live show to the festival. Voted one of the 'hottest bass players in the world' by readers of Bass Player magazine, Shez Raja's unique:- 'Indojazzfunk' sound and global star collaborations with Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Trilok Gurtu and Wayne Krantz has seen him perform at the likes of Ronnie Scott's, the Jazz Cafe and at major international festivals. Shez's set will also feature Tony Kofi; a British jazz multi-instrumentalist born of Ghanaian parents, and a player of the alto, baritone, soprano, tenor saxophones and flute. Having cut his teeth in the:- 'Jazz Warriors' of the early 90s, Kofi has gone on to establish himself as an award winning musician, teacher and composer of some authority.

►  Shez Raja... Closing the festival on Sunday night will be Norwegian saxophonist and composer Marius Neset, who has earned countless nominations and awards for his performances and recordings, including the Spellemannprisen in Norway, and an ECHO award in Germany. Downbeat magazine also listed him as the only European jazz musician in their list of:- '25 artists to watch' in 2017. Marius has performed with jazz musicians all over the world and has received composition commissions from the BBC. Marius has also worked with classical musicians such as:- Leif Ove Andsnes, Andreas Brantelid, Michala Petri, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Louisa Tuck, Ingrid Neset, and the Vertavo String Quartet.

The Liverpool International Jazz Festival runs from:- 23 February to 26 February 2023, at the Capstone Theatre. Tickets are on sale now via the Capstone Theatre website.
 

NHS urges parents of Secondary School aged children to take up the School Flu Vaccine offer in Sefton, amid rising cases

FLU Vaccinations for Secondary School students, in Sefton, has started this month with School Vaccination teams already bringing the vaccine out to pupils in Schools to ensure they are protected this winter.

The NHS is offering the Flu Vaccine again, in 2022, that is usually given as a nasal spray to Secondary School aged children in years:- 7, 8 and 9. Children and young people often catch and spread the flu very easily, and parents are being urged to take up the Vaccination offer as soon as their children are invited.

Parents of students eligible for the Flu Vaccine will have received an email from Schools with a link to an e-consent portal. Please return the consent forms to School as soon as possible.

Schools are being visited by Vaccination teams throughout Sefton, thought December 2022, and into January 2023, to ensure as many eligible young people as possible can get their vital protection.

Flu, caused by the influenza virus, can be a very unpleasant illness for children and can sometimes lead to more serious illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. When children have the nasal flu Vaccination, it can not only protect them, but can stop the spread to other, more vulnerable groups.

The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency shows rates of hospitalisation for flu has risen more than 14% in the North West in the past week.

The nasal spray, which is offered to eligible children every year to protect them from flu, is free on the NHS to the following groups:-

►  Children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2022 (born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2020)

►  All Primary School children (Reception to Year 6)

►  Some Secondary School aged children

►  Children aged 2 to 17 years with long term health conditions

If your child is aged between 6 months and 2 years and has a long term health condition that makes them at higher risk from flu, they'll be offered a Flu Vaccine injection instead of the nasal spray. This is because the nasal spray is not licensed for children under 2 years old.

Jan Leonard, primary care lead for Sefton said:- "With flu related hospitalisations rising every week this winter, the best defence against flu this winter is the Flu Vaccine. The Flu Vaccine is administered by a nasal spray and is a quick and painless way of protecting children and young people, any side effects will be mild and shouldn't last longer than around a day. If your child catches flu after being vaccinated, the illness is less likely to make them seriously unwell."

Margaret Jones, director of public health at Sefton Council said:- "Flu Vaccinations have started in Secondary Schools this month in Sefton and are the best way of protection against flu this winter. I urge parents of eligible Secondary School aged children to check their emails and to fill out the consent forms as soon as possible. Getting the Flu Vaccine is an easy and painless way to protect your child. For any queries about the vaccine and the Vaccination and immunisation service in Sefton you can ring:- 01512476130. Eligible people need to have a Flu Vaccine every year because the viruses that cause flu can change. This year's flu jab is a good match for the type of seasonal flu that is currently circulating (H3N2) and is the best and most effective way to protect ourselves, and our loved ones this winter."

More information please visit:- SouthSeftonCCG.NHS.UK.