Summer schools are a cool thing to do in fun places. Vibrant locations as far flung as Sligo and Glasgow this summer are where you can pick up new skills, meet great new friends and possible future bandmates, think differently about improvisation, and learn from some of the icons of the scene while sampling what all these places have on offer as a destination to factor in a break.

In Glasgow Tommy Smith, one of the great jazz saxophonists in Europe today to take up the baton from John Coltrane and Jan Garbarek and run with it in his own creative way, is to host a summer school over five days during the Glasgow Jazz Festival to be held at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland from 24-28 July.

Aimed at 12-17 year olds, Smith, as an academic and full professor, also heads up the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s jazz course, and he says: “The focus will be on group performance, while offering specific instrumental guidance on key elements of improvisation and performance, and we welcome all instruments.” 

Jazz school in Scotland costs £240 and there’s all the detail you need to think about going at the summer school website. SG

Tommy Smith, above. Photo: SNJO