Jazz FM Awards @ Shoreditch Town Hall - April 30

(Review by Lance)

After being patted down, frisked and laser scanned by a guy who could have stepped straight out of the Direct Line commercial, I passed through the hallowed portals of the Town Hall in Shoreditch. 

Nibbles were being nibbled and the gratis bar was doing good business. The choice was Warsteiner beer, Ragtimer Cocktails, wine. G & T or orange juice. Not many opted for the latter option. It was quite a sartorial affair, particularly when it came to headgear. Fedoras, stetsons, sombreros, flat caps and, of course, pork pies as made famous by Lester Young.

The announcement that the bar would be closed during the ceremony resulted in a stampede with, amazingly, no one trampled underfoot.

There wasn't much live music although what there was was excellent. Cherise Adams-Burnett and Eric Bibb performed a soulful duet and it was a shoo in that they would win their respective categories. 

Jacob Collier eschewed the stairs and leapt on to the stage suggesting that if he hadn't been a high-flying jazzer he could have been a high-jumping Olympian. He spoke at length before playing and singing, also at length, an original of his. There was also a video link with Q praising the young man.

Beverley Knight paid an emotional tribute to Aretha with You Make me Feel Like a Natural Woman and the live segment finished with a band called Steam Down who were on the winners' podium twice.

Upon leaving we received a 'goody bag' with a pen, a turntable mat, a Blue Note sticker, a tempting bag of ground coffee, a bottle-opener and a copy of Mojo magazine which more or less summed up the tone of the evening although the magazine did have features on George Benson and Eric Burdon (along with Elton John and Patti Smith).

A complete resumé of the evening and a list of the winners as supplied by Jazz FM/Serious follows...

Lance

Don Was, Blue Note Records, Ringo Starr, Beverley Knight, Jacob Collier, Quincy Jones, Sons of Kemet, dodie, Simon Mayo, Makaya McCraven, BBC’s Dead Ringers, Steve Levine, Swing Out Sister, and Nubya Garcia were among the music and entertainment industry figures who featured in this evening’s Jazz FM Awards 2019 – the most prestigious event in the UK jazz calendar.

Hosted by Jazz FM presenters Chris Philips and Jez Nelson, and coinciding with UNESCO’S International Jazz Day, the ceremony took place at Shoreditch Town Hall in East London, honouring a diverse list of artists ranging from elder jazz statesmen through to the next generation vanguards. Don Was and Blue Note Records collected the prestigious PPL Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising the label’s supreme contribution to jazz history for the past eight decades. Was, also known for his production work with pop and rock stars including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, and Bonnie Raitt, has been the label’s President since 2012 and played a tremendous role in its continued prosperity into the 21st century. Ringo Starr was on hand to congratulate his good friend and collaborator:

“Good evening everybody, just wanted to say a few words on behalf of Don Was for the Jazz FM Awards. You’ve played on a lot of my tracks over the years… Congratulations, I’m sure you’re all having a great night. Peace and love – you deserve it, love you Don!”

24-year-old prodigious multi-instrumentalist and 2-time Grammy-winner Jacob Collier received the PRS For Music Gold Award. Presented with the honour by radio personality Simon Mayo, Collier’s manager Quincy Jones also sent in a special message:

“My dear brother Jacob Collier, it is such an honour to have you as a member of our QJP [Quincy Jones Productions] family, and I couldn’t be prouder of all that you’ve accomplished at your age brother. I have socks older than you! It has been an absolutely beautiful journey to witness your growth over the past few years, and the only direction you can go from here is up... Sending my big love and props for being awarded with the Jazz FM Gold Award… Keep on kicking on brother, YOLO!”

The night was filled with memorable moments, including an emotional tribute to the late Aretha Franklin from Beverley Knight, who brought the house down with her powerful version of “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”. The public voted Nubya Garcia as the UK Jazz Act of the Year nodding to her meteoric rise over the past 12 months, and Sons of Kemet won Album of the Year for the critically-acclaimed ‘Your Queen Is A Reptile’; a welcomed feat after being snubbed at the Mercury Prize Awards last year. BBC’s celebrated political sketch show Dead Ringers made a comical appearance with Lewis MacLeod and Duncan Wisbey presenting Sons of Kemet their award as President Trump and Jools Holland.

The vibrancy of the UK’s thriving young jazz scene was once again a key theme throughout the night, with 23-year-old Poppy Ajudha reigning supreme over Leon Bridges and Jose James as Soul Artist of the Year, Cassie Kinoshi, who leads the immensely popular SEED Ensemble bagging Breakthrough Act of the Year, and rising jazz singer Cherise Adams-Burnett receiving the Vocalist of the Year Award after opening the ceremony with a captivating stripped-back performance in duet with Blues Artist of the Year winner Eric Bibb. 

The evening closed with an incendiary performance from South London collective Steam Down, who were dual winners in the categories of The Innovation Award and Live Experience of the Year Award for their residency show featuring US jazz giant Kamasi Washington. In an unexpected twist the band were joined on-stage by International Jazz Act of the Year winner Makaya McCraven, the prolific Chicago-based drummer who has been pivotal in connecting thriving underground scenes from around the globe.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Breakthrough Act sponsored by GHS Global Hospitality

Cassie Kinoshi

The Digital Award sponsored by Oanda

Louis Cole

The Innovation Award sponsored by Mishcon De Reya

Steam Down

Instrumentalist Of The Year sponsored by Savile Row Gin

Jean Toussaint

International Jazz Act Of The Year sponsored by Lateralize

Makaya McCraven

Soul Act Of The Year sponsored by RCS

Poppy Ajudha

Blues Act Of The Year sponsored by British Airways

Eric Bibb

Vocalist Of The Year sponsored by Denbies

Cherise Adams-Burnett

UK Jazz Act (Public Vote) sponsored by Cambridge Audio

Nubya Garcia

Album Of The Year (Public Vote) sponsored by Arqiva

Sons Of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile

Live Experience Of The Year (Public Vote) sponsored by Yamaha UK

Steam Down featuring Kamasi Washington

PRS for Music Gold Award

Jacob Collier

PPL Lifetime Achievement Award

Don Was and Blue Note Records

The Jazz FM Awards 2019 is a partnership between Jazz FM and Serious and is sponsored by PRS for Music, PPL, Shoreditch Town Hall, Mishcon de Reya, Lateralize, Cambridge Audio, British Airways, Arqiva, Oanda, RCS, Warsteiner, Savile Row Gin, Denbies, GHS Global Hospitality, and Yamaha UK.