The recipients of the 2021 Parliamentary Jazz Awards were announced on Monday 26th July at 19:00
The Parliamentary Jazz Awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG) with the support of PizzaExpress Live. The Awards celebrate and recognise the vibrancy, diversity, talent and breadth of the jazz scene throughout the United Kingdom.
The award categories reflect the ever-increasing scope of talent from within the UK’s jazz scene: Jazz Vocalist of the Year; Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year; Jazz Album of the Year; Jazz Ensemble of the Year; Jazz Newcomer of the Year; Jazz Venue of the Year; Jazz Media Award; Jazz Education Award; the Services to Jazz Award and the Lockdown Innovation Award.
John Spellar MP, Co-Chair of APPJAG, said: "These awards are a
great opportunity to celebrate the talents and energies of the great musicians,
educators, promoters, record labels, jazz organisations, blogs, jazz magazines
and journalists who kept jazz flourishing, in spite of the challenges they
faced in 2020. In a year of hardship, unparalleled in the last 76 years, these
shortlists demonstrate the wealth of talent and commitment that exists in the
British jazz scene. Now in their 16th year, the Parliamentary
Jazz Awards honour the best of British jazz. MPs and Peers in the All Party
Group are grateful to PizzaExpress Live for supporting the event.”
Chi Onwurah MP, Deputy Chair of APPJAG: “This has been another really
strong year for the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in terms of talent and
nominations. The well deserved recipients are a veritable who’s who of names
that have made a real impact on the music and helped make the UK one of the
world’s leading jazz territories”.
The full list of recipients is as follows:
Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Georgia Mancio
Multi award-winning /nominated vocalist, lyricist and producer, Georgia Mancio, is one of Europe’s most respected, adventurous and multi-faceted new artists. From 2010-2014 Georgia produced her now iconic ReVoice! Festival in association with the Pizza Express Jazz Club. She presented over 160 artists across 5 multi-venue editions and performed 44 sets herself. Since 2017 Georgia has produced 3 editions of her new series, Hang, showcasing her ever-evolving creativity as a curator. Other credits include 2019 BBC Proms and nominations in the Parliamentary, British Jazz and Urban Music Awards.
Georgia’s release, Finding Home (2019), was co-produced with pianist/composer Kate Williams and her acclaimed Four Plus Three ensemble with special guest classical guitarist John Williams; it won Best Album in 2020 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
In partnership with Grammy-winning pianist/composer Alan Broadbent they launched their first album Songbook (2017), at a sold out headline show at Ronnie Scott’s (“unequivocally, one of the gigs of the year” Jazzwise) with performances across Europe and the US. This was followed in March 2021 with Quiet Is The Star, the second in partnership Alan Broadbent.
The strengthening bond between these performers and songwriters is sealed by
the publication of their first book – The Songs of Alan Broadbent
and Georgia Mancio, featuring all their 33 originals, co-written between
2014 and 2020.
www.georgiamancio.com
Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: Nubya Garcia
Award-winning saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia studied under pianist Nikki
Yeoh at Camden Music, before joining Gary Crosby’s Tomorrow’s Warriors in her
late teens and completed her training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music.
Her debut EP, NUBYA’s 5IVE, released in 2017, was hailed
as “exceptional” by the Vinyl Factor. She is a member of the contemporary
septet, Nerija, who received the Parliamentary Jazz Awards Newcomer of
the Year in 2018, and has toured extensively internationally, playing
venues and festivals across Latin America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the
United States. Garcia’s reputation as a DJ is also burgeoning; she currently
presents a hit radio residency on NTS Radio.
In 2018, Garcia won the Jazz FM Breakthrough Act of the Year Award and the Sky
Arts Breakthrough Act of the Year Award, followed by the 2019 Jazz FM UK Jazz
Act of the Year Award.
Nubya Garcia released her debut album SOURCE, released in August 2020 on
Concord Jazz. The album was announced after the release of lead single “Pace”
and a rousing live performance on the BBC’s 2020 Glastonbury Experience. The
Source has been shortlisted for the Mercury
Prize
www.nubyagarcia.com
Jazz Album of the Year: Callum Au and Claire Martin “Songs and Stories” Stunt Records
Two leading lights of the British jazz scene: composer, arranger and
trombonist, Callum Au, and internationally admired singer, Claire Martin, join
forces for a new album, “Songs and Stories” on the Copenhagen-based Stunt
label. “The album, featuring a total of 82 exceptional musicians, from the UK,
Europe and the USA, is a stunningly arranged selection of jazz standards and
American Songbook classics, given compelling, sensitive, modern orchestral and
big band treatments, whilst drawing extensive style and influence from the
definitive peaks of this genre in past eras.
This is Claire Martin’s first big band or large orchestral recording – and she
is thrilled to be working with Callum Au, who she regards as a “major talent”,
with many great successes ahead of him. The album features a superb line-up of
soloists and lead musicians including: Ryan Quigley, Andy Wood, Freddie Gavita,
Nadim Teimoori, Sam Mayne, Louis Dowdeswell, Andy Martin, Matt Skelton and John
Mills - plus conductor Mark Nightingale.
www.clairemartinjazz.co.uk/
www.callumaumusic.com
Jazz Ensemble of the Year: KOKOROKO
KOKOROKO are an all star band from the London jazz community led by Sheila Maurice-Grey on trumpet featuring saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, trombonist Richie Seivewright, Oscar Jerome, guitar, Yohan Kebede, keys drums Ayo Salawu on drums and percussionist Onome Edgeworth; Kokoroko are on a mission to fashion new languages using the medium of Afrobeat.
In February 2019 they were named "ones to watch" by the Guardian, after their track 'Abusey Junction' garnered 23 million views on YouTube.[4] In February 2020 they won 'Best Group' at the Urban Music Awards.[5] In September 2020 they played BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. “This is not idle music!” says Sheila Maurice-Grey, reflecting on the rich history of sounds that have inspired the band, whether it's the social commentary, the political stance of acts like the Black President, or the high power energy of Afrobeat nights.
www.kokorokomusic.co.uk
Bandcamp
Jazz Newcomer of the Year: Jas Kayser
Jas Kayser is 24-year-old drummer, composer, band leader from the UK currently based between London and Panama City.
Jas’s most recent release is her new Grace; this release has gained attention and support from London's impressive jazz scene such as Jamie Cullum, BBC 3, Jazz FM and Jazzwise.
Jas completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Berklee College of Music whilst studying and playing alongside mentors such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Danilo Perez, Ralph Peterson and Neal Smith. During this time Jas began to explore the common grounds between Jazz and Afro-beat which led to her creating her original sound and compositions.
Jas has featured in bands with leading British lights Nubya Garcia, Ashley
Henry and Jorja Smith as well as American drummer Ralph Peterson’s Big Band and
had a starring role on drums alongside Lenny Kravitz in the official video for
his song Low.
Jas has also presented her original band at Jazz Re:Fest 2020 Online, London
Jazz Festival 2019, RISE concert in Boston supporting Terri Lyne Carrington and
Panama Jazz Festival for the past 2 years.
Additionally she has also played with various bands and artists like Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Donald Harrison in the Ralph Peterson Big Band and Luciana Souza at venues around the US such as Scullers Jazz Club, Rockwood Music Hall and Newport Jazz Festival, among others. Jas Kayser has recently been appointed NYJO London Intermediate Music Director.
www.jaskayserdrums.com
Jazz Venue of the Year: Peggy’s Skylight
Peggy’s Skylight – Live
Jazz and Kitchen, Nottingham, founded by a pianist and a singing chef, Paul
Deats, is based in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter.
Their live acts reflect the diversity of the UK and international music scene,
showcasing the best jazz, blues, soul, world and folk artists.
All their dishes are prepared using fresh, locally sourced seasonal produce
wherever possible. Many of the recipes are based on Paul Deats childhood
experiences growing up in Iran. We’ve just begun to explore the wealth of
delights that Middle Eastern cuisine has to offer.
Peggy’s Skylight recently received cultural recovery funding support from the
Department for Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England to support
jobs, musicians and suppliers over the coming six months.
www.peggysskylight.co.uk
Jazz Media Award: Women In Jazz Media
Women in Jazz Media is a not for profit organization created to help support
and create an equal, diverse, safe and healthy jazz industry. They are a team
of writers, photographers, painters, musicians, presenters, journalists,
producers, editors and more and are based in China, Spain, Germany, Scotland
and England but have roots in France, Italy, Jamaica, Poland, Mauritius and
beyond and collectively speak 8 languages.
Jazz represents freedom of expression and yet historically, women, people of
colour, the LGBTQ community and many more have not been given equal
opportunities in the Jazz industry. Women in Jazz Media explore a wide variety
of initiatives to help increase the gender and diversity balance to ensure
everyone has a voice. They look for platforms and where no platforms exist and
create ones to ensure everyone can be represented. They published their first
entirely female led and managed magazine, platforming women on International
Women’s Day March 2021. Actively seeking out existing female writers to support
and promote their work they also search for new female writers and offer
support through their mentoring scheme. Working with partner publications and
organisations, they explore the diversity of their content and offer support to
increase representation where needed. Through a podcast series, they explore
the careers of industry specialists, challenges and inspirations and discuss
what actions they can all take to support and encourage a more diverse jazz
industry.
www.womeninjazzmedia.com
Jazz Education Award: The Original UK Summer School
The Original Jazz Summer School based in the UK since 1966 has consistently
delivered the highest quality jazz tuition one can find. It began in Barry in
South Wales and has had several homes over the decades, including Porthcawl,
The University of Glamorgan and Trinity College of Music, London. The course
returned to South Wales in the summer of 2012 where it is hosted by The Royal
Welsh College of Music & Drama. This college is a beautiful state of the
art facility which has recently benefited from a £22.5m investment. It backs
onto the picturesque Bute Park and is only a 10 minute walk from the
lively Cardiff City Centre.
Course directors, the late Dave Wickins and Buster Birch have had many years of
experience running the Summer School, and during this time have assembled a
world renowned team of tutors.
The course is open to all instrumentalists of all ages and levels of
experience. They also welcome singers, who are specifically catered for by
their vocal coach.
Launched in 2021, The Online UK Jazz School is a year-round resource providing
live online master classes and short courses for all instruments by jazz
professors and lecturers from some of the UK's finest music
conservatoires. The Online UK Jazz School enables beginner and
intermediate musicians from anywhere in the world to study with the finest jazz
educators in the UK.
www.theoriginalukjazzsummerschool.com
Services to Jazz Award: Norma Winstone
Norma Winstone MBE In a career spanning more than 50 years as a vocalist and lyricist has worked include Michael Garrick, John Surman, Michael Gibbs, Mike Westbrook, as well as pianist John Taylor. Norma Winstone was born in London and first attracted attention in the late sixties when she shared the bill at Ronnie Scott’s club with Roland Kirk.
Although she was known initially for evolving her own wordless approach to
improvisation, her extraordinary versatility means she is equally at home with
the standards repertoire, performing with small groups, orchestras and big
bands.
She has worked extensively with many of the major European names and visiting
Americans. In the late seventies she joined pianist John Taylor and trumpeter
Kenny Wheeler to form the group Azimuth, which was described by Richard
Williams of The Times as “one of the most imaginatively conceived and
delicately balanced of all contemporary chamber jazz groups“.
Her voice became an important part of the sound of Kenny Wheeler’s big
band, and can be heard on the ECM double CD ‘Music for Large and Small
Ensembles‘ which also features John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Peter
Erskine and John Taylor.
With Italian pianist Glauco Venier and German saxophonist/ bass clarinettist
Klaus Gesing she has recorded four albums for the ECM label, the first of
which, “Distances” was nominated for a Grammy. Norma also works with the Nikki
Iles’ group “The Printmakers” comprising some of the UK’s finest musicians.
Recent Awards are: the Lifetime Achievement Jazz Medal from the Worshipful
Company of Musicians (2010, Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Vocalist (2015),
Jazz FM Award for Vocalist of the year (2017).
www.normawinstone.com
Lockdown Innovation Award: The Globe – Newcastle upon Tyne
The Globe in Newcastle upon Tyne is the first bar and music venue in the UK to
be owned by a cooperative committed to music. The Globe was bought in
2014 following a successful community share issue. Over 225 people bought
shares and became members of the cooperative, and more are welcome to join.
Jazz.Coop provides an extensive range of courses, workshops, jam sessions and
projects.
Their determination to keep live music going during the pandemic has been
rewarded with a national award. The Globe was declared the Small Community
Co-op of the Year 2021.
Dave Parker, co-chair of Jazz.Coop, said, “We’re delighted with this
award because it recognises the vision, determination and hard work of members,
volunteers and everyone else who helped keep us going during the pandemic,
providing income for musicians, employment for staff, and joy for lovers of
live music. Eight years ago, The Globe was a failing pub. Today it is an
award-winning music venue and learning centre owned and run by a co-operative.
We worked with musicians to develop live streaming, and soon decided this was
the way forward. The Globe was refurbished, and new equipment was installed by
volunteers. We were fortunate in accessing funding from Power to Change and the
Culture Recovery Fund.”
Cooperative ownership ensures that The Globe is a place where people can enjoy
live music in a relaxed environment and where musicians can share and develop
their skills.
https://theglobenewcastle.bar/
Special APPJAG Awards: Digby Fairweather
Richard ‘Digby’ Fairweather was a librarian before becoming a professional musician and retains an interest in jazz history and bibliography. A trumpeter and cornetist influenced by classical jazz artists such as Louis Armstrong, he started leading his own bands in the early 1970s. He continues to play and has collaborated with many celebrated UK artists over the years including George Chisholm, Alex Welsh, George Melly and Paul Jones.
Away from the cornet he was concerned with national cultural advancement of the
music and, amongst other activities, founded the successful educational charity
‘Jazz College’ with pianist Stan Barker (1979-95); the National Jazz Archive
(Britain’s primary research centre for jazz music, 1988) and a number of other
jazz-related organizations at this period the Jazz Section of the Musicians’
Union (1992-2014) the Jazz Development Trust with Sir John Dankworth and
in 2016 the Jazz
Centre UK – Britain’s first cultural centre for jazz music –
in Southend-on-Sea.
In 2009 as Founder of the National Jazz Archive he was presented with
their Special Award in celebration of the organization’s twenty-first
anniversary. In 2015 Digby received the British Jazz Award for Services
to Jazz.
Apart from his playing and band leading, Fairweather has long pursued a
parallel career as a jazz broadcaster and writer. Digby is the editor of a
history of the legendary 100 Club in Oxford Street, London, Ace of
Clubs, recently published by Brewin Books.
After almost fifty years in professional jazz Digby Fairweather remains – in
the words of The Stage – just about the best ambassador the music could
have.
https://digbyfairweather.com/
Lord Colwyn
Lord
Colwyn is a peer, dentist and politician. He is one of
ninety hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of
Lords after the House of Lords Act 1999, sitting as
a Conservative, he is the second longest standing member of
the House of Lords. Tony Colwyn was instrumental in the formation of the
All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group and was co-chair until March
2021.
He started a band at school with school friend Jim Beach and they travelled
through France and Spain playing in bars. In the early 60’s he organised Arts
Balls at Cheltenham Town Hall.
The school band grew into a successful dance band and played at just about
every hunt ball, deb dance and charity ball throughout the 60s and 70s. Jim
left the band to become manager of Queen - Tony continued to lead the band
for another 30 years as a 9 piece band. One of the special honours was
playing for the Queen and Prince Philip’s private Ruby wedding dance.
Another personal highlight was playing trumpet alongside Adelaide Hall on stage
at Ronnie’s. For a while he put together a 24 piece Big Band that played at the
Albert Hall with Red Skelton for HBO.
He felt very strongly and was a great supporter of live music in pubs and spoke
many times in Parliament when legislation was going through. He was
a founder director of Jazz FM alongside Dave Lee and John Dankworth.
Lord Colwyn secured funding from PPL for the Parliamentary Jazz Awards that
started in 2005 to the present day and he is still actively involved with the
All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group.
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