2025 APPJG Awards @ World Heart Beat, London - Oct. 14

This year's All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group Awards relocated from Holborn to Nine Elms.* Located somewhere between Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, nestling in a sprawling, new build metropolis of high rise office blocks and unaffordable apartments, World Heart Beat took some finding.

A purpose built arts/performance space, WHB welcomed musicians, promoters, bloggers, 'movers-and-shakers' and, of course, the obligatory politician or two. Oddly, very few chairs were available to sit on, four or five up against the back wall, four or five down one side of the room. All occupied, the rest (100+) would stand for the duration, most unable to see a thing. 

APPJG house band: Henry Lowther (trumpet); Tori Freestone (tenor sax);  Andrea Vicari (piano); Alison Rayner (double bass); Will Cameron Marples (drums)

The APPJG house band of mostly familiar faces knew the drill: playing the numerous envelope openers on and off stage, the winners too. Acceptance speeches were mostly short with all but one recipient of an award present on the night. The complete list of winners in a variety of categories is documented in an earlier post: the 'local lads', local to Tyneside, that's Knats (Stan, King, Ferg & co), left empty-handed but with heads held high.                 

* During the evening reference was made to the APPJGs moving across town from Holborn to Nine Elms. This prompted a Yorkshire voice in the all-standing audience to pipe up, suggesting the shindig should move north next year. What a good idea! What's the argument for the event being staged year after year in London? Parliamentarians shouldn't worry, after all, they'll be able to claim expenses - travel, accommodation, meals etc. And they'll get to experience the British jazz scene other than in their usual capital city haunts. Russell