The nominations are announced for the 2012 British Jazz Awards, which is always a high point of the British jazz calendar. The 26th edition of the awards will, as always, recognise some of the best talent that the British jazz scene has to offer.
The nomination panel has produced a shortlist of musicians, bands and albums across sixteen categories, and now the public has the chance to cast its vote to decide who will pick up one of this year’s “Jazz Oscars”. It is fair to say that they will be spoilt for choice, with well established musicians taking their place alongside the newer names.
Representing the aristocracy of British Jazz, performers such as saxophone stalwart Alan Barnes and singer Val Wiseman will find out if they can retain the awards they won last year. The bass category sees regular award winners Dave Green and Len Skeat in a group packed out with go-to names for those looking to put together a rhythm section that can deliver the goods.
Pianist and multiple award winner Dave Newton will this year face young gun Kit Downes in the award for that instrument. Meanwhile Downes’ collaborator on drums James Maddren is a first time nominee in the Rising Star category. Designed to recognise and provide exposure for those young performers who stand out from the rest of the pack, the award could go to him or any of the other three under 26 year olds in the frame.
Saxophone superstar Courtney Pine, nominated in the miscellaneous category for his work on the soprano instrument is up against Alan Barnes on baritone sax, Christian Garrick on violin and Jim Hart on vibraphone. The category brings together all-horn four piece Brass Jaw, award regulars Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen, The Great Wee Band (three quarters of whom are individual nominees) and hot new band Tipitina, who despite being eligible for a British Jazz award have their spiritual home in the dance halls of New Orleans.
For the first time ever this year’s awards will be presented at that true bastion of British Jazz, The Concorde Club in Southampton. Run by legendary promoter Cole Mathieson and his family, the venue has the distinction of being the UK’s oldest jazz club, having opened in 1957. The diary date for this year’s awards presentation is October 22nd.
Jazz fans everywhere can help shape what promises to be a night to remember by voting online at tiny.cc/jazzawards or through forms mailed in the autumn edition of Jazz Rag magazine.
For tickets and directions to the awards ceremony visit www.theconcordeclub.com
Nominations for the 2012 British Jazz awards are as follows:
Trumpet: Bruce Adams, Enrico Tomasso, Guy Barker, Henry Lowther
Trombone: Dennis Rollins, Ian Bateman, Mark Nightingale, Roy Williams
Clarinet: Alan Barnes, Julian Marc Stringle, Mark Crooks, Tony Coe
Alto Saxophone: Alan Barnes, Derek Nash, Nigel Hitchcock, Peter King
Tenor Saxophone: Bobby Wellins, Karen Sharp, Robert Fowler, Simon Spillett
Piano: Craig Milverton, Dave Newton, Kit Downes, Nikki Iles
Guitar: Dave Cliff, Dominic Ashworth, Jim Mullen, Martin Taylor
Bass: Alec Dankworth, Andy Cleyndert, Dave Green, Len Skeat
Drums: Bobby Worth, Ralph Salmins, Sebastiaan De Krom, Steve Brown
Miscellaneous: Alan Barnes (baritone saxophone), Christian Garrick (violin), Courtney Pine (soprano saxophone), Jim Hart (vibraphone)
Vocals: Claire Martin, Liane Carroll, Liz Fletcher, Val Wiseman
Rising Star: Amy Roberts, James Maddren, Jamie Brownfield, Lewis Wright
Big Band: Back To Basie, Beats and Pieces, NYJO, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
Small Group: Brass Jaw, Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen, The Great Wee Band, Tipitina
New CD: Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet: Joyriding (Jazzizit), The Great Wee Band: Light Blue (Trio), John Surman: Saltash Bells (ECM), Karen Sharp: Spirit (Trio)
Reissue CD: British Traditional Jazz – A Potted History (Lake), Bruce Turner: Accent On Swing (Lake), Stan Tracey: Leader And Sideman (Avid), The Joe Harriott Story (Proper)
The nomination panel is as follows:
Bob Weir (Jazz Journal) Chris Hodgkins (Jazz Services) Cole Mathieson (The Concorde Club) Dave Gelly (The Observer) David Nathan (The British Jazz Archive) Dick Laurie (Allegedly Hot News International) Fred Lindop (Swanage Jazz Festival) Jerry Brown (Norwich Jazz Party) John Hemming (MP) Liz Lincoln (Promoter) Lord Anthony Colwyn (Chair, All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group) Mike Gordon (Scarborough Jazz Festival) Mike Pointon (Jazz Writer)Peter Vacher (Jazz Writer)Roger Cotterrell (Book Publisher) Ron Simpson (The Jazz Rag) Tony Augarde (Musicweb International)