Northern jazz success at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards

So good to see jazz musicians, organisers and supporters recognised at this year's Parliamentary Jazz Awards in London on Tuesday 16th October!

Jez Matthews and his team have developed a gem of a jazz venue at the Lescar in Sheffield - with the very best from the contemporary jazz scene playing to enthusiastic audiences not only there but at other Sheffield venues such as Yellow Arch studios and Roco. Worthy winners (and the third Yorkshire jazz club in a row) to win the Jazz Venue of the Year award. They are Norvoljazz members and part of the highly successful Sheffield Jazz organisation. Go and see why at their upcoming gigs -  Josh Schofield Quartet + Morpher (24 Oct) Olie Brice Quintet (31 Oct) Treppenwitz (7 Nov) and Lorraine Baker's Eden (14 Nov). http://www.jazzatthelescar.com/

It’s great to see somebody who cares deeply for the music recognised for the vital work and passion that they’ve given to the jazz scene. Lance Liddle runs the Bebop Spoken Here blog based in Newcastle. The blog gives you a snapshot of jazz in the North East that is consistently  interesting and informative. No cutting and pasting of press releases here - this is good journalism done by Lance and his small team - people who go to the gigs and know their music.
lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.com/

Bolton's own Arun Ghosh won the best instrumentalist award. He is an inspiration to young jazz musicians and his music manages to fuse South-Asian folk and jazz with elements of rock, classical, and folk. I especially liked the way he thanked his music teacher at his Bury primary school - Mrs Crompton - and Manchester's Eddie Ashton for repairing his clarinet! https://arunghosh.bandcamp.com/

Well done also to Gill Wilde for her nomination in the Services to Jazz category and recognition of all her work in promoting jazz in Grimsby and the Cleethorpes jazz festival - and also to Manchester based big band Beats & Pieces who were nominated for jazz ensemble of the year

The winners were as follows

Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Ian Shaw
Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: clarinettist Arun Ghosh
Jazz Album of the Year: Denys Baptiste – The Late Trane
Jazz Ensemble of the Year: ARQ – Alison Rayner Quintet
Jazz Newcomer of the Year: guitarist Shirley Tetteh
Jazz Venue of the Year: Jazz At The Lescar in Sheffield
Jazz Media Award: Lance Liddle – Bebop Spoken Here
Jazz Education Award: Jean Toussaint
Services to Jazz Award: Jill Rodger, Glasgow Jazz Festival
Special APPJAG Award: Gary Crosby OBE

Steve Crocker
Norvoljazz