Upcoming Gigs

The nominees in the BBC Jazz Awards 2008, hosted by BBC Radio 2 and 3, and the recipients of this year’s special awards were announced earlier today at an event hosted by Paul Gambaccini.

Veteran bassist Charlie Haden received the International Award; the Lifetime Achievement Award goes to pianist Chick Corea and his seminal fusion ensemble Return To Forever; and the special Gold Award goes to longstanding ambassadors of the of the UK jazz scene Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine.

Amongst the nominees for this year’s awards are; Guy Barker, who is nominated in three categories, including Best Album; pianist and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Gwilym Simcock, nominated for both Best Instrumentalist and Best Album; and the late Humphrey Lyttelton receives a posthumous nomination for the Radio 2 Jazz Artist of the Year. The winners of the BBC Jazz Awards will be announced on Monday 21st July at The Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars, London.

The event held at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club also featured performances from past winners and nominated artists including Clare Teal, Radio 2 presenter and winner of the 2006 Best Vocalist Award; 2008 BBC Radio 3 Jazz On 3 Innovation Award nominee Corey Mwamba; pianist and Ronnie Scott’s Musical Director James Pearson performing with his trio, and the Neil Cowley Trio, who picked up the 2007 award in the Best Album category.

The 2008 Nominations in the Rising Star, Best Vocalist, Best Instrumentalist, Services to Jazz in the UK and the Best Album categories were chosen by a panel of over 200 top UK jazz industry figures. BBC Radio listeners were invited to vote for the winners of the BBC Radio 2 Jazz Artist of the Year, BBC Radio 2 Heart of Jazz Award, ‘BBC Radio 3 Jazz Line Up Band of the Year’ and ‘BBC Radio 3 Jazz On 3 Innovation Award’.

All of the special awards recipients will be performing at the Award Ceremony on 21st July, alongside other high profile nominees and winners. ‘Return To Forever’ will make a special unplugged appearance; whilst Charlie Haden is travelling from the US especially to be reunited with international piano star John Taylor; and Sir John and Dame Cleo will perform with the awards band led by MD, Guy Barker.

BBC Jazz Awards broadcast details:

BBC Jazz Awards (full concert) BBC Radio 2, Monday 22nd July 10.30pm-midnight.
Jazz Line-Up, BBC Radio 3, Saturday 26th July 4.00pm (highlights and interviews)

There will be more information on the awards and a chance to listen again at bbc.co.uk/radio2 and bbc.co.uk/radio3.

The full list of nominations for this year’s awards is as follows:
Rising Star
• Jay Phelps
• Kit Downes
• Nathaniel Facey

Best Vocalist
• Christine Tobin
• Ian Shaw
• Norma Winstone

Best Instrumentalist
• Gwilym Simcock
• Tom Arthurs
• Tony Kofi

Best Album
• Ambulance, Accident And Insurgency
• Empirical, Empirical
• Guy Barker, The Amadeus Project
• Gwilym Simcock, Perception
• Simon Spillet, Sienna Red
• The Blessing, All Is Yes

Services to Jazz In The UK
• Alan Bates
• Oliver Weindling
• Steve Rubie

BBC Radio 3, Jazz Line-Up Best Band
• Empirical
• Jazz Warriors - Afropeans
• Tom Cawley’s Curios

BBC Radio 3, Jazz On 3 Innovation
• Basquiat Strings
• Corey Mwamba – Argentum
• Evan Parker
• Fraud

BBC Radio 2, Jazz Artist of The Year
• Guy Barker
• Humphrey Lyttelton
• Sir John Dankworth & Dame Cleo Laine
BBC Radio 2, Heart of Jazz
• Guy Barker
• Ray Gelato
• Tommy Smith

International Award
Charlie Haden

Lifetime Achievement Award
Chick Corea & Return To Forever

Gold Award
Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine

Notes to editors:
The BBC Jazz Awards 2008 Double CD will be available to buy in July (on Specific Jazz), nationwide release and includes tracks from all of this year’s nominees.

Jazz on BBC Radio:
BBC Radio 2 Jazz Programmes:
Big Band Special, Mondays at 10:00pm
Jools Holland, Mondays 10:30pm
Malcolm Laycock, Sundays at 10:00pm

BBC Radio 3 Jazz Programmes:
Jazz Library – Fridays at 10.30pm
Jazz On 3 – Fridays at 11.30pm
Jazz Line-Up – Saturdays at 4.00pm
Jazz Record Requests – Saturdays at 5.30pm

Awards Producers
Phil Critchlow - TBI Media – 01525 279152 – 07831 132476
Diane Young - TBI Media – 01525 279153 – 07973 479191

Public tickets for the event are available from Friday 4th July at 10:30pm until Sunday 11th July at 6pm by phoning Radio 2 at 08700 100 200 and Radio 3 08700 100 300. Tickets are free and will be allocated at random.

For pictures of the BBC Jazz Awards 2000 – 2007 please contact:
BBC Radio Picture Publicity – Tel. 0207 765 0673 or radiopictures@bbc.co.uk

For further information please contact:
Sheela Bates or Joe Baxter at Air, 0208 600 0564
OR
Alison Gardiner - BBC Radio 2 Publicity 0207 765 4933
Dominic Lobley - BBC Radio 3 Publicity 0207 765 4934