A short blog about our Jazz at Hedsor. I hinted last week that we were working on a few “names” that you might like to have performing at Hedsor jazz. I can now reveal that we have Vasilis Xenopoulos coming to us on January 28^th.

It will be great to have this young “jazz great” with us again. A firm favourite with me, and I think many others of you as well. He now has 2 CD’s to his name, and many jazz festival appearances too, the regulars amongst you wont need to be told what a great night it will be. He will be joining the full Clive Burton Quintet, so we will have two saxophones to harmonise together! 

I have prepared a poster for this event, which will be at our normal admittance price of £6 and our normal start time of 8.30pm. I will send out a copy of the PDF file for the poster in my friendly nagging emails, if you could print one off and display in a public place near you I would be most obliged.

CD reviews later in the week, but it is a busy week for me, so they may be much later in the week.

I have been reminded that it is time to nominate your favourite CD, musician and band in this years Parliamentary Jazz Awards which will take place at the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion on Tuesday 10 May 2016. Details are below.

 

 Entries are open to everyone, and forms can be completed online from the JazzUK website at www.jazzuk.org.uk. The final deadline for entries is 12 noon Thursday 18 February 2016.

 The Parliamentary Jazz Awards is organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG), co-chaired by Jason McCartney MP and Lord Colwyn, and supported by music licensing company PPL in conjunction with JazzUK, Jazzwise, and the Musicians’ Union. 

 The categories for the 2016 Awards reflect the ever-increasing scope of talent from within the UK’s jazz scene and include:

•    Jazz Album of the Year (released in 2015 by a UK band or musicians)

•    Jazz Vocalist of the Year (UK-based vocalist who impressed in 2015)

•    Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year (UK-based musician who impressed in 2015)

•    Jazz Ensemble of the Year (UK-based group who impressed in 2015)

•    Jazz Venue of the Year (including jazz clubs, venues, festivals and promoters)

•    Jazz Media Award (including broadcasters, journalists, magazines, blogs, listings and books)

•    Jazz Education Award (to an educator or project for raising the standard of jazz education in the UK)

•    Jazz Newcomer of the Year (UK-based artist, musician or group with a debut album released in 2015)

•    Services to Jazz Award (to a living person for their outstanding contribution to jazz in the UK).

 

 PPL has been supporting the awards since 2005. APPJAG has over 100 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords, across all political parties. Its aim is to encourage a wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the industry and issues surrounding it, as well as promoting jazz as a musical form, and to raise its profile both inside and outside of Parliament.”

So, go nominate, I have!!

Geoff C