Serious have just announced the participants in the eighth edition of their Take Five Professional Development Scheme:

•Yazz Ahmed (Trumpet/London)
•Andy Champion (Double Bass/Gateshead)
•Gwyneth Herbert (Voice/London)
•Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian (Voice and Harp/Suffolk)
•Dominic Lash (Double Bass/Bristol)
•Chris Montague (Guitar/London)
•Rory Simmons (Trumpet/London)
•Paul Towndrow (Saxophones/Glasgow)

To quote the Press Release, Take Five is a “professional development scheme for emerging creative jazz musicians which is supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation, PRS for Music Foundation, Arts Council England and the Musicians Benevolent Fund – is designed to give some of the UK’s most talented young jazz musicians the unique opportunity to take ‘time out’ to develop their craft. It provides each artist with the chance to discuss, explore and strengthen all aspects of their future careers.”

The formal announcement will take place at  a free performance  at 5.30pm on Saturday 17 November in the Front Room of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, featuring musicians from the first Edition of the European version of Take Five.

“The set will showcase the talents of 10 composer-performers from France (Céline Bonacina and Benjamin Flament), the Netherlands (Oene Van Geel and Bram Stadhouders), Norway (Ole Morton Vågan and Gard Nilssen), Poland (Maciej Garbowsky and Maciej Obara) and the UK (Tom Arthurs and Fraser Fifield)”