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| Jim Mullen |
At last night’s Scottish Jazz Federation Awards Ceremony held at Le Monde in George Street Edinburgh, the following were declared winners:
Lifetime Recognition – Jim Mullen
Services to Jazz – Keith Loxam
Best Album (Public Vote) – Das Contras “Highest Low”
Instrumentalist – Konrad Wiszniewski
Education – Richard Michael
Emerging Artist – Euan Stevenson
Innovation – Brass Jaw School Workshops
Media – BBC Radio Scotland’s Jazz House
Ensemble – Brass Jaw
Vocalist – Ali Affleck
Live Jazz Experience – Scottish National Jazz Orchestra “In the Spirit of Duke”
International – Tim Kliphuis
The awards are organised by the Scottish Jazz Federation and Audacious Music and this year were sponsored by Creative Scotland, the Herald newspaper group and Le Monde.
Categories: miscellaneous
With regards to the Best Album category…Unfortunately the Scottish Jazz Federation have failed to realise the difference between jazz and music that is jazz-influenced. Das Contras are a fine band but their music is almost devoid of a swing feel, it lacks an abundance of improvisation and I don't feel that they have mastered the blues (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQQKVNpv-fc). They don't even describe themselves as a jazz band. They are a pop band and should be treated as such. I hope the SJF are more ruthless with submissions next year.