Does anyone know the criteria for winning the 'instrumentalist of the year' ? Is the criteria based on instrument skills (technique, timing, harmonic knowledge, general instrument prowess), or is this a vote based of popularity of the musician by promoters, or public or…? Perhaps a better name for this category would be 'Musician of the Year' if this is based more on a musician's popularity?
Congratulations. London Jazz News, for being shortlisted at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards – for the fifth year in succession.
It is a particularly strong achievement this year against the odds of a faintly ludicrous restructuring and reduction of the awards categories, which has undermined any semblance of a level playing field in the media and publications awards.
This has meant that the most informative, comprehensive and resourceful British-based jazz website around (volunteer-run and with ongoing contributions from notable musicians, as well as a roster of enthusiasts and respected writers) is up against a high profile national figure who is a great supporter of jazz in its many forms as well as a brilliant performer, and a small-run, 80-page autobiography. In football terms: Liverpool v Brighton and Hove Albion v Braintree?
The venue awards have also come in for a lot of recent criticism, as they have been invaded by the massive jazz festivals to the exclusion of the hard graft, independent venues which struggle to survive in many cases.
The award organisers have come up a with a very weak defence of their reasons for doing this. Another 4 or 5 awards categories would be no hardship or drain on personal or administrative time. Frankly if there were two venue awards – festivals and independent venues, for example, how many more entries would have to be dealt with? Fifteen, twenty? If the media awards were split up in to broadcaster, printed publication, online publication, how many more would there be? 10 broadcasters, 6 books, 4 websites?
Hardly an unmanageable burden. Frankly, if much of the jazz world survives through volunteers, the Awards should make that extra bit of effort, rather than gripe about any additional work that might be involved.
For the Parliamentary Jazz Awards to maintain their credibility in the face of no competition, the competition in these categories should be fairer – is this one for the Competition Commission?
The consistent nominations since 2009, Seb, are testimony to the highest regard that many inside the jazz world hold for the London Jazz News. Surely we don't have to wait till you qualify for a 'Services to Jazz' award!
So, will it be like the London Marathon used to be – if you entered five times without securing a place, you'd automatically get a place in year six? Will this be the case for London Jazz News?
It works like all of the other Parliamentary Awards. For some reason, you have singled out my award, and so I thought I'd share my take on it.
First, there is a public vote. Based on this, a shortlist is put together. After that, the members of the All Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group listen to the selected music, think about it, discuss it, and have a vote to select the winner.
No doubt they take into account the “technique, timing, harmonic knowledge, general instrument prowess” that you appear to hanker for. Luckily for me, my 25 years of playing, practicing, refining, contemplating, listening, loving, transcribing, improvising, analysing, dancing, researching, shedding, teaching, learning, sharing and studying (on my own and at renowned institutions such as Cambridge University and the RNCM), not to mention hustling and working as a musician in the big bad world, composing, freelancing and growing, seems to have stood me in good stead with regards to the noble criteria you mention.
But I might add that the APJAG may also base their decision on other, albeit less quantifiable and prosaic, criteria. You know, musical and artistic qualities such as soul, spirit, style, passion, innovation and originality. Perhaps they appreciate my British-Asian take on the IndoJazz lineage a la Joe Harriott, John Mayer, John Coltrane, Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane et al. Perhaps, they just liked and enjoyed my playing.
Who knows? This is mere speculation; after all, I'm not on the panel, I'm just the winner. Maybe you ought to take it up with your nearest jazz loving MP 😉
Yours,
Arun Ghosh 2014 Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year.
LondonJazz News 
Does anyone know the criteria for winning the 'instrumentalist of the year' ? Is the criteria based on instrument skills (technique, timing, harmonic knowledge, general instrument prowess), or is this a vote based of popularity of the musician by promoters, or public or…? Perhaps a better name for this category would be 'Musician of the Year' if this is based more on a musician's popularity?
Congratulations. London Jazz News, for being shortlisted at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards – for the fifth year in succession.
It is a particularly strong achievement this year against the odds of a faintly ludicrous restructuring and reduction of the awards categories, which has undermined any semblance of a level playing field in the media and publications awards.
This has meant that the most informative, comprehensive and resourceful British-based jazz website around (volunteer-run and with ongoing contributions from notable musicians, as well as a roster of enthusiasts and respected writers) is up against a high profile national figure who is a great supporter of jazz in its many forms as well as a brilliant performer, and a small-run, 80-page autobiography. In football terms: Liverpool v Brighton and Hove Albion v Braintree?
The venue awards have also come in for a lot of recent criticism, as they have been invaded by the massive jazz festivals to the exclusion of the hard graft, independent venues which struggle to survive in many cases.
The award organisers have come up a with a very weak defence of their reasons for doing this. Another 4 or 5 awards categories would be no hardship or drain on personal or administrative time. Frankly if there were two venue awards – festivals and independent venues, for example, how many more entries would have to be dealt with? Fifteen, twenty? If the media awards were split up in to broadcaster, printed publication, online publication, how many more would there be? 10 broadcasters, 6 books, 4 websites?
Hardly an unmanageable burden. Frankly, if much of the jazz world survives through volunteers, the Awards should make that extra bit of effort, rather than gripe about any additional work that might be involved.
For the Parliamentary Jazz Awards to maintain their credibility in the face of no competition, the competition in these categories should be fairer – is this one for the Competition Commission?
The consistent nominations since 2009, Seb, are testimony to the highest regard that many inside the jazz world hold for the London Jazz News. Surely we don't have to wait till you qualify for a 'Services to Jazz' award!
So, will it be like the London Marathon used to be – if you entered five times without securing a place, you'd automatically get a place in year six? Will this be the case for London Jazz News?
Dear Tim C,
It works like all of the other Parliamentary Awards. For some reason, you have singled out my award, and so I thought I'd share my take on it.
First, there is a public vote. Based on this, a shortlist is put together. After that, the members of the All Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group listen to the selected music, think about it, discuss it, and have a vote to select the winner.
No doubt they take into account the “technique, timing, harmonic knowledge, general instrument prowess” that you appear to hanker for. Luckily for me, my 25 years of playing, practicing, refining, contemplating, listening, loving, transcribing, improvising, analysing, dancing, researching, shedding, teaching, learning, sharing and studying (on my own and at renowned institutions such as Cambridge University and the RNCM), not to mention hustling and working as a musician in the big bad world, composing, freelancing and growing, seems to have stood me in good stead with regards to the noble criteria you mention.
But I might add that the APJAG may also base their decision on other, albeit less quantifiable and prosaic, criteria. You know, musical and artistic qualities such as soul, spirit, style, passion, innovation and originality. Perhaps they appreciate my British-Asian take on the IndoJazz lineage a la Joe Harriott, John Mayer, John Coltrane, Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane et al. Perhaps, they just liked and enjoyed my playing.
Who knows? This is mere speculation; after all, I'm not on the panel, I'm just the winner. Maybe you ought to take it up with your nearest jazz loving MP 😉
Yours,
Arun Ghosh
2014 Parliamentary Jazz Awards
Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year.
Good for you Arun, beautifully put!