Laura Jurd, Peter Edwards, Issie Barratt (Chair), Emily Saunders and Pat Thomas – part of the new BASCA Executive Committee a the inaugural public meeting

BASCA has a new Jazz Executive Committee. BASCA is the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. It “supports and protects the artistic, professional, commercial and copyright interests of songwriters, lyricists and composers of all genres of music and to celebrate and encourage excellence in British music writing,” does lobbying and campaigning with the other organisations such as PRS for Music, UK Music and the BPI, and also organizes the British Composer Awards and the Ivor Novello Awards.

Yesterday it officially launched a dedicated Jazz Executive under the chairmanship of Issie Barratt at an open meeting last night. The meeting was very well attended by musicians. The new grouping has at its heart the purpose – as Issie explains in this video – to help all generations in jazz become collectively skilled and aware of the specific issues involved in functioning as professional jazz musicians, and ensuring that these issues are shared and more widely understood. “We need to stand together as a unit,” said Issie Barratt.

Sharing the stage with Issie Barratt were felow jazz executive committee members Peter Edwards, Laura Jurd, Mark Lockheart, Ed Puddick, Emily Saunders, Pat Thomas, Alex Webb and Jason Yarde. It was a very upbeat first meeting, at which the new Jazz Promotion Network was also represented by Tony Dudley Evans. Ed Puddick caught the tone and described it well: “It’s good to be there at the start of something.”

LINK: BASCA website