 British jazz showcase at Jazz Ahead 2009Norma Winstone picked up the prestigious Skoda Prize for her contribution to European Jazz at the annual Jazz Ahead conference in Bremen last weekend. Topping off a heady start to 2009 with Grammy and Parliamentary Jazz Award nominations for her 'Distances' album, Norma's award was presented by Jazz Ahead's artistic director, Uli Beckerhoff. Norma's award capped a successful weekend for British jazz at the conference, where Norma's concert with Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier, and Gwilym Simcock's guest appearance with the NDR Big Band on his own extended composition, bookended four showcase performances from Brass Jaw, Huw Warren Trio, Arun Ghosh Sextet, and Portico Quartet in front of a large and appreciative audience of European festival and venue promoters and media. A British jazz booth became a popular hang-out with Glasgow Jazz Festival's Jill Rodger and singer Cathie Rae handing out cups of single malt whisky, while a dizzying array of British jazz organisations held court - Jazzwise, Jazz Services, Birmingham Jazz, Bath, London and Cheltenham Festivals, labels Basho, Babel, Edition and Candid, agents from Air, Music Bridge, BPR and Riotsquad, and Pizza Express and Ronnie Scott's among them. Photograph by Tim Dickenson (Edition Records) 29/04/2009 |