MARLBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL: Saxophonist wins Young Performer of the Year Award

 The UK Jazz Radio Young Performer of the Year Awards were presented at the Marlborough International Jazz Festival by distinguished jazz figure Digby Fairweather.

His fellow judges were recording artist Verona Chard, broadcaster Bob Draper and UK Jazz Radio presenter ‘The Jazz Rep’.

Brian Soundy, Music Director of UK Jazz Radio, and Awards organiser, welcomed the finalists and introduced them to a packed venue: “A major element of the UK Jazz Radio’s mission is to develop young musicians, offering showcase opportunities, supporting their CD launches and encouraging them in a career in jazz.”

Finalists ‘The Sam Braysher Quartet’, guitar and piano duo Rob and Dave, singer and pianist Kate Threlfall, Essex trio ‘Infusion’, six young NYJO members performing as ‘CGS’ and Guildhall student Alec Harper performed live on stage at Marlborough to rapturous applause. As Mr Fairweather explained: “....The quality of performance was excellent and the judges had a very difficult task but they were unanimous in their verdict which was

Best group Performance awarded to The Sam Braysher Quartet

Best Vocalist Award went to Kate Thelfall

Best Composition was awarded to Chris Neill”

The prestigious “Solo Performer of the Year Award” went to 21 year old Alec Harper, a third year undergraduate at Guildhall School of Music, whose performance on the saxophone wowed the audience.

Mr Fairweather congratulated UK Jazz Radio on organizing the Awards and the Marlborough International Jazz Festival for hosting the event. He said: “I am sure that these Awards will grow from strength to strength over the coming years and, with the exciting plans to take the regional heats nationwide next year, it has a great future in making a contribution to the development of jazz in the UK.”

The finalists have all been invited to perform at a major London jazz venue later in the year. Further information is available on the UK Jazz Radio website.