Beats & Pieces Big Band win major European jazz award.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Ben Cottrell of the Manchester based big band has emailed with the news that Beats & Pieces have been named as winners of the European Young Artists' Jazz Award 2011. Full details attached.

Congratulations guys from all here at The Jazzmann.Beats & Pieces are a band that’s creating something of a buzz both home and abroad. I’d like to think that our review of the band’s EP helped in some small way. I’m looking forward to seeing the award winners at the 2011 Mostly Jazz Festival in Birmingham.

Here’s what Ben has to say about the award;

“I thought you’d like to know that I’ve just returned from Germany with the Beats & Pieces Big Band where we were named as the winners of the European Young Artists’ Jazz Award 2011 which we’re all really proud of! The award was held as part of the 42nd Burghausen International Jazz Week, and as part of our prize we had the honour of performing the opening concert of the festival, playing before Chick Corea and Gary Burton.”

The full press release states;

Beats & Pieces Big Band - European Young Artists’ Jazz Award Winners 2011

Efpi Records is proud to announce that the Beats & Pieces Big Band have been named as the winners of the 2011 Burghausen European Young Artists’ Jazz Award. Their prize was a cheque for ?15,000 and the honour of performing the opening concert of the 42nd Burghausen International Jazz Festival, taking to the stage before Chick Corea and Gary Burton in an event that was filmed and recorded for German national television and radio.

Ben Cottrell, the band’s founder and musical director, said “Winning this award is a massive achievement, particularly when the other groups in the competition were so strong, and I’m really proud of all of the guys. The lineup for the rest of the festival is amazing so it was an honour to be a part of that, especially supporting Chick Corea and Gary Burton which was really exciting for us!”

During the competition on Tuesday 22nd March, Beats & Pieces were selected by a panel of German jazz producers, promoters and journalists from five finalists, the others hailing from Germany, Austria and Denmark - these five groups were drawn from over 60 initial applications from across Europe. The 2011 Burghausen International Jazz Festival runs across a week with a lineup including Joe Lovano, Kurt Elling, Dan Berglund and Helge Sunde’s Ensemble Denada. Over its 42 years, the festival has hosted international jazz superstars such as Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Ella Fitzgerald and Esjborn Svensson.

The Beats & Pieces Big Band is grateful to the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, who generously supported this trip to Germany with an Ensembles and Groups Award.

For more information, visit http://www.beatsnpieces.net or email Ben Cottrell at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) - further information on the Burghausen festival and the award itself can be found at http://www.b-jazz.com

Efpi Records is an independent musician-run record label based in Manchester, specialising in contemporary jazz, improvised and experimental music. Artists include the Beats & Pieces Big Band, HAQ, Aaargh! and Silence Blossoms - http://www.efpirecords.com