Empirical drummer wins award
Friday, October 09, 2009
Shane Forbes has won The Worshipful Company of Musicians 2009 award for young jazz musicians
On Sunday 27 September at Ronnie Scott’s, London, Shane Forbes, master drummer, with award winning jazz band Empirical, won the annual Competition for Young Jazz Musicians hosted by The Worshipful Company of Musicians. Beating stiff competition from five fellow jazzers - Henry Armburg-Jennings (trumpet), George Crowley (saxophone), Peter Edwards (piano), Alam Nathoo (saxophone), and Percy Pursglove (bass) - Shane now joins the list of past winners (including Zem Audu, Michael Janisch, Jim Hart, Troy Miller, John Escreet and Tom Cawley) who have collected the prestigious medal award, now in its 18th year.
The win came the day before Empirical released their second album, Out ‘n’ In, on Naim Jazz. Produced by Jason Yarde, and featuring special guest Julian Siegel, Out ?n’ In is Empirical’s much anticipated follow up to their self-titled debut album, released on Courtney Pine’s Destin-E label in 2007. Out ?n’ In pays tribute to Eric Dolphy’s musical legacy through nine Dolpy-inspired original compositions and two new arrangements of his work: Hat and Beard and Gazzelloni.
The Worshipful Company of Musicians encourages, supports and promotes musical performance and education to the highest professional standards. Arising from an ancient craft guild, it is the only City of London Livery Company devoted to the performing arts. Its members, known as Liverymen, are performers, composers, instrument makers, teachers, administrators and music lovers. The Company’s charitable activities include the award of medals recognising excellence and achievement, prizes and scholarships for students and the provision of live performance opportunities.
The Young Jazz Musician medal is awarded to an outstanding instrumentalist or singer under the age of 30 who has firstly been recommended by a selection panel to participate (with up to five other contenders) in a live ?competition’ gig. The gig, in which the chosen musicians, without a leader, agree their repertoire informally in the hours before going on the stand, takes place in front of an audience comprising jazz journalists, jazz educators, as well as an enthusiastic paying public. The winner is selected by majority vote of all the listeners present at the gig.
The winner is then automatically fixed to play a live date with a band of his or her choice. It is at this ?prize’ gig that the medal is presented by the Company. This unusual method of selection is able to recognise and discern not just musical virtuosity, but also the ability of the winning musician to achieve that all-important rapport with the listening audience. The competition takes place in the autumn and the winners gig is held in the Spring. The Musicians’ Company’s Jazz Medal for Young Musicians selection panel is currently: Bill Ashton, Guy Barker, Gary Crosby, Alec Dankworth, Tim Garland, Martin Hathaway, Julian Joseph, Jack Massarik, Tina May, Andy Panayi, Gerard Presencer, Simon Purcell, and Scott Stroman.
Leading critics commented on the award as follows;
Shane Forbes, the drummer with young UK postbop band Empirical, won the venerable Worshipful Company of Musicians’ annual prize for the hottest jazz newcomer. The charismatic Forbes had driven a sextet of competitors with audacity from the start, while his companions needed time to settle. Forbes is barely 25, but he already has plenty of touring experience behind him, and it showed. Since 2007, Empirical has been one of the busiest young bands in Britain, playing to crowds of thousands
John Fordham, The Guardian
...this year the competition, the first to be held at Ronnie Scott’s, [produced] an indisputable winner in drummer Shane Forbes… He simply grabbed the moment. He came across with real presence, and produced a solo of kicking life and energy. He has the advantage of being slightly older and more gig-hardened than some of the other competitors, and that was the vital edge
Sebastian Scotney, Daily Telegraph