Phil Meadows named Newcomer of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Saxophonist and composer Phil Meadows has won Newcomer of the Year at the 2014 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Press release attached.

We have received the following press release from Susie Haywood, press oficer at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, London.

Trinity Laban jazz alumnus wins Newcomer of the Year award.

Trinity Laban alumnus Phil Meadows has won Newcomer of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Phil, who graduated in 2012, spoke to the Flash about his win: “It came as such a shock to be awardedJazz Newcomer of the Year having been nominated alongside two of my favourite young musicians, Lauren Kinsella and Reuben Fowler.

“I feel honoured to be spoken about in such good company and can’t thank Simon Purcell, Sophie Fuller and the Trinity Laban postgraduate faculty enough for their help in preparing me for the professional world. I had a fantastic twelve months at Trinity Laban studying with some of the most inspirational musicians and educators in the UK who are still helping me develop today.

“Trinity Laban is also the place where I met Laura Jurd, Elliot Galvin and Conor Chaplin who alongside drummer Simon Roth, are the people who bring my music to life in ways I never thought possible: Without them, winning this award wouldn’t have been possible, it’s very much a team effort. We can’t wait to get back into the studio in July after releasing Engines of Creation last year and have an exciting collaboration with the brand new Engines Orchestra set for release in November.”

The awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG).

Other Trinity Laban nominations were -

Jazz Album of the Year - Mark Lockheart ‘Ellington In Anticipation’ (alumnus, and current teaching staff)

Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year - Laura Jurd (alumnus, 2013)

Jazz Ensemble of the Year - Adam Waldmann (alumnus, 2006)

Jazz Ensemble of the Year - Oren Marshall (teaching staff)

Jazz Vocalist of the Year - Norma Winstone (~Trinity Laban Honorary Fellow)

The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG) was set up by interested Members of Parliament in the UK to promote the use and enjoyment of jazz as a music form. The Group has over one hundred members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and is jointly chaired by Michael Connarty, MP for Linlithgow and Falkirk East and Lord Tony Colwyn, himself a very fine trumpeter and band leader. Administrative services are provided by Jazz Services.

Ian adds;

Congratulations to Phil on the winning of this award which follows hot on the heels of the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award which he won in December 2013. Check out his group’s debut album “Engines Of Creation”, a very impressive and remarkably mature piece of work.