Scottish National Jazz Orchestra wins title of Best Jazz Ensemble at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Orchestra manager Lindsay Robertson has forwarded us the attached press release relating to the SNJO's recent triumph at the 2012 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra wins major accolade

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra has won the Best Jazz Ensemble title at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2012 in a ceremony held in the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, May 16.

The Parlys, as the awards are affectionately known, are Britain’s premier awards for excellence within the jazz community and are decided following a public nomination process and voting by members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Sponsored by PPL and Jazz Services, they are the only music awards made by Parliament and are now regarded as the most prestigious awards on the UK jazz scene.

This latest accolade for the SNJO follows acclaimed performances at jazz festivals in London, Norway and France over the past year and successful recent collaborations with saxophonist Bobby Wellins, who won the Best Instrumentalist title at this year’s Parliamentary Jazz Awards as well as American singer Kurt Elling and leading drummer Peter Erskine.  The SNJO’s triumphant tribute to the major European record label ECM, with guest soloist, Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen, will be released on ECM Records itself on May 28, further adding to the orchestra’s outstanding international reputation.

Formed in 1995 by its director, Prof Tommy Smith, SNJO has earned praise for its ability to work across the whole range of jazz styles, from early swing through to electric jazz fusion and on to world music featuring a Japanese Taiko drum troupe. The orchestra won the Best Big Band title at the inaugural Scottish Jazz Awards in 2009 and again in 2011.

Tommy Smith said: ?We are hugely honoured to be given this latest award and delighted that the quality of the orchestra’s work has been recognised in this way. We look forward to continuing to represent Scotland’s currently very strong jazz scene and the country’s music scene as a whole both at home and abroad.?