Stretch Trio win the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award 2014.

Monday, December 08, 2014

Help Musicians UK has announced Leeds band Stretch Trio as the latest winners of the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award. Also successful was Birmingham based pianist Mark Pringle. Press release attached.

We have received the following press release from Help Musicians UK;

Peter Whittingham Jazz Award 2014

 
Help Musicians UK has announced Leeds band Stretch Trio as the latest winners of the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award.

Auditioning live at Hackney studios The Premises last week, Stretch Trio faced a panel of experts including trombonist Dennis Rollins, saxophonist Pete Wareham, and Justin McKenzie of London promoter Jazz re:freshed. The group, all recent Leeds College of Music graduates, were the unanimous choice to receive the £4,000 award.

Stretch Trio recently released their independently-funded debut album ?Antithesis’ and also won the Jazz North Introduces award, performing at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival. The band features Andy French on saxophone and EWI, Tom Higham on Drums/Sampler, and Calvin Travers on guitar.
 

They said: ?We are truly thrilled to have been offered the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award 2014. It comes at a crucial moment in our career and will enable us to develop the band in a way that would not otherwise have been possible?.

The prestigious Peter Whittingham Jazz Award is renowned for kickstarting the careers of many eminent jazz musicians over its 24-year history. Previous winners include Dave O’Higgins, Soweto Kinch (now a Help Musicians UK Ambassador), Empirical, Led Bib and Roller Trio.

Also successful at the auditions was Birmingham-based pianist Mark Pringle. He’ll receive a Help Musicians UK Development Award, following in the footsteps of previous recipients Gwilym Simcock, Trish Clowes and Peter Edwards.

Established in memory of Peter Whittingham, an expert in survival medicine with a passion for jazz, the family’s connection with the award continues, with Peter Whittingham’s son-in-law Clive Shelton chairing the panel. Clive said: ?We heard a broad range of talent at this year’s auditions but Stretch Trio really impressed the panel with their creativity and integrity. This is a band with huge potential and their music deserves to be heard by a wide audience.” 

Read more on our website http://www.helpmusicians.org.uk

Stretch Trio can be found at http://www.stretchtrio.com
Download their debut album ‘Antithesis’ at stretchtrio.bandcamp.com

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