The 2017 Jazz FM Awards took place last night, with the Rolling Stones, Laura Mvula, Damien Chazelle, Donny McCaslin and Gilles Peterson among the big winners.
A stellar line-up of UK and international, including Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Van Morrison, Georgie Fame, Adrian Lester, Courtney Pine and many more, turned out for the bash at East London’s Shoreditch Town Hall. The event was hosted by Jazz FM presenter Jez Nelson.
The Rolling Stones collected two Awards on the night, picking up Blues Artist Of The Year and the public voted Album Of The Year for Blue & Lonesome, which was accepted by Watts, Jagger, and Ronnie Wood. Watts was also presented with The Gold Award in recognition of his contribution to jazz and blues from his friend and iconic UK jazz musician Evan Parker.
Blue & Lonesome producer Don Was sent a message on the night, stating: “The Rolling Stones are among some of the most hard-working and talented musicians ever to step in front of a microphone, and when they kick into gear, the whole becomes far greater than the already gigantic sum of the parts… that’s exactly what happened during the making of Blue and Lonesome.”
Meanwhile, La La Land and Whiplash director Damien Chazelle was honoured with The Impact Award and said via video: “I want to thank Jazz FM for honouring me with this year’s Impact Award. It truly means the world to me, I’ve been jazz obsessed my whole life, as a former wannabe jazz musician. I was never quite good enough to make it… so I decided to film jazz musicians instead and try to put jazz on screen… I truly believe in the marriage between jazz and cinema, and I hope to play a small tiny part in keeping that tradition alive.”
Elsewhere, Mvula scooped the Award for Soul Artist Of The Year, which she followed up with a live rendition of The Man I Love as a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, whose birthday centenary coincided with the event.
PPL Lifetime Achievement Award winner Georgie Fame, who was presented with his Award by Van Morrison, performed with MBE trumpeter Guy Barker, while Donny McCaslin performed material from his album in memory of David Bowie, Beyond Now. McCaslin also won the International Jazz Artist Of The Year Award.
The full list of winners is as follows:
BREAKTHROUGH ACT OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Yamaha)
Yussef Kamaal
INTERNATIONAL JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR?(Sponsored by Oris Watches)
Donny McCaslin
VOCALIST OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by PRS for Music)
Norma Winstone
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Rathbones)
Nikki Yeoh
BLUES ARTIST OF THE YEAR(Sponsored by The Piano Bar Soho)
The Rolling Stones
SOUL ARTIST OF THE YEAR(Sponsored by RCS)
Laura Mvula
JAZZ INNOVATION OF THE YEAR?(Sponsored by Mishcon de Reya)
Jaimeo Brown
DIGITAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR(Sponsored by Pollitt & Partners)
Gilles Peterson - Worldwide FM
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC VOTE) (Sponsored by Arqiva)
Rolling Stones - Blue & Lonesome
UK JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC VOTE) (Sponsored by Grange Hotels)
Shabaka Hutchings
LIVE EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC VOTE)
Orphy Robinson All Stars – The Bobby Hutcherson Songbook
PPL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Recipient: Georgie Fame
IMPACT AWARD
Recipient: Damien Chazelle
THE GOLD AWARD
Recipient: Charlie Watts
