Another blow for beleaguered Northern Ireland jazz scene: no jazz winner included among the Young Musicians’ Platform Award winners

What a shame that there is no jazz genre recipient this year in the list of 6 award winners announced today. The biennial awards run by the Arts Council in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland aim to showcase and support the development of young …

Published: 18 Jan 2021. Updated: 3 years.

What a shame that there is no jazz genre recipient this year in the list of 6 award winners announced today.

The biennial awards run by the Arts Council in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland aim to showcase and support the development of young musicians from the region, by providing individual funding awards of up to £5,000.

Usually there is a jazz presence.

This funding is promoted as enabling the recipients to spend a sizeable amount of time learning from a master musician, mentor, teacher or composer either in Northern Ireland or abroad.

The awards this year have been extended beyond the classical and folk music arenas to reach out to singer-songwriters in the region, in place of a jazz musician representation included in previous cycles.

The awardees receive two professional radio broadcast engagements, including one with the Ulster Orchestra in 2021.

The NI live jazz scene as part of the overall live music picture has been disastrously dormant since March 2020.

Restrictions by the Executive at Stormont have been far harsher than imposed shut-downs impacting on the English scene where venues opened albeit briefly during this time by contrast.

What a morale downer for upcoming jazz talent then that the Platform Award could not have been more supportive at a very difficult time.

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Elegant pianist from a golden era: the swinging Junior Mance has died

Pianist Junior Mance has died. He was 92. His wife Gloria Clayborne Mance announced the sad news. Remembered for his work with Gene Ammons, Charlie Parker (at the Beehive) and Dinah Washington, in later life Mance was a teacher at the New School …

Published: 18 Jan 2021. Updated: 3 years.

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Pianist Junior Mance has died. He was 92. His wife Gloria Clayborne Mance announced the sad news.

Remembered for his work with Gene Ammons, Charlie Parker (at the Beehive) and Dinah Washington, in later life Mance was a teacher at the New School in New York and taught Brad Mehldau among other future stars.

The documentary Sunset and the Mockingbird told the pianist's story relating how Mance suffered in the latter years of his life from dementia but who experienced the deep love of his manager and soulmate, Gloria.

Mance is a continuing influence especially via his own trio records, his sophisticated touch and extraordinary flair, on a host of today's jazz notables, including singer José James who he appeared with on The Dreamer, and Ethan Iverson. RIP