Claire Martin, nominated in this year’s Best Vocalist category and BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up presenter, was among an impressive selection of performers on the evening, a highlight being BBC Radio 2 Heart Of Jazz nominee and guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor. MC and jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch, who has previously won three BBC Jazz Awards trophies, has been nominated in two categories this year, Best Album and Jazz On 3 Innovation. Trumpeter Guy Barker, the musical director of the BBC Big Band for this year’s awards, joined Kinch and legendary drummer Billy Cobham to perform Thelonious Monk’s Off Minor.

Also announced was the recipient of this year’s Services To Jazz In The UK Award — Gary Crosby, who has been acknowledged as one of this country’s pioneer British jazz talents and one of the most important bandleaders in the UK. The International Award will be handed to multi-platinum selling global artist Madeleine Peyroux, and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Dave Brubeck, one of the most well-known jazz pianists of all time. The classic Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Paul Desmond’s liquid saxophone lasted for 17 years, during which time they produced the first ever million-selling jazz tune (‘Take Five’), toured the world many times and introduced enormous numbers of people to the jazz sound.

Radio 2 Jazz Artist of the Year Nominations:

• Madeleine Peyroux
• Curtis Stigers
• Allen Toussaint

Radio 2 Heart Of Jazz Award Nominations:

• Martin Taylor
• Georgie Fame
• Abram Wilson

Radio 3 Jazz Line-Up Award for Best Band Nominations:

• Finn Peters’ Finntet
• Stan Tracey Octet
• Byron Wallen’s Indigo

Radio 3 Jazz on 3 Award for Innovation or Achievement in New Music Nominations:

• Tom Bancroft
• Soweto Kinch
• Evan Parker

Album Of The Year Nominations:

• Hidden – Tom Cawley’s Curious
• Displaced – Neil Cowley Trio
• Fraud – Fraud
• A Life In The Day Of B19 – Soweto Kinch
• Meeting Ground – Byron Wallen
• Ride!Ferris Wheel To The Modern Day Delta – Abram Wilson

Rising Star Nominations:

• James Allsop
• Simon Spillet
• Tom Arthurs

Best Instrumentalist Nominations:

• Liam Noble
• Gwilym Simcock
• Julian Siegle

Best Vocalist Nominations:

• Ian Shaw
• Claire Martin
• Norma Winston

The BBC Jazz Awards 2007 Double CD will available to buy at the end of June (on Specific Jazz). It will be available nationwide and includes tracks from all of this year’s nominees.

BBC Jazz Awards broadcast details:
Jazz on 3, BBC Radio 3, Friday 13th July 11.30pm
Jazz Line-Up, BBC Radio 3, Saturday 14th July 5.00pm
BBC Jazz Awards (full concert) BBC Radio 2, Monday 16th July 10.00pm

There will be more information on the awards and a chance to listen again at bbc.co.uk/radio2