The red carpet was rolled out as the Danish Music Awards Jazz took place last Saturday night. An enthusiastic Lennart Ginman steered a packed Jazzhouse through an evening that featured musical performances from every corner of the jazz world.
Danish Music Awards Jazz was back in the familiar framework of Jazzhouse. The red carpet was rolled out, Danish National Radio was in place (in the form of P8 Jazz), and guests and nominees had put on their finest dress. All in order to celebrate Danish jazz. And celebrated it was.
Last year's winners of the ‘Best Danish Vocal Jazz Release of the Year’, IKI, opened the evening in the most beautiful manner. From here on the show offered a wonderful blend of award ceremonies and concerts with last year's winners.
The evening's first award was presented in the category that IKI won in last year: ‘Best Danish Vocal Jazz Release of the Year’. This year's field of nominees consisted like last year of a group of very interesting and competent musicians. It was the Danish / American singer Indra that ran away with this award for the release "In Between" and the award was received with a big smile by Indra's permanent musicians Benjamin Trærup and Thomas Sejthen.
The winner of the following award as ‘Danish Jazz Composer of the Year’ should also prove to be the evening's big winner. The prize went to Peter Danstrup for the album "Beautiful Untrue Things". The award was received with a remark that he had not been awarded anything since he years ago was awarded the Order of Dannebrog. ‘Best New Danish Jazz Artist of the Year’ went to Mads Mathias for the album "Free Falling", which not only has garnered good reviews, but also had what was needed to convince the jury that he is this year's new jazz name.
The price for ‘Best Danish Crossover Jazz Release of the Year’ went to Jacob Davidsen and his band – Kammerat Orkesteret - which he took the opportunity to thank as he received his award. Tonight's biggest award in the form of ‘Best Danish Jazz Release of the Year’ went to Peter Danstrup who could go home with two statuettes under his arm.
Earlier in the day the award for the ‘Best Children’s Jazz Artist of the Year’ had been distributed at a separate children's jazz show. The award went to Benita Haastrup, which along with the other nominees, Jazz Five and WonderBrazz, delivered a fantastic musical event for children of all ages. Last year's winner, Thomas Sandberg, gave the attending children and adults an entertaining concert and a lesson in what a pair of drum sticks, cans and a plastic pig can be used for. The award was presented by the hosts of the show Rebecca and Johanne from DR Ramasjang.
It was not only artists who got honored on this evening. A special award for the best jazz venue of the year – the Jazz Live Award. And it went to the Buddha's Jazz Club / Klaverfabrikken in Hillerød for their dedication to presenting live jazz and the way they take care of their performers.
In between all the awards there were a number of good concerts with Helle Hansen's "In The Gritty", Orpheus, and a beautiful solo concert with Carsten Dahl. The evening was rounded off in style when first Stefan Pasborg's Odessa X-tra Large turned up the heat with their mix of Balkan-improvised-jazz, and the followed by TS Høeg and Jesper Løvdal who put on a aprty with a DJ set that got Jazzhouse's café dancing.
This years jury consisted of: Jens Jørgen Gjedsted, Katrine Ring, Thorbjørn Sjøgren, Søren Mehlsen og T.S. Høeg.
