Music, Media Release

Piano players scoop major Jazz Awards

South Australia's top jazz students and graduates of the Elder Conservatorium of Music [1] were recognised last night at the 2008 Jazz Awards.

$6000 in awards was presented to eight outstanding musicians from the Elder Conservatorium of Music jazz program [2] at the University of Adelaide.

The inaugural $2000 Hyatt Regency Award for the Most Outstanding Honours Graduate was awarded to talented pianist Brendan Lim.

Also a pianist, Matthew Sheens received the $1000 Adelaide City Council Award for the Most Outstanding Undergraduate.

Individual undergraduate awards were presented to:

• Sam Cagney (guitar) - Keith Langley Jazz Guitar Award $500;
  
• Alana Dawes (bass) - Keith Langley Jazz Bass Award $500;
  
• Brenton Foster (piano) - Tommy Norman Jazz Award $500;
  
• Benjamin Harrison (saxophone) - dB Magazine Award $500;
  
• Nick Pietsch (trombone) - Mitzi's Prize $500
  
• Joel Prime (drums) - Billy Hyde Award $500 voucher.

The award winners presented an entertaining evening of jazz, featuring a set with leading American alto saxophonist Jon Gordon [3]

For the first time since the Jazz Awards were first presented in 1997, the event was held at the Hyatt Regency Adelaide [4] in a cabaret setting.

The 2008 Jazz Awards were sponsored by the Hyatt Regency Adelaide, Adelaide City Council [5], dB Magazine [6], Billy Hyde Music [7], Tommy Norman Scholarship, Keith Langley and Mitzi Craig.

The Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide is a Helpmann Academy [8] partner school.

[13]

The inaugural Hyatt Regency Award Winner, Brendan Lim.
Photo by Alex Makeyev.
Full Image (64.85K) [14]

[15]

The 2008 Jazz Award winners: Matthew Sheens (piano), Brenton Foster (piano), Nick Pietsch (trombone), Benjamin Harrison (saxophone), Joel Prime (drums), Alana Dawes (bass) and Sam Cagney (guitar). (Brendan Lim not pictured).
Photo by Lynda Allen.
Full Image (139.47K) [16]