Lost In Jazz
To the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow this evening, where Sushil Dade is producing the very first 大象传媒 Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the year competition. He offers to give a me a tour of the backstage area but gets completely lost in the maze of corridors.
鈥淲e should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, 鈥 I tell him.
鈥淵ou wont write about this on your blog will you?鈥
鈥淭hat depends..鈥
鈥淥n what?鈥
鈥淥n whether we ever get out of here and see our homes and families again鈥
The event itself turns out to be another fantastic night of live music. It鈥檚 almost a full house as our Jazz House presenter, Stephen Duffy, introduces the six finalists and most of them still in their teens. They offer a range of performances that includes piano, alto saxophone and vocals, but I鈥檓 particulary impressed by drummer Doug Hough. There鈥檚 such a blur of activity on the skins that I鈥檓 convinced he has three hands with two sticks in each fist.
The judges, chaired by Dave Batchelor, agonise over their decision and finally proclaim pianist Alan Benzie as the winner.
He comes on to the stage, I shake his hand and give him his certificate and 拢500 cheque.
鈥淓r鈥hat do I do now?鈥 he asks.
鈥淛ust play,鈥 says Dave, and so he does鈥.to a rousing reception from the audience which tells us that judges got it right.
Sushil appears and offers to show me the way out of the building.
If you don鈥檛 hear from me soon, follow the trail of crumbs.
