2008 National Jazz Awards Handed Out

jazz news, Canada

2008 National Jazz Award Winners

Canada’s Finest Jazz Veterans and Emerging Artists Honoured

The 2008 National Jazz Awards gala took place Tuesday night in Toronto, with the finest in Canadian jazz sharing the honours.

Latin jazz great Hilario Duran and bassist Jodi Proznick were the big winners - each taking home three of the trophies.

Cuban-born Hilario Duran was named SOCAN composer of the year and Latin jazz Artist of the Year. His group, Hilario Duran’s Latin Jazz Big Band, was named Big Band of the Year.

The Jodi Proznick Quartet received Record of the Year for Foundations, and Acoustic Band of the Year awards, while B.C. based Proznick won top honours for Bassist of the Year.

West coast musician Phil Dwyer won a pair of awards, Saxophonist and Arranger of the Year, while Toronto music journalist Geoff Chapman took home two awards, winning Journalist of the Year for the fifth consecutive time. Chapman was also previously announced as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Performers at the gala profiled the up-and-comers on the Canadian jazz scene, with singer Kellylee Evans and pianist Michael Kaeshammer (who also hosted the event), multiple-winner Proznick and her pianist husband Tilden Webb, bassist Brandi Disterheft, teen singer Nikki Yanofsky and saxophonist Mike Ruby.

The evening also featured three tributes to three notable jazz artists who have recently died, iconic pianist Oscar Peterson, who was honoured as Musician of the Year, multi-instrumentalist Jeff Healey, who was named Artist of Distinction and Doug “Dr. Music” Riley, who was named a Jazz Pioneer.

More 2008 National Jazz Award Winners:

Instrumentalist of the Year: Don Thompson

International Musician: Wynton Marsalis

Drummer: Terry Clarke

Guitarist: Reg Schwager

Trumpeter: Brad Turner

Trombonist: Hugh Fraser

Clarinetist: Phil Nimmons

Violinist: Jesse Zubot

Keyboardist: Nancy Walker

Electric Band: Barry Romberg Random Access

Female Vocalist: Emilie-Claire Barlow

Male Vocalist: Joe Coughlin

CBC Galaxie Rising Star: Chris Andrew

Label: Cellar Live

Producer: Brad Turner

Festival: Vancouver Jazz Festival

Jazz Photographer: Don Vickery

for more info visit www.nationaljazzawards.com