Rising Star Award
2005 Winner - Gwilym Simcock 2006 Winner - Andrew McCormack
WINNER - Simon Spillett
Bop tenorist Spillett has been compared to the legendary Tubby Hayes on many occasions, even by former members of Tubby's bands. After studying with Vic Ash, Spillett has gone on to play with everyone who's anyone on the UK mainstream jazz scene. He formed his own quartet in 2005 who released their debut album in 2007 and has written extensively about the history of the UK jazz scene.
James Allsopp
Multi-instrumentalist and 'decomposer' James Allsopp currently leads the explosively eclectic Fraud alongside drummer Tim Giles. His impressive armoury of horns (including bass clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophones) has also been heard alongside the likes of Joe Morris, Brian Irvine, Polar Bear and Graham Collier among others.
Tom Arthurs
Trumpeter Arthurs has graced a bewildering number of projects from straightahead acoustic jazz to entirely electronic settings and several points inbetween. Last year he duetted with legendary pianist John Taylor at the BBC's Electric Proms festival; his current projects include a trio with Jasper Hoiby and Stuart Ritchie and a longstanding duo with pianist Richard Fairhurst.
