ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY
JAZZ APPRECIATION GROUP

The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG) was set up by interested Members of Parliament in the UK to promote the use and enjoyment of jazz as a music form. The Group has over one hundred members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and is jointly chaired by Michael Connarty, MP for Linlithgow and Falkirk East and Lord Tony Colwyn, himself a very fine trumpeter and band leader. Administrative services are provided by Jazz Services.

Michael Connarty recalls: 'The great innovation that started with APPJAG was the introduction of 'live' jazz music in the House of Commons. This started with 'Jazz In The House' which after six years is still held each November in co-operation with Serious and Radio 3 to celebrate the London Jazz Festival. It brings together those working in the industry as promoters and artists and jazz-supporting MPs and Lords, to talk about the ongoing state of the jazz scene, and has live music in the Terrace Pavilion of the House of Commons'.

APPJAG has teamed up with Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), the body responsible for collecting royalties for the playing of auditory recordings, and who sponsor three other events with live music in the commons each year.

Each January, there is a 'Youth Band' event and to date, the event has featured Tomorrow's Warriors with Guy Barker; the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra Octet with Georgie Fame; the TS Scottish Youth Jazz Orchestra Octet with Tommy Smith, and the Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra Octet with Dennis Rollins.

In July the Group holds a Summer Jazz Gig, and Yamaha has now teamed up with Classic FM to expand the event and sponsor the 'Yamaha-Classic FM Jazz Bursaries' where six bursaries are awarded to students on full-time jazz courses in the UK. The bursary winners also get to play at the gig. In the past they have played with Jim Mullen, Henry Lowther and the Great Wee Band. In 2008 the music had a 'latin' flavour with the Neil Angilley Trio.

Liane Carroll and John Etheridge at the 2008 Parliamentary Jazz Awards

Photo courtesy of Michael Connarty

The third main live event is the Annual All Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Michael Connarty says: 'These were a joint inspiration by APPJAG and PPL with the aim of trying to recognise people and categories that were not always on the roster of the Music Industry, like Jazz Education; Jazz Venue; Contribution to Jazz; Newcomer to Watch; Jazz Publication, etc.'

Parliamentary Jazz Award Winners 2008

L-R: Jay Phelps from Empirical, Danielle White for Dennis Rollins,
Kit Downes from Empirical, Jill Alexander of the Tithe Barn,
Liane Carroll, John Fordham, Helen Meyhew

Photo courtesy of Michael Connarty

'We ask for nominations from the public through jazz mags; late night jazz on Classic FM (and previously on theJazz), and a wide listening panel draw up a short list from those nominations. Our committee listens in advance, MPs visit venues, and then APPJAG meets and chooses the winners from the shortlists. The event normally takes place in May each year with live music, and a very professional schedule overseen by Paul Gambaccini whose attendance has been funded by PPL for the past three years.'

But the Group is involved in more than arranging the events described above. Michael Connarty explains:

'APPJAG has been engaged in the serious business of contributing to government policy, and even European Union policy on matters as diverse as the changes in the Licensing Laws; the funding for Jazz as a music genre; the need for more allocation of time on radio for jazz music, and the campaign to extend the payment time for auditory copyright from its present 50 years to at least 95 years.'

'Apart from meetings with organisations who wish to put their case to APPJAG members, APPJAG members have also undertaken meetings where we have had 'full and frank dialogue' with organisations such as OFCOM on radio licence allocations and the poor coverage of jazz music. Meetings have been held with ministers to which people from the music industry have put the case from the performers' point of view. Meetings have even been held in Brussels with Members of the EU Commission on copyright extension and publicity, and lobby meetings have been held to publicise the justice of the extension campaign in the UK parliament.'

It is possible that many people are unaware of the valuable work being done by APPJAG on behalf of jazz in the UK, and it is reassuring to know that the Group is active and working in support both of the music and of young musicians.

Ian Maund 2008

The Parliamentary Jazz Award Winners of 2008:

Jazz Musician of the Year: Liane Carroll
Jazz Broadcaster: Helen Mayhew
Jazz Venue: Tithe Barn, Needham, Norfolk
Jazz Educator: Dennis Rollins
Jazz Publication: Jazz UK
Jazz Journalist: John Fordham
Services to Jazz: Paul Pace (of Ray's Jazz)
Jazz CD: The Amadeus Project - Guy Barker
Jazz Ensemble - Empirical

For more about the awards click here.