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Beats & Pieces Big Band - European Young Artists' Jazz Award Winners 2011

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Efpi Records is proud to announce that the Beats & Pieces Big Band have been named as the winners of the 2011 Burghausen European Young Artists' Jazz Award. Their prize was a cheque for £ 15,000 and the honour of performing the opening concert of the 42nd Burghausen International Jazz Festival in Germany, taking to the stage before Chick Corea and Gary Burton in an event that was filmed and recorded for German national television and radio.

Ben Cottrell, the band's founder and musical director, said “Winning this award is a massive achievement, particularly when the other groups in the competition were so strong, and I'm really proud of all of the guys. The lineup for the rest of the festival is amazing so it was an honour to be a part of that, especially supporting Chick Corea and Gary Burton which was really exciting for us!"

During the competition on Tuesday 22nd March, Beats & Pieces were selected by a panel of German jazz producers, promoters and journalists from five finalists, the others hailing from Germany, Austria and Denmark—these five groups were drawn from over 60 initial applications from across Europe. The 2011 Burghausen International Jazz Festival runs across a week with a lineup including Joe Lovano, Kurt Elling, Dan Berglund and Helge Sunde's Ensemble Denada. Over its 42 years, the festival has hosted international jazz superstars such as Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Ella Fitzgerald and Esjborn Svensson.

The Beats & Pieces Big Band is grateful to the Musicians' Benevolent Fund, who generously supported this trip to Germany with an Ensembles and Groups Award.

The Beats & Pieces Big Band is a 14 piece contemporary jazz ensemble based in Manchester, UK. For more information, visit beatsnpieces.net or email Ben Cottrell at [email protected]—further information on the Burghausen festival and the award itself can be found at b-jazz.com

Efpi Records is an independent musician-run record label based in Manchester, UK, specialising in contemporary jazz, improvised and experimental music. Artists include the Beats & Pieces Big Band, HAQ, Aaargh! and Silence Blossoms—efpirecords.com

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