Piano players hit right note

Music

South Australia's top jazz students and graduates of the Elder Conservatorium of Music have been recognised at the 2008 Jazz Awards.

$6000 in awards was presented to eight outstanding musicians from the Elder Conservatorium of Music jazz program at the University of Adelaide.

The inaugural $2000 Hyatt Regency Award for the Most Outstanding Honours Graduate was awarded to talented pianist Brendan Lim.

Another pianist, Matthew Sheens, received the $1000 Adelaide City Council Award for the Most Outstanding Undergraduate.

Individual undergraduate awards were presented to:

• Sam Cagney (guitar) - Keith Langley Jazz Guitar Award $500;
  
• Alana Dawes (bass) - Keith Langley Jazz Bass Award $500;
  
• Brenton Foster (piano) - Tommy Norman Jazz Award $500;
  
• Benjamin Harrison (saxophone) - dB Magazine Award $500;
  
• Nick Pietsch (trombone) - Mitzi's Prize $500
  
• Joel Prime (drums) - Billy Hyde Award $500 voucher.

For the first time since the Jazz Awards were first presented in 1997, the event was held at the Hyatt Regency Adelaide in a cabaret setting.

The award winners presented an entertaining evening of jazz, featuring a set with leading American alto saxophonist Jon Gordon.

The 2008 Jazz Awards were sponsored by the Hyatt Regency Adelaide, Adelaide City Council, dB Magazine, Billy Hyde Music, Tommy Norman Scholarship, Keith Langley and Mitzi Craig.

The Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide is a Helpmann Academy partner school.