Saxophonist Josh Arcoleo announced as winner of first Kenny Wheeler Prize

Josh Arcoleo. Photo credit: Roger Thomas

Saxophonist Josh Arcoleo (above in the Kit Downes Sextet) has been awarded the first Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize at the Royal Academy of Music. The judges were Kenny Wheeler's long  term collaborator Evan Parker, Royal Academy of Music Head of Jazz Nick Smart, and Dave Stapleton from Edition Records.

The Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize is awarded to a musician graduating from the Royal Academy who can demonstrate: "excellence in both performance and composition." As part of the prize, Edition Records will be releasing his debut album.

Kenny Wheeler has written about the prize:

“I have always felt strongly about supporting the next generation of young jazz musicians and it gives me great pleasure to set up this prize in my name. My friends and colleagues at the Academy have been producing such amazing players in recent years that I am sure the winner of the prize will go on to make their mark in the jazz world, and who knows, I might even get to play with them myself!”