France’s Académie du Jazz (Academy of Jazz) presented its annual awards in Paris on January 22. Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen and British saxophonist Andy Sheppard were among this year’s winners.
Cohen received the Grand Prix de l’Académie for Best Record of the Year for his album Into the Silence.
Sheppard received the academy’s European Musician Prize, given for “work and recent activities.” His recent activities have included tours with his own quartet as well as his ongoing collaboration with pianist and composer Carla Bley and bassist Steve Swallow, with whom he released Andando el Tiempo in 2016.
Another big award winner on the night was pianist Fred Narden, who received the Prix Django Reinhardt for French musician of the year.
The Award for Best Reissue or Best Unreleased record went to Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra’s All My Yesterdays, The Debut 1966 – Recordings at the Village Vanguard.
Feature image courtesy the artist/Ziv Ravitz