WORLDWIDE FM

It is done! The Worldwide Awards 2020 has come to an end. For this year only, whilst London’s KOKO recovered from a rather hectic start to the new year, the Worldwide Awards became a five-day radio extravaganza hosted by Gilles Peterson and broadcast live from the Brownswood Basement. The switch from live-gig format resulted in fifteen hours of top-notch radio with live sessions, interviews, guest mixes, award-giving and great chat, all available to listen back to here.
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Day One: Track of the Year
Sampa The Great – ‘Final Form’
Zambia-born, Botswana-raised and Australia-based singer-songwriter’s most recent black power anthem, ‘Final Form’ (released on the 5th June 2019 alongside a music video) draws inspiration from her and producer/longtime collaborator Silentjay’s shared love for old school hip-hop. UK Jazz heads will remember Sampa from her collaboration with Steam Down, resulting in the track ‘Summer’ and festival appearances.

Sampa performed a live session with a nine-piece band (notable members include vocalist Naima Adams (Steam Down) and trombonist Nathaniel Cross (Zara MacFarlane, Theon Cross)) who would have raised the roof had we not been in a basement. Listen back to the show or watch the video below. here. Her session was complete with blaring horns, a gorgeous guest-vocal from Boadi and stellar musicianship all-round, Great by name and nature.

Having surpassed the likes of Charlotte Dos Santos, Swindle and Likwid Continual Space Motion (LCSM) in the public vote to win her prize, its safe to say that we can expect Sampa, who begins the year with a world tour, to flourish in 2020.

Day Two: Jazz Album of the Year
Ezra Collective – You Can’t Steal My Joy
Ezra Collective are often credited with playing an integral role in London’s jazz renaissance. Their combination of Afrobeat, dub, reggae and hip-hop beats have shared a sound that represents London’s youth at large – in a way which helped stimulate engagement in a scene previously confined to jazz clubs and conservatoires.

And so, their second album You Can’t Steal My Joy won Jazz Album of the Year. Ezra Collective had some stiff competition in the form of (their very own keyboardist) Joe Armon-Jones’ Turn To Clear View and Ashley Henry’s Beautiful Vinyl Hunter. Ashley Henry gave a fantastic session during the show with his trio.

After a light-shedding interview with Gilles Peterson focusing on Ezra Collective’s effect on the jazz scene, the new bands coming up behind them and the flourishing London jazz community, Ezra Collectives’ drummer Femi Koleoso gave a guest-mix on the theme of inspirations for You Can’t Steal My Joy. Listen to the whole show here.

Day Two: Session of the Year
The Midnight Hour
Day two also saw the presentation of Session of the Year to The Midnight Hour. The collaborative project of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed-Muhammad appeared on one of Gilles Peterson’s almost weekly curated sessions (which take place across the Brownswood Basement, Worldwide FM and the BBC) and came out on top as his favourite of 2019.

The session presented perfectly their refined combination of hip-hop and soul grooves, somnambulant string arrangements and nostalgic vibes which nod to Harlem of the 80s and 90s.

Day Three: John Peel Play More Jazz Award
Thomas De Pourquery
The prestigious John Peel “Play More Jazz” award is named in honour of the late DJ, radio presenter and record producer. Peel was one of the original pioneers of dub, electronic and dance music on British airways, paving the way for progressive DJs like Gilles Peterson. This year’s recipient, French jazz musician Thomas De Pourquery (sometimes credited under the pseudonym Von Pourquery), brought his boundless energy, colourful dress sense, well-groomed beard and intensely imaginative music to the Brownswood Basement (playing keys, saxophone and singing with the aid of a loop station and a kick-ass band) before an in-depth interview with Gilles Peterson, discussing his broad pool of musical influences and highly personal reaction to music.

Day Three: Album Of The Year
The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
Also on day three, the coveted Album of the Year (not to be confused with jazz album of the year) was awarded to The Comet Is Coming for their intriguingly-named album Trust In The Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery. Perhaps the most hotly contested award: the shortlist for Album of the Year also included Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz, Anderson.Paak and Flying Lotus.
This forty-five minute disc of glitchy, groove-based musical exploration showcases the experimental vibe of Shabaka Hutchings, Danalogue and BetaMax’s collaborative project. The album is described by the band as “the overcoming of fear; the embracing of chaos” and contains featured performances from (award-winning and seemingly omnipresent) poet Kate Tempest.

Much like the aforementioned Ezra Collective, The Comet Is Coming have been responsible for bringing their danceable jazz to diverse audiences, with this year’s tour schedule spanning eastern and western Europe, Scandinavia, Coachella Festival (US) and Larmer Tree Festival (UK). Listen to Day Three in full here.

Day Four: Label of the Year
International Anthem
This Chicago-born record company is home to Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Ben LaMar Gay, Angel Bat Dawid, Emma-Jean Thackray, Damon Locks, Makaya McCraven, most recently Alabaster DePlume and many more big players in the spiritual, experimental and progressive jazz movements.

This special show recorded at the Co-Prosperity Sphere in Chicago (a welcome rest for the Brownswood Basement crew) boasted visceral performances from Angel Bat Dawid and Tha Brotherhood, Makaya McCraven with Junius Paul, Jaimie Branch, Resavoir and Damon Locks/Black Monument Ensemble. Gilles Peterson expressed his excitement for the movement International Anthem is spearheading, likening its influence to Blue Note during the 1960s. Listen to the full show here.

Day Five: Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Greentea Peng
Also reaching second place in the Track of the Year vote with ‘Mr. Sun (miss da sun)’, Greentea Peng was awarded Breakthrough Artist of the Year on the final day of the Worldwide Awards 2020. Last year we saw the release of Greentea Peng’s second EP, Rising on Different Recordings/TENNNN – a consolidation of her effortless, offhand vocal style and refreshingly spacious, hip-hoppy production.

Considering Greentea Peng burst on to the scene just recently (her first releases date back to 2018) her musical direction is remarkably clear and coherent.
Greentea Peng delivered a live session in the Brownswood Basement with a six-piece band, a rare opportunity to hear her with (mostly) acoustic backing.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick

Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick is the driving force behind Incognito, a funk, latin and jazz-influenced outfit hi-jacking airwaves and concert venues since ’79. Existing for a short time alongside sister band Light Of The World, Incognito has gone through countless line-up changes but has always retained a big-band feel, as Bluey discussed with Gilles Peterson on receiving his reward.

Even in the relatively stripped-back band Bluey brought to play in the Brownswood Basement, the usual piano, guitar, bass and drums combo was joined by percussion, sax and flute. Bluey (playing guitar and singing) and his band gave a blistering session including a variety of tunes from his hefty back catalogue, including ‘Sunburn’.
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All of the Worldwide Awards shows are available to listen to through the WWFM website.

Party people, fear not! the Worldwide Awards will be back in its usual live-gig format at KOKO next year.