Rising jazz star: Ewan Hastie in final of BBC Young Jazz Musician 2022
Rising jazz star: Ewan Hastie in final of BBC Young Jazz Musician 2022
Published: 17/11/2022
A Royal Conservatoire of Scotland bassist is in the final of one of the most prestigious competition in jazz.
Ewan Hastie, who is in his fourth year of a Bachelor of Music degree on the RCS Jazz programme, is one of five finalists in the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2022, which takes places on Saturday 19 November and broadcasts on BBC Four on the Sunday at 8pm.
The BBC Young Jazz Musician is a biennial award that celebrates the UK’s emerging jazz stars.
Ewan, 20, who studies under Mario Caribé, said: “Every time I pick up the double bass to play, it’s an opportunity. Playing double bass as a finalist at the BBC Jazz musician of the year is a GREAT opportunity!”
Professor Tommy Smith OBE, Head of Jazz at RCS, said: “Ewan Hastie is the best bass soloist I’ve heard at his age … ever!”
Presented this year by DJ Jamz Supernova, the BBC Young Jazz Musician is once again part of the EFG London Jazz Festival and takes place at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Joining Ewan in the final are pianists Luke Bacchus (21) and Nick Manz (20), guitarist Ralph Porrett (23) and saxophonist Emma Rawicz (20). Each will perform a solo set alongside one of the UK’s leading jazz trios, Nikki Yeoh’s Infinitum, with Mark Mondesir on drums, Michael Mondesir on electric bass and Nikki on piano.
Filmed in front of a live audience, the contest will be judged by a panel of leading jazz performers – award-winning singer Claire Martin, composer and pianist Bill Laurance, multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer Emma-Jean Thackray, and singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson.
Before the announcement of the winner, there will also be a special guest performance by the winner of BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020, pianist and rising star Deschanel Gordon.
Earlier this year, Ewan won the Mark McKergow Prize for Jazz Improvisation at the RCS Jazz awards.
