A Blessing in disguise

4:25pm Wednesday 10th September 2008

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Some artists put them on the mantelpiece, some in the downstairs toilet and some hide them in a draw, but Get The Blessing use their music award as a doorstop.

The foursome, which include former Portishead members Clive Deamer and Jim Barr, picked up best album at this year’s BBC Jazz awards for their debut offering All Is Yes, ahead of the Courtney Pine produced Empirical album, and revealed they found the perfect use for the award.

“Most of the album came together fairly quickly but we have been together for quite a long time."

Trumpeter Pete Judge

“It means I can keep the door open in the studios now,” said trumpeter Pete Judge.

“It’s quite heavy actually and looks like a piece of kryptonite so Superman better stay away.”

“You only realise you have won in the few seconds just before you are dragged on stage kicking and screaming,” said Judge.

“Once I was up there I only remember thinking the award looks like one of those chilled lager pumps. Our speech was either just people rambling or jabbering rubbish.”

Barr however revealed the night did not go completely to plan.

He said: “There’s been some worrying signs of Alzheimers with me, most notably when me and the drummer Clive went up to Stansted to go to Bilbao at 5am to go to a festival and realised two miles from the airport we didn’t have our passports.

“A horrible 24 hours followed of getting later flights and gigging without any sleep, then the following week I forgot my bass on the way to the awards ceremony.”

Despite being together since 2000 the band only decided to record material for release in 2006, and are now beginning to work towards a follow up.

“Most of the album came together fairly quickly but we have been together for quite a long time,” said Judge.

“We were vaguely recording stuff without any real special effort to making a record until Candid came along and offered us the deal.”

“Hopefully the second one will take considerably shorter,” said Barr.

“I think it will be a progression on from there but in ways we haven’t yet discovered.”

Get The Blessing, Croydon Clocktower, September 19, 7:30pm, £12 (£9). Call 020 8253 1030 or visit croydonclocktower.org.uk.