Charlie Anderson rounds up the latest jazz news.

Talented Portuguese guitarist and composer Vitor Pereira returns to The Verdict in Brighton on 17th November with a new album of material. He’s currently crowdfunding to raise money to tour the music around the UK.

Also appearing at The Verdict this month are the Mark Cherrie Quartet. The steel pan player is currently touring to promote his latest album Joining the Dots in a group that features John Donaldson, Mick Hutton and Eric Ford. The tour also includes appearances at the Fisherman’s Club in Eastbourne and FILO in Hastings.

The London Jazz Festival this month isn’t the only place to hear top American jazz players alongside some of the UK’s finest. Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th November sees a weekend of Americans at The Verdict. You can see US pianist Phil DeGreg with Alan Barnes on Saturday and US saxophonist Craig Handy with Ross Stanley on Sunday.

Drummer Spike Wells has a new website, www.spikewells.co.uk, which features some rare recordings of him performing with the likes of Bobby Wellins, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Stan Sulzmann and Mornington Lockett, together with a selection of his writing.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners of the Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Guitarist Shirley Tetteh, who appeared in Brighton recently at Jazz Re:Fest and with Jazz Jamaica All Stars, won the Jazz Newcomer award, whilst the Jazz Vocalist award went to Ian Shaw. Saxophonists Jean Toussaint and Denys Baptiste, who recently appeared at the Jazz In The Round Festival in Hastings, picked up the Jazz Education and Best Album awards respectively. Although South Coast Jazz Festival were nominated in the event/promoter category, the award went to Sheffield’s Jazz at the Lescar.

Barbican Music Library recently opened a new exhibition Women In Jazz: A Celebration of Past, Present and Future. The exhibition was opened by Baroness Amos (pictured, photo by Brian O'Connor) and draws on the resources of the National Jazz Archive, including photos, posters, journals, videos and other memorabilia.

Jazz South have recently launched their Platform South scheme to support jazz musicians from the Jazz South region, which includes Sussex. If you perform in a band with 2-10 musicians with a minimum of 18 months professional experience then you could qualify for funding. More details of the scheme are available on the Jazz South website with applications closing on 14th December, 2018.