In 1996, when I was 11, I stayed up late to watch the Mercury Music Prize ceremony. Pulp, Oasis, and Manic Street Preachers were nominated, alongside the War Child Help compilation, which featured both Oasis and Manic Street Preachers and was obligatory to every CD shelf of the era. Back then scruffy, stand-offish guitar music was king, but the Mercurys always reserved one nomination for what the music press would term the ‘token jazz album’.’ I remember Pulp’s
Di›ferent Class, which I had on cassette and adored, being named the winner. Nowever, any memory I have of the band receiving their gong is clouded out by Courtney Pine’s performance of the 37th Chamber, from his album Modern Day Jazz Stories, the ‘token jazz’ selection that year. I can look back…
