WARRINGTON’S gift to the modern jazz scene, former Culcheth High School pupil Chelsea Carmichael, has won the title “Breakthrough Act of the Year” in the annual Jazz FM Awards.
Tenor saxophonist Chelsea Carmichael picked up the award at a star-studded presentation night in London.
Big name artists who also appeared in the awards list included Jools Holland (Impact Award) and singer Norma Winstone (Lifetime Achievement Award)).
Chelsea was brought up in Culcheth and originally aspired to play the violin.
But she eventually developed a taste for jazz and persuaded her Dad, Winston, to buy her a saxophone. The rest is history.
After playing in the Culcheth High School Big Band and the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, Chelsea moved to London where she is now well-known on the jazz circuit.
She currently plays in a number of groups, including the popular Outlooks Orchestra and her own Chelsea Carmichael Ensemble, which sold-out Ronnie Scott’s Club with their tribute to John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” album on its 60th anniversary.
