DEBORAH JOY DICKINSON 17th MAY 1957 – 1st MARCH 2019
We announce with very heavy hearts the death of Debbie Dickinson. She was a close personal friend, our ’Seventh Sister’ in The Guest Stars and a great supporter of Blow the Fuse. We knew Debbie for nearly 40 years. From the days of the Sisterhood of Spit, Sunday nights at the Kings Head, and as the manager of The Guest Stars she toured the world with us. She was a strong, brave, funny and intrepid woman who was greatly loved by all of us and who will be sadly missed by the larger jazz community, her partner Lorraine and her friends, colleagues and students at City University. Feeling your warmth and seeing you smiling on us still….we miss you.
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ARQ have won ‘Jazz Ensemble of the Year’ in the 2018 APPJAG Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2018. Other nominees were Dinosaur, Ezra Collective and Beats & Pieces Big Band.
Thank you to everyone who voted for us, it’s an honour given the wonderful groups also shortlisted.
ARQ topped the Peoples vote at the British Jazz Awards where Alison Rayner was also runner up for Bass Player of the year.
This year Blow the Fuse celebrate 30 years. Started in 1989 by musicians and composers Deirdre Cartwright and Alison Rayner who were members of the internationally acclaimed jazz group The Guest Stars, BTF have played a crucial role in raising awareness about women jazz musicians and importantly giving them support, a space and opportunity to perform in times which have sometimes been very challenging.