The jury of the VPRO/Boy Edgar Prijs 2011 has decided to award the prize to

FERDINAND POVEL, TENOR SAXOPHONIST, TEACHER

The VPRO/Boy Edgar Prijs is awarded annually to an instrumentalist, composer, arranger or band leader in the area of jazz and improvised music who has distinguished him/herself for a longer period of time by his/her active, initiating and above all original role.

The jury awards this year’s VPRO/Boy Edgar Prijs to a musician who has been performing as an instrumentalist at the highest level for over forty years. Both at home and abroad many agree that Ferdinand Povel is an excellent saxophonist. Povel is a sophisticated stylist combining an appealing, broad sound with a flowing, melodious soloing manner.  His improvisations are clearly structured and accessible without losing their sense of adventure. Povel is an inventive musician who has shown himself capable of performing at the highest level, with undiminished zest and enthusiasm within the framework of hardbop. A remarkable number of good young saxophonists were inspired and taught by Povel.

His qualities haven’t gone unnoticed abroad either. The list of musicians with whom Povel has performed reads like a regular who’s who in jazz: Dexter Gordon, Sarah Vaughan, Philly Joe Jones, Maynard Ferguson, Kenny Clarke, George Gruntz, Tete Montoliu, Woody Shaw, Jimmy Knepper;  and in the Netherlands: Boy Edgar, Frans Elsen, John Engels, Wim Overgaauw, Cees Slinger, Piet Noordijk and Rob Madna.

In addition to Povel’s ability to make virtuoso playing sound completely natural and imitable, the jury values his artistic integrity in particular. In his long career Povel never opted for easy commercial success. Because of his devotion and serious conception of his task as a musician he has remained a mainstay in jazz over the years. Since his natural modesty never allowed him to take centre stage, it sometimes seemed as if Povel had all but disappeared from view. All this time he has been working steadily, however, honing his craft and extending his abilities as a musician, for which he has received precious little distinction so far.

On behalf of the jury of the VPRO/Boy Edgar Prijs 2011,
Ruud van Dijk    Mischa Andriessen
chairman            secretary