News

The Changing Of The Jazz Guard

Hilton 55
Facebook Twitter Email
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

Since its inception, jazz has evolved through many manifestations. Historically, it has moved from swing to bebop to modal and beyond. Each of these evolutions were heralded by a "changing of the guard" — younger musicians taking it upon themselves to explore the intricacies of the genre, and in doing so, create new forms of expression.

Are there still artists who are pushing boundaries of what is "acceptable" in jazz today? Yes, and they're causing music lovers to reassess their perceptions about the genre.

If you follow jazz, you have likely heard of multitalented bassist/composer Esperanza Spalding. She became the first pure jazz artist to win the coveted Best New Artist award at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2011, besting contemporary acts Florence & The Machine, Drake, Mumford & Sons, and Justin Bieber. Her Best New Artist win arguably caused many to wonder who exactly Spalding is. Fortunately, her win piqued much interest, undoubtedly introducing many fans to her music and the genre.

Drummer and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington earned the first GRAMMY of her career in 2011 for Best Jazz Vocal Album for The Mosaic Project, which featured fellow female jazz artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sheila E., Dianne Reeves, and Spalding, and rising stars such as Gretchen Parlato and saxophonist Tineke Postma, among others.

In 2008 pianist Arturo O'Farrill paid tribute to his legendary father, Chico O'Farrill, with the album Song For Chico, which won a GRAMMY for Best Latin Jazz Album. It was the first GRAMMY win for O'Farrill and his then newly formed Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.

The GRAMMY Awards have continued to lift up jazz's newcomers, while celebrating its predecessors, and this year is no different. In the Best Improvised Jazz Solo category, there are three musicians vying for their first solo GRAMMY Award: pianist Brad Mehldau and saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and Kenny Garrett. In the Best Latin Jazz Album category, vocalist Luciana Souza and pianist Manuel Valera with his New Cuban Express band are in the running against veterans such as percussionist Bobby Sanabria, Latin GRAMMY-winning pianist Chano Domínguez and the Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band.

Looking forward, jazz is ripe with an array of up-and-coming artists who are perhaps ready to make their mark, including drummer Kendrick Scott, trumpeters Etienne Charles, Takuya Kuroda and Ingrid Jensen, bassist Avishai Cohen, guitarist Rez Abbasi, and trio the Bad Plus. But for now, with the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards just three weeks away, it will be exciting to see which new jazz artists will emerge and shine on Music's Biggest Night.

News

Jazz Is Strong For The 55th GRAMMYs

Hilton 55
Facebook Twitter Email
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

We now only have a little less than two months to ponder who will take home GRAMMY Awards in the Jazz Field before Music's Biggest Night takes place on Feb. 10.

One thing that could be certain is this being the year for GRAMMY-winning pianist Chick Corea. With an impressive 18 GRAMMYs to his credit, Corea garnered five more nominations this year, including two for Best Improvised Jazz Solo — "Alice In Wonderland" and "Hot House" with vibraphonist Gary Burton — and Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Further Explorations with Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian.

Rounding out the competition for Best Improvised Jazz Solo are saxophonist Ravi Coltrane ("Cross Roads"), pianist Brad Mehldau ("Ode") and saxophonist Kenny Garrett ("J. Mac").

It's a tough race for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Will it be Denise Donatelli's Soul Shadows, Kurt Elling's 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project, Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest's Live, Luciana Souza's The Book Of Chet, or Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society?

The Best Jazz Instrumental Album honor is up for grabs between five albums released by musicians who have been in the jazz game for a long time: Corea, Gomez and Motian's Further Explorations is competing against Corea and Burton's Hot House, Garrett's satisfying Seeds From The Underground, Ahmad Jamal's sublime Blue Moon, and Pat Metheny Unity Band's Unity Band.

Arguably one of the most significant jazz albums released in 2012 was Gil Evans Project's Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans, which is nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album along with Bob Mintzer Big Band's For The Moment and Arturo Sandoval's  Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You). The three nominated albums are very different but great examples of what big bands are creating these days.

The Best Latin Jazz Album award is back with five strong contenders: Chano Domínguez's Flamenco Sketches, the Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band's ¡Ritmo!, Bobby Sanabria Big Band's Multiverse, Souza's Duos III, and Manuel Valera New Cuban Express' New Cuban Express. Any of these albums would be worthy of winning a GRAMMY Award.

I can't wait to who will take home music's coveted prize in jazz at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10.

News

Exploring The Jazz Field Nominees

Facebook Twitter Email
Go inside the nominations in the Jazz Field categories for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

You've seen the list of nominees, now take a closer look at the artists nominated in the Jazz Field categories for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

This year's nominees in the Jazz Field include first-time nominations for new projects by GRAMMY winners Gil Evans and Pat Metheny, and first-time nominees Chano Domínguez, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian. Returning nominees looking for their first GRAMMY include Ravi Coltrane, Denise Donatelli and the Bobby Sanabria Big Band. Artists looking to add to their prior GRAMMY wins include Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling, Kenny Garrett, Al Jarreau, Arturo Sandoval, and Esperanza Spalding.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Ravi Coltrane, soloist, "Cross Roads"

Coltrane is up for one nomination this year. He has one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists, "Hot House"

Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Hot House

Burton is up for two nominations this year. He has 19 prior GRAMMY nominations and six wins. Corea is up for five nominations this year. He has 57 prior GRAMMY nominations and 19 wins, including those with his Return To Forever, Akoustic, Elektric, and Origin bands.

Chick Corea, soloist, "Alice In Wonderland" 

Concord Music Group 2013 Grammy Nominees

Corea is up for five nominations this year. He has 57 prior GRAMMY nominations and 19 wins, including those with his Return To Forever, Akoustic, Elektric, and Origin bands.

Kenny Garrett, soloist "J. Mac"

Kenny Garrett - Seeds From The Underground - backstory

Garrett is up for two nominations this year. He has five prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Brad Mehldau, soloist, "Ode"

Mehldau is up for one nomination this year. He has three prior GRAMMY nominations.

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Denise Donatelli, Soul Shadows

Denise Donatelli - "Soul Shadows" EPK

Donatelli is up for one nomination this year. She has one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Kurt Elling, 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project

Kurt Elling | 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project

Elling is up for one nomination this year. He has 10 prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Al Jarreau (And The Metropole Orkest), Live

Al Jarreau LIVE - with the Metropole Orkest

Jarreau is up for one nomination this year. He has 18 prior GRAMMY nominations and six wins.

Luciana Souza, The Book Of Chet

Luciana Souza - Duos III & The Book of Chet

Souza is up for two nominations this year. She has five prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Esperanza Spalding, Radio Music Society

Radio Music Society The Official Trailer

Spalding is up for three nominations this year. She has two prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez & Paul Motian, Further Explorations

Chick Corea - Further Explorations

Corea is up for five nominations this year. He has 57 prior GRAMMY nominations and 19 wins, including those with his Return To Forever, Akoustic, Elektric, and Origin bands. Gomez and Motian are up for one nomination each this year, marking the first GRAMMY nominations of their respective careers.

Chick Corea & Gary Burton, Hot House

Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Hot House

Corea is up for five nominations this year. He has 57 prior GRAMMY nominations and 19 wins, including those with his Return To Forever, Akoustic, Elektric, and Origin bands. Burton is up for two nominations this year. He has 19 prior GRAMMY nominations and six wins.

Kenny Garrett, Seeds From The Underground

Kenny Garrett - Seeds From The Underground teaser

Garrett is up for two nominations this year. He has five prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Ahmad Jamal, Blue Moon

Video Blue Moon - Ahmad Jamal

Jamal is up for one nomination this year. He has one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Pat Metheny Unity Band, Unity Band 

Pat Metheny Unity Band Preview

The Pat Metheny Unity Band are up for one nomination this year, marking their first career GRAMMY nomination. Metheny has 35 prior GRAMMY nominations and 19 wins, including those with the Pat Metheny Group.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Gil Evans Project, Centennial: Newly Discovered Works Of Gil Evans

watch%3Fv%3DSfx0AyuQxQM%3Flist%3DPLkwyQXTls4xf5xfNrgaB9vsuY_Yyc4n8E

The Gil Evans Project are up for one nomination this year, marking their first career GRAMMY nomination. Evans is up for two nominations as an arranger. He has 11 prior GRAMMY nominations and two wins.

Bob Mintzer Big Band, For The Moment

Bob Mintzer - Two Grammy Nominations for "For The Moment"

The Bob Mintzer Big Band are up for one nomination this year. They have one prior GRAMMY win. Mintzer is up for one additional nomination this year as an arranger. He has 14 prior GRAMMY nominations and one win, including those as part of Yellowjackets and Bob Mintzer Big Band.

Arturo Sandoval, Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You)

Arturo Sandoval - Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You)

Sandoval is up for one nomination this year. He has nine prior GRAMMY nominations and three wins, including those as part of Irakere.

Best Latin Jazz Album

Chano Domínguez, Flamenco Sketches

Domínguez is up for one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of his career.

The Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band, ¡Ritmo!

¡Ritmo! Grammy-winning album from Clare & Brent Fischer

The Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band is up for one nomination this year, marking their first career GRAMMY nomination. Fischer has 11 prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Bobby Sanabria Big Band, Multiverse

The Bobby Sanabria Big Band are up for one nomination this year. They have one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Luciana Souza, Duos III

Luciana Souza - Duos III & The Book of Chet

Souza is up for two nominations this year. She has five prior GRAMMY nominations and one win.

Manuel Valera New Cuban Express, New Cuban Express

"Upwards" by Manuel Valera and The New Cuban Express | Live at 92Y TriBeCa THE CHECKOUT LIVE

Manuel Valera New Cuban Express are up for one nomination this year, marking their first career GRAMMY nomination.

Who will take home the awards in the Jazz Field categories? Tune in to the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10, 2013, taking place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and airing live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

(Note: The videos embedded reflect official videos available through official artist and record label channels.)

News

All That Jazz And More!

Hilton
Facebook Twitter Email
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony (which can be viewed on demand now), was great fun, and there were moments that I'll remember forever.

Being in the presence of some of the most creative people that I have ever met was intoxicating. The vocalists, songwriters, musicians, recording engineers, and DJs all were abuzz with anticipation, apprehension and appreciation of all that was going on around them.

It was a good vibe.

It was very cool to me that many of the award presenters were from the jazz genre. We were honored with the presence of young pianist/composer Gerald Clayton, luminaries Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, Latin jazz pianist Arturo O'Farrill and last year's Best New Artist winner Esperanza Spalding.

The Rebirth Brass Band got the audience jumping with a rousing performance of their brand of New Orleans funk as they made their way up the aisle to the stage. It was a great segue into the Pre-Telecast segment that announced the winners in the Jazz Field categories.

The five nominees for Best Improvised Jazz Solo were all heavy-hitters and if it were possible, I'd want all of them to receive a trophy. But Corea's solo in the composition "500 Miles High" was well deserving of the honor. It was made even better by the fact that he was actually there to receive the award. For me, there's nothing like hearing the heartfelt acceptance speech from an artist that has just been acknowledged for their hard work.

I was thrilled when drummer Terri Lyne Carrington's The Mosaic Project was announced as the recipient of the Best Jazz Vocal Album. (To be nominated in this category, an album must have 51 percent vocals.) I had met Carrington at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception the day before and shared with her my enthusiasm for her latest release. The Mosaic Project was one of my favorite albums in 2011. Well done, Academy members.

Corea and Clarke made a second joint appearance to accept the trophy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Corea and Clarke teamed with drummer Lenny White for the Forever album. Most jazzheads would agree that Forever was a worthy recipient.

The last jazz category to be awarded was for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. It was exciting to be there and watch bassist Christian McBride win his third GRAMMY for The Good Feeling, his debut big-band effort on Mack Avenue Records.

It was all over way too soon. I can't wait to bring you all of the excitement of the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2013!

 

News

Jazz Celebrated At The GRAMMY Awards

Hilton 55
Facebook Twitter Email
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

This year marked another successful year for the annual GRAMMY Awards. The 55th GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony was held for the first time at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Congratulations to The Recording Academy for scoring such a great venue for the event!

Perhaps it was the change of scenery that made the energy of the audience this year so kinetic. The crowd was alive and crackling, and the theater was pulsating with more anticipation than ever before. The first jazz award of the day was presented to Chick Corea, who took home Best Improvised Jazz Solo for the second consecutive year. Corea shared the award with Gary Burton for the title song from Hot House, a project celebrating their 40th anniversary of making music together. As always, Corea was a gracious winner and it was great to see him present to accept the award with Burton.

The GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album went to Esperanza Spalding for Radio Music Society. Trumpeter Thara Memory, who has been Spalding's music teacher since she was 8 years old, accompanied her onstage. The pair received a GRAMMY for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for "City Of Roses" from Radio Music Society. They shared with the audience how special their collaboration was on this project.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album was accepted by ecstatic band leader Pat Metheny and bassist Ben Williams of the Pat Metheny Unity Band for the eponymously titled album. The award marked Metheny's 20th career GRAMMY win. Their joy and happiness were palpable.

There were three albums nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Centennial: Newly Discovered Works Of Gil Evans by Gil Evans Project, For The Moment by Bob Mintzer Big Band and Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You) by Arturo Sandoval. The award went to Sandoval, who was accompanied by co-producer Gregg Field onstage.

"I'm really glad that Chick Corea didn't make a big band record," joked Field, referring to Corea's near sweep of the Jazz Field as the audience erupted into laughter.

The final jazz category announced was Best Latin Jazz Album, which went to the Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band for ¡Ritmo! Brent Fischer, son of the late Clare Fischer, was there to receive the award. His acceptance speech was bittersweet as he shared with the audience that his father had passed away in 2012.

With another GRAMMY season in the books, I look forward to what the jazz community has in store for next year.