Exploring Jazz Music One Musician at a Time

The GRAMMY nominations trickled out all day long yesterday from The Recording Academy. You will find not only the "official" Jazz categories listed below. I have included others such as "Best Arrangement - Instruments and Vocals" that jazz artists are also in the running for a GRAMMY - ten categories total. Congratulations to ALL of the nominees!!

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

"Wild Heart" - Mindi Abair [Label: Heads Up International]

"Slam Dunk" - Gerald Albright [Label: Heads Up International]

"Nathan East" - Nathan East [Label: Yamaha Entertainment Group]

"Jazz Funk Soul" - Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb, Everette Harp [Label: Shanachie]

"Bass & Mandolin" - Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer [Label: Nonesuch]

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

"The Eye Of The Hurricane" - Kenny Barron, soloist [Track from: "Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio" (Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio)] Label: Whaling City Sound

"Fingerprints" - Chick Corea, soloist [Track from: "Trilogy" (Chick Corea Trio)] Label: Concord Jazz

"You & The Night & The Music" - Fred Hersch, soloist [Track from: "Floating" (Fred Hersch Trio)] Label: Palmetto Records

"Recorda Me" - Joe Lovano, soloist [Track from: "The Latin Side Of Joe Henderson" (Conrad Herwig Featuring Joe Lovano)] Label: Half Note

"Sleeping Giant" - Brad Mehldau, soloist [Track from: "Mehliana: Taming The Dragon" (Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana)] Label: Nonesuch

Best Jazz Vocal Album

"Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro" - (Billy Childs) Various Artists [Label: Masterworks]

"I Wanna Be Evil" - René Marie [Label: Motema Music]

"Live In NYC" - Gretchen Parlato [Label: Obliqsound]

"Beautiful Life" - Dianne Reeves [Label: Concord Records]

"Paris Sessions" - Tierney Sutton [Label: BFM Jazz]

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

"Landmarks" - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band [Label: Blue Note Records]

"Trilogy" - Chick Corea Trio [Label: Concord Jazz]

"Floating" - Fred Hersch Trio [Label: Palmetto Records]

"Enjoy The View" - Bobby Hutcherson, David Sanborn, Joey DeFrancesco Featuring Billy Hart [Label: Blue Note Records]

"All Rise: A Joyful Elegy For Fats Waller" - Jason Moran [Label: Blue Note Records]

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

"The L.A. Treasures Project" - The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra [Label: Capri Records, Ltd.]

"Life In The Bubble" - Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band [Label: Telarc International]

"Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project" - Rufus Reid [Label: Motema Music]

"Live: I Hear The Sound" - Archie Shepp Attica Blues Orchestra [Label: ArchieBall]

"OverTime: Music Of Bob Brookmeyer" - The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra [Label: Planet Arts Recordings]

Best Latin Jazz Album

"The Latin Side Of Joe Henderson" - Conrad Herwig Featuring Joe Lovano [Label: Half Note]

"The Pedrito Martinez Group" - The Pedrito Martinez Group [Label: Motema Music]

"The Offense Of The Drum" - Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Label: Motema]

"Second Half" - Emilio Solla Y La Inestable De Brooklyn [Label: Emilio Solla Music]

"New Throned King" - Yosvany Terry [Label: 5Passion]

Best Instrumental Composition

"The Book Thief" - John Williams, composer (John Williams) [Track from: "The Book Thief Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"] Label: Sony Classical, Fox Music; Publisher: Fox Film Music Corp.

"Last Train To Sanity" - Stanley Clarke, composer (The Stanley Clarke Band) [Track from: "Up"] Label: Mack Avenue Records; Publisher: Roxboro Music Publishing

"Life In The Bubble" - Gordon Goodwin, composer (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band) [Track from: "Life In The Bubble"] Label: Telarc International; Publisher: Wingood Music Productions, Inc.

"Recognition" - Rufus Reid, composer (Rufus Reid) [Track from: "Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project"] Label: Motema Music; Publisher: Myriad Ltd.

"Tarnation"- Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile, composers (Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer) [Track from: "Bass & Mandolin"] Label: Nonesuch

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

"Beautiful Dreamer" - Pete McGuinness, arranger (The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra) [Track from: "Strength In Numbers"] Label: Summit Records

"Daft Punk" - Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstie Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix) [Track from: "PTX, Vol. 2"] Label: RCA Records

"Get Smart" - Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band) [Track from: "Life In The Bubble"] Label: Telarc International

"Guantanamera" - Alfredo Rodríguez, arranger (Alfredo Rodríguez) [Track from: "The Invasion Parade"] Label: Mack Avenue Records

"Moon River" - Chris Walden, arranger (Amy Dickson) [Track from: "A Summer Place"] Label: Sony Classical

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

"All My Tomorrows" - Jeremy Fox, arranger (Jeremy Fox Featuring Kate McGarry) [Track from: "With Love: Arrangements For Some Of My Favorite Singers"] Label: Jazzbill Records

"Goodnight America" - Vince Mendoza, arranger (Mary Chapin Carpenter) [Track from: "Songs From The Movie"] Label: Rounder

"New York Tendaberry" - Billy Childs, arranger (Billy Childs Featuring Renée Fleming & Yo-Yo Ma) [Track from: "Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro"] Label: Masterworks

"Party Rockers" - Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band) [Track from: "Life In The Bubble"] Label: Telarc International

"What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" - Pete McGuinness, arranger (The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra) [Track from: "Strength In Numbers"] Label: Summit Records

Best Album Notes

"Happy: The 1920 Rainbo Orchestra Sides" - David Sager, album notes writer (Isham Jones Rainbo Orchestra) [Label: Archeophone Records]

"I'm Just Like You: Sly's Stone Flower 1969-70" - Alec Palao, album notes writer (Various Artists) [Label: Light In The Attic Records]

"Offering: Live At Temple University" - Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (John Coltrane) [Label: Resonance/Impulse]

"The Other Side Of Bakersfield: 1950s & 60s Boppers And Rockers From 'Nashville West'" - Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Various Artists) [Label: Bear Family]

"Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound" - Jon Kirby, album notes writer (Various Artists) [Label: The Numero Group]

"The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27)" - Scott Blackwood, album notes writer (Various Artists) [Label: Third Man Records/Revenant Records]

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