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Editor, Andrew Bartlett
Best Contemporary Jazz Album Winner: 
OutboundBela Fleck & The Flecktones Banjo maestro Bela Fleck wins listeners with whatever he touches. Outbound features his electric jazz-fusion combo the Flecktones (as opposed to his more rootsy acoustic bandmates on albums such as The Bluegrass Sessions). Fleck and his 'Tones do a fine job here, and this award recognizes Bela's versatility and staying power. Our Pick: 
Here's
The DealLiquid Soul If the Best Contemporary Jazz Album award was looking to predict the future direction of jazz, it would end up with Liquid Soul's acid jazz/funk throwdown Here's the Deal, which wins a tug-of-war with Tim Hagans and Bob Belden's dance-club tempered Re-Animation: Live! Liquid Soul has their fingers on the dance-floor pulse and jams thoroughly. Best Jazz Vocal Album Winner: 
In
The Moment: Live In Concert [LIVE]Dianne Reeves Dianne Reeves commands the same jazz terrain that Sarah Vaughan made her own; that is, Reeves easily crosses from jazz to pop and stops at many points in between, just as Vaughan did. Consider In the Moment's mix: Jobim, Mongo Santamaria, Cat Stevens, and Cole Porter, among others. As she receives this Grammy, Reeves is riding high on an apt new CD, The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan. Our Pick: 
Live
At Yoshi's [LIVE]Dee Dee Bridgewater For every genre-stretching step in Diane Reeves's repertoire, Dee Dee Bridgewater has a more streamlined, rock-solid answer. Of course, they're terrifically different singers. Bridgewater's Live at Yoshi's is a sleek, rocking set that puts her agile chops to the test. The good news? She sounds better than ever. Best Jazz Instrumental Solo Winner: 
Trio
99-00Pat Metheny Trio "(Go) Get It": Here's why guitarist Pat Metheny won in 2000: because Trio 99-00 wasn't just a CD. The band, with drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Larry Grenadier, was a road-tested unit that followed their studio album with a great two-CD concert set, Trio Live, that showed incredible rapport. "(Go) Get It" is a track that will wow Metheny's fusion fans as well as anyone who has a fondness for (or fanatical devotion to) jazz guitar. Our Pick: Metheny's prior attempts at recording trios were big creative successes, but none of them led to as rich a group-oriented interplay as the 99-00 trio's. Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual, or Group Winner: 
Contemporary
JazzBranford Marsalis Quartet With Contemporary Jazz, Branford Marsalis focused on a straight-ahead acoustic jazz quartet session that's at once ambitious, easy to love, and relaxed. Pianist Joey Calderazzo sounds great here, as does Branford, who blows lyrically and wildly without ever indulging one muse too much. Our Pick: 
Prime
DirectiveDave Holland Quintet As much as Contemporary Jazz is a deserving session, bassist Dave Holland's Prime Directive is an even more deserving nominee. Holland's band intermingles straight-up jamming with a melodic inventiveness whose range recalls that of Charles Mingus. Holland's resonant bass and saxophonist Chris Potter's boundless talents, joined with vibist Steve Nelson's colorful additions, help make Prime Directive a should-have-won. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Winner: 
52nd
Street ThemesJoe Lovano Nonet Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano's tribute to the bebop era centers around Tadd Dameron, with whom Lovano's father and the album's prime arranger, Willie "Face" Smith, both played. He vigorously runs down these tunes, never hurrying to deconstruct them, but honoring them, and then showing how flexible they can be with his killer nine-piece band. Our Pick: 
CulminationSam Rivers, Rivbea All-Star... No matter how great Lovano is in any given year, he's not likely to eclipse the unflagging, tireless genius of Sam Rivers. The version of Rivers's long-standing RivBea Orchestra on Culmination adds the name All-Star to denote just how many giants are in the sprawling band. The tunes are spiky, funky, swirling works of incredible depth. Best Latin Jazz Album Winner: 
Live
At The Village Vanguard [LIVE]Jesus "Chucho" Valdes Chucho Valdes is a whirlwind pianist. His torrential intensity on the piano is fully suited to the music on this live set. The percussion that underscores Valdes's prancing, jumping piano adds a rumble that makes this a Cuban delight. As an arranger, Valdes brings several Caribbean standards to the fore here, always painting them in the most intensely fun colors possible. Our Pick: Valdes is perfect for the task at hand here. He's a brilliant synthesizer who can bring Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk to bear on the bustling sounds of Cuba. We've come to expect a certain sound from the Cuban music movement, and Valdes adds generously to the tradition. Best Instrumental Arrangement Winner: 
Corea
Concerto [LIVE]Chick Corea "Spain for Sextet & Orchestra": Chick Corea and his sextet play here alongside a richly arranged orchestral accompaniment. The CD heralds Corea's return to the acoustic jazz stage and it delights with energy and feeling and sprawls with ambition. Our Pick: 
Nice
WorkDanish Radio Jazz Orchestra "Nice Work if You Can Get It": Here's a case where semistandard jazz practice should've won more accolades. Pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader Jim McNeely's work on Gershwin's "Nice Work if You Can Get It" (and throughout Nice Work) is simply stunning. He's Ellingtonian in using the band as an instrument and adds colors to Gershwin's chestnut that aren't even in other arrangers' crayon boxes. Miscellaneous Jazz Winners Awards: Best Boxed Recording Package & Best Album Notes 
The
Complete Columbia Recordings [BOX SET]Miles Davis, John Coltrane It's about time we got around to a full accounting of the fruits of Miles Davis and John Coltrane's collaborations outside Kind of Blue. The Complete Columbia Recordings wins here for Best Boxed Recording Package and Best Album Notes and is the clear winner in both categories. The bookbinding and deep-red slipcase are absolute winners, and the notes are comprehensive and compelling. Award: Best Historical Album 
The
Complete Hot Five... [BOX SET]Louis Armstrong Columbia Records's Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings isn't necessarily the definitive audio version of Louis Armstrong's nonpareil Jazz Age classics. But this presentation of the tunes makes the set worthy of its award. The book is outstanding, and the music is some of the century's best--an obvious choice in the Historical Album category. Award: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance 
A
Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan LinsCole, et al "She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa)" by Sting: It seems strange to celebrate Sting from a jazz perspective in the Grammys, but consider this: the track Sting was awarded for comes from the celebrated tribute to Brazilian pop-jazz songwriter Ivan Lins. Sting helps cement the case for Lins as his generation's closest thing to Antonio Carlos Jobim. All Grammy Winners  So
after all the hype and big-name performances, did the 43rd annual Grammy
Awards live up to your expectations? Check out all the nominees and winners
on our Grammys page.
Complete list of Grammy nominees and winners
Fresh Latin Jazz Digital Downloads Try Before You Buy: Free Downloads! |
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