Jazz Afternoon at the Grammys

The most exciting part of the “biggest night in music” happens in the afternoon, when artists in jazz and other categories are recognized for their work.  The envelope please.

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Gregory Porter was the odds-on favorite to take the jazz vocal category.  His solid performance throughout “Take Me To The Alley” was among the most played on KUVO airwaves.  His message after receiving the gramophone trophy: “Keep spreading love. No love dying.” (LA Times)

One of the jazz vocal Grammy nominees and Denver favorite Rene Marie will be in town at Dazzle Jazz February 21-22.  She’s certain to present material from “The Sound of Red,” and perhaps her 2014 Grammy nominated tribute to Eartha Kitt, “I Wanna Be Evil.”

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: John Scofield, “Country for Old Men.”  Scofield also won Best Improvised Jazz Solo for guitar work on one of the tracks, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”

Respected composer and big band leader Ted Nash had a very good night, taking home two Grammy awards, for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album “Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom,” and Best Instrumental Composition for one of its tracks “Spoken at Midnight.”

Best Latin Jazz Album winner was Chucho Valdés, “Tribute to Irakere: Live in Marciac.”  The French audience, well captured on this project was enthusiastic and in rhythm.

The soundtrack to “Miles Ahead” won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, and compilation producers Steve Berkowitz, Don Cheadle and Robert Glasper were delighted.  (Berkowitz was also part of the team that won Best Historical Album).

One of a handful of “roots” performances to make it to the prime time evening show from The Staples Center was the duet with Gary Clark, Jr. with William Bell, who won a Grammy for Best Americana Album: “This is Where I Live.”  Their performance of “Born Under a Bad Sign” was a highlight of the otherwise glitzy TV event.

Other blues winners:

Best Traditional Blues Album: Bobby Rush, “Porcupine Meat.”

Best Contemporary Blues Album: Fantastic Negrito, “The Last Days of Oakland.”  (He won an NPR “Tiny Desk” competition in 2015.)

Another solid performance was by country artist Sturgill Simpson, backed up by the Dap-Kings formidable horn section.  Dwight Yoakum paid tribute to the late Sharon Jones, who died in 2016.  (See the performance)

Also of note: Best Album Notes: Ken Bloom and Richard Carlin, for “Sissle And Blake Sing Shuffle Along.”

And keep an eye on 22-year old Londoner Jacob Collier, who is best known for his multi-instrument, multi-screen YouTube performances.  Certainly not core jazz, but not far from it either.  He won both Best Arrangement categories: Instrumental or A Cappella (for “You and I”) and Instruments and Vocals (for “Flintstones”).

Record executive and now president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Neil Portnow took his time on stage to advocate for the arts and arts education:

“We are constantly reminded about the things that divide us. Race, region and religion. Gender, sexual orientation, political party. But what we need so desperately are more reminders of all that binds us together – our shared history, our common values and our dedication to build for ourselves a more perfect union.

“Behind the extraordinary artists you’ve seen here on our stage are hundreds of thousands of unsung musicians, songwriters, producers and engineers – American creators – whose jobs suffer from outdated rules and regulations, some going back 100 years.

“So, the Recording Academy, together with America’s music makers, call on the President and Congress to help keep the music playing by updating music laws, protecting music education and renewing America’s commitment to the arts. It’s our collective responsibility to preserve what binds us – and to ensure that the whole world continues to benefit from one of our most unique, economically and spiritually important assets and exports: American music.