The 44th Annual Grammy Awards, the American music industry's highest honor, will be presented February 27 during a live worldwide telecast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Here are this year's nominees in jazz.
Saxophonist Bill Evans has been on the rise since his first solo release in 1984. Having performed with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin and Mick Jagger, Evans went on to record more than a dozen albums as a leader, including the Grammy-nominated Soul Insider.
Fifty-two-year-old Bill Evans, who plays tenor, alto and baritone sax, wrote, arranged and produced all 11 tracks on Soul Insider, including the tune "Cool Eddie."
Evans' competition for this year's Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category is trumpeter Russell Gunn for Ethnomusicology, Volume 2; bassist Marcus Miller for M2 (M "squared"); guitarist Mike Stern for Voices and Dennis Chambers, Tony MacAlpine, Brian Auger and Bunny Brunel for Cab 2.
The nominees for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group are Stefon Harris and Jacky Terrasson for Kindred; guitarist Pat Martino for Live At Yoshi's; sax veteran Sonny Rollins for This Is What I Do; Roy Haynes with Dave Holland, Roy Hargrove, Dave Kikoski and Kenny Garrett for Birds Of A Feather: A Tribute To Charlie Parker; and the Dave Holland Quintet for Not For Nuthin'.
British-born Dave Holland plays piano, guitar and cello but he's best known as a world-class bassist. He recorded with Miles Davis and Chick Corea before releasing a series of acclaimed solo albums for ECM Records. Featured on "Billows Of Rhythm" from Holland's Grammy-nominated album Not For Nothin' are Robin Eubanks on trombone, Chris Potter on sax, Steve Nelson on vibraphone, Billy Kilson on drums and Dave Holland on double-bass.
The Grammy nominees for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo are pianist Kenny Barron and violinist Regina Carter for "Fragile;" trumpeter Terence Blanchard for "Lost In A Fog;" saxophonist Michael Brecker for "Chan's Song;" vibraphonist Gary Burton for "Move;" and guitarist Pat Martino for "All Blues."
Shirley Horn, singing "The Best Is Yet To Come," is one of five contenders for Best Jazz Vocal Album You're My Thrill. The Washington, D.C. native won her first Grammy Award in 1998 for her tribute to Miles Davis called I Remember Miles. You're My Thrill earned Horn her eighth straight Grammy nomination in a category that includes singers Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Diane Reeves and Karrin Allyson.
Trumpeter Nicholas Payton is nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for his tribute to Louis Armstrong, Dear Louis. Like Armstrong, Payton was born in the "birthplace of jazz" New Orleans, Louisiana. The album includes new arrangements of "Satchmo's" best-known recordings, including the Armstrong favorite "Mack The Knife." Also nominated in this category, Rob McConnell Tentet, Jim McNeely Tentet, Bob Mintzer Big Band, Eliane Elias, and Bob Brookmeyer and The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra.
The 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony takes place in Los Angeles, California on February 27. The telecast will be available to a worldwide audience estimated at more than 1.7 billion viewers in 175 countries.