Jazz Grammy Winners 2013

As was the case two years ago, when Esperanza Spalding beat Justin Bieber for the Best New Artist Grammy Award, the big jazz win at the 2013 Grammy competition took place outside of the jazz field, with Robert Glasper’s Black Radio winning the top R & B album.

Glasper’s disc, which was chock full of guest vocalists including Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway and Lupe Fiasco, bested recordings by R. Kelly, Anthony Hamilton, Tyrese and Tamia.

Spalding remained in the Grammy’s good books, winning the Best Jazz Vocal Album award for Radio Music Society. This disc, along with Glasper’s, were 2012′s big jazz/R &B crossover recordings.

In other jazz Grammy news, Chick Corea once again took home more awards, this time for his Hot House duo disc with vibraphonist Gary Burton.

In the list below, the winners are bolded in their respective categories.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Cross Roads – Ravi Coltrane, soloist
Hot House – Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists
Alice In Wonderland – Chick Corea, soloist
J. Mac – Kenny Garrett, soloist
Ode – Brad Mehldau, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal AlbumSoul Shadows – Denise Donatelli
1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project – Kurt Elling
Live – Al Jarreau (and The Metropole Orkest)
The Book Of Chet – Luciana Souza
Radio Music Society – Esperanza Spalding

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Further Explorations – Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez & Paul Motian
Hot House – Chick Corea & Gary Burton
Seeds From The Underground – Kenny Garrett
Blue Moon – Ahmad Jamal
Unity Band – Pat Metheny Unity Band

Best Instrumental Jazz CompositionDecember Dream — Chuck Loeb
Mozart Goes Dancing — Chick Corea
Music of Ansel Adams: America — Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck
Overture Waltz and Rondo — Bill Cunliffe
Without A Paddle — Bill Holman

An overview of these compositions can be found here — Thanks, Curt’s Jazz Cafe Blog.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Centennial: Newly Discovered Works Of Gil Evans – Gil Evans Project
For The Moment – Bob Mintzer Big Band
Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You) – Arturo Sandoval

“If the disc of uncovered Evans masterworks doesn’t win, it will be a travesty,” I wrote last year when the nominations were announced. That disc did win for an award for instrumental arrangement, if not the award above.

Best Latin Jazz Album
Flamenco Sketches – Chano Domínguez
¡ritmo! – The Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band
Multiverse – Bobby Sanabria Big Band
Duos III – Luciana Souza
New Cuban Express – Manuel Valera New Cuban Express

                                          Esperanza Spalding 

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2013/02/10/congrats-to-2013s-jazzgrammy-winners/