Jazz, soul and blues musicians nominated at the 2020 Grammy’s: Video, Photos

The nominations are out for the 62nd Grammy Awards including a number of jazz, soul and blues artists on the list…

Gary Clark Jr. has picked up four nominations for his album ‘This Land’, a politically charged project actively calling out racism in modern America. Bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding is nominated in the best arrangement category and her album ‘12 Little Spells’ is up for best jazz vocal album, where she’s alongside Jazzmeia Horn, Catherine Russell, Sara Gazarek and Tierney Sutton. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis and bassist Christian McBride are both up for best improvised jazz solo and best jazz instrumental album, they’re up against Joey DeFrancesco, Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman. Chick Corea is nominated for best Latin Jazz album and Britain’s own Jacob Collier has two nominations this time for his arrangements on the current Djesse album, and finally ‘Birth of the Cool’ – the recent Miles Davis documentary – is up for best music film.

The highlighted list of jazz, soul and blues nominees is as follows:

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
•    ANCESTRAL RECALL – Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
•    STAR PEOPLE NATION – Theo Croker
•    BEAT MUSIC! BEAT MUSIC! BEAT MUSIC! – Mark Guiliana
•    ELEVATE – Lettuce
•    METTAVOLUTION – Rodrigo y Gabriela

Best Traditional R&B Performance
•    TIME TODAY – BJ The Chicago Kid
•    STEADY LOVE – India.Arie
•    JEROME – Lizzo
•    REAL GAMES – Lucky Daye
•    BUILT FOR LOVE – PJ Morton Featuring Jazmine Sullivan

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
•    ELSEWHERE – Melissa Aldana, soloist
•    SOZINHO – Randy Brecker, soloist
•    TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION – Julian Lage, soloist
•    THE WINDUP – Branford Marsalis, soloist
•    SIGHTSEEING – Christian McBride, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album
•    THIRSTY GHOST – Sara Gazarek
•    LOVE & LIBERATION – Jazzmeia Horn
•    ALONE TOGETHER – Catherine Russell
•    12 LITTLE SPELLS – Esperanza Spalding
•    SCREENPLAY – The Tierney Sutton Band

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
•    IN THE KEY OF THE UNIVERSE – Joey DeFrancesco
•    THE SECRET BETWEEN THE SHADOW AND THE SOUL – Branford Marsalis Quartet
•    CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S NEW JAWN – Christian McBride
•    FINDING GABRIEL – Brad Mehldau
•    COME WHAT MAY – Joshua Redman Quartet

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
•    TRIPLE HELIX – Anat Cohen Tentet
•    DANCER IN NOWHERE – Miho Hazama
•    HIDING OUT – Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra
•    THE OMNI-AMERICAN BOOK CLUB – Brian Lynch Big Band
•    ONE DAY WONDER – Terraza Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album
•    ANTIDOTE – Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band
•    SORTE!: MUSIC BY JOHN FINBURY – Thalma de Freitas With Vitor Gonçalves, John Patitucci, Chico Pinheiro, Rogerio Boccato & Duduka Da Fonseca
•    UNA NOCHE CON RUBÉN BLADES – Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis & Rubén Blades
•    CARIB – David Sánchez
•    SONERO: THE MUSIC OF ISMAEL RIVERA – Miguel Zenón

Best Contemporary Blues Album
•    THIS LAND – Gary Clark Jr.
•    VENOM & FAITH – Larkin Poe
•    BRIGHTER DAYS – Robert Randolph & The Family Band
•    SOMEBODY SAVE ME – Sugaray Rayford
•    KEEP ON – Southern Avenue

Best World Music Album
•    GECE – Altin Gün
•    WHAT HEAT – Bokanté & Metropole Orkest Conducted By Jules Buckley
•    AFRICAN GIANT – Burna Boy
•    FANM D’AYITI – Nathalie Joachim With Spektral Quartet
•    CELIA – Angelique Kidjo

Best Instrumental Composition
•    BEGIN AGAIN – Fred Hersch, composer (Fred Hersch & The WDR Big Band Conducted By Vince Mendoza)
•    CRUCIBLE FOR CRISIS – Brian Lynch, composer (Brian Lynch Big Band)
•    LOVE, A BEAUTIFUL FORCE – Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)
•    STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE SYMPHONIC SUITE – John Williams, composer (John Williams)
•    WALKIN’ FUNNY – Christian McBride, composer (Christian McBride)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
•    BLUE SKIES – Kris Bowers, arranger (Kris Bowers)
•    HEDWIG’S THEME – John Williams, arranger (Anne-Sophie Mutter & John Williams)
•    LA NOVENA – Emilio Solla, arranger (Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra)
•    LOVE, A BEAUTIFUL FORCE – Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)
•    MOON RIVER – Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
•    ALL NIGHT LONG – Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest)
•    JOLENE – Geoff Keezer, arranger (Sara Gazarek)
•    MARRY ME A LITTLE – Cyrille Aimée & Diego Figueiredo, arrangers (Cyrille Aimée)
•    OVER THE RAINBOW – Vince Mendoza, arranger (Trisha Yearwood)
•    12 LITTLE SPELLS (THORACIC SPINE) – Esperanza Spalding, arranger (Esperanza Spalding)

Best Music Video
•    THIS LAND – Gary Clark Jr.
Savanah Leaf, video director; Jason Cole, Danielle Hinde & Alicia Martinez, video producers

Best Music Film
•    BIRTH OF THE COOL – (Miles Davis)
Stanley Nelson, video director; Nicole London, video producer