February 2000

From the Inside Out
Archive

2 0 0 1 Joel Dorn Jack Costanzo Sammy Davis Jr. Miles Davis 2000 Rewind Jimmy Smith 2 0 0 0 Floating World/Talking Drum Requiem For A Heavyweight The Majesty of Ra Summer Photographs Arturo Sandoval Koko Taylor Jimmy McGriff Ubiquity Records Loving the Bomb AfriCaribbean Jazz Old Friends And New Discovering Cuba Grammy 2000 Never Can Say Goodbye 1 9 9 9 Livin La Musica Buena Jazz and Electronica California Dreamin' Continual Pulsation Five Decades of Prestige Summertime Blues Musical Adventures International Jazz Day Love Learns to Dance Quincy Jones

By Chris M. Slawecki

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences will present their 42nd annual Grammy Awards at 8:00pm (EST) on February 23 in a live broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Continuing another four-decade tradition, this ceremony will also cause at least some people to wonder just what the Grammys are supposed to mean.

Are the Grammys a popularity contest or an award for the pursuit of excellence? Does an award mean your music captures the times or is timeless? According to the NARAS charter, "It is truly a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions." Which just goes to show that music professionals aren’t any smarter than the rest of us, sometimes. You’d think that at least some of these "artists and technical professionals" would have deciphered that Milli and/or Vanilli never sang on their debut record (1988’s Best New Artist Award, subsequently revoked), concerned as they are with "artistic or technical achievement."

So perhaps it’s surprising that the Grammys seem to have treated jazz decently by recognizing many accomplishments in what is largely considered "un-popular" music. So some speech-making music, Maestro, and pass the envelopes please:

Best Contemporary Jazz Performance:
Russell Gunn: Ethnomusicology Volume I (Atlantic)
Tim Hagans: Animation / Imagination (Blue Note)
Bob James: Joy Ride (Warner Brothers)
David Sanborn: Inside (Elektra Entertainment)
Victor Wooten: Yin-Yang (Compass)

Addresses the instrumental performance, whether or not there are vocals, throughout an album. First awarded in 1991, various permutations of Pat Metheny Groups and Randy and Michael Brecker have claimed six of the first eight awards. This isn’t a bad group of nominees, although you wonder if James and Sanborn appeal to the same type of voter and they’ll cancel each other out. Aren’t they both more of the "Lifetime Achievement" type by now, anyway?

Best Jazz Vocal Performance:
Carla Cook: It's All About Love (Max Jazz)
Etta James: Heart Of A Woman (Private Music)
Diana Krall: When I Look In Your Eyes (Verve)
Dianne Reeves: Bridges (Blue Note)
Cassandra Wilson: Traveling Miles (Blue Note)

Awards the vocal performance through an entire album whether it’s solo, in duo or in bigger groups. Harry Connick Jr. received the past two honors, which broke a four-year run by Bobby McFerrin, and Mel Torme has also claimed his share. But this exceptionally strong crop completely shut the men out this year: Reeves and James recasting classics, Wilson revisiting classic Miles charts, Cook landing with a sparkling debut splash, and Krall simply glorying in love. Each of these has its merits.

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo:
Gary Burton, "Straight Up And Down," from Like Minds (by Burton, Corea, Metheny, Haynes & Holland) (Concord Jazz)
Chick Corea, "Wigwam," from Change (by Chick Corea & Origin) (Stretch / Concord)
Stefon Harris, "There Is No Greater Love," from Black Action Figure (Blue Note)
Chris Potter, "In Vogue," from Pink Elephant Magic (by Joanne Brackeen) (Arkadia Jazz)
Wayne Shorter, "In Walked Wayne," from Heroes (by J. J. Johnson) (Verve)

One of the purists’ plum prizes, this honors an individual’s instrumental performance whether or not it’s part of a band (multiple soloists on a single recording are also eligible as one entry). The list of past winners DOES sound like the Hall of Fame: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum.

Like Minds was a stunning achievement on many levels. But none were more stunning than its demonstration that expert soloists can craft an amazing unison sound and still make remarkable statements in their individual voices. Burton’s solo album Alone At Last won for this award in 1972; he won it last year with Chick Corea for "Rhumbata" from their duet album Native Sense. Like Minds should once more claim this award for Burton, and the award below too.

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group:
Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes & Dave Holland: Like Minds (Concord Jazz)
Chick Corea & Origin: Change (Stretch / Concord)
Branford Marsalis Quartet: Requiem (Columbia)
Brad Mehldau: Art Of The Trio 4 - Back At The Vanguard (Warner Brothers)
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Inner Voyage (Blue Note)

This is the award for instrumental albums only, and it has generally rewarded some fine, consistent music: Last year, Herbie Hancock’s Gershwin’s World, and Beyond The Missouri Sky from Pat Metheny & Charlie Haden the year before. This award also heralded Wynton’s coming out party, when he ran the 1985 – ’87 table with Black Codes From The Underground, J Mood and Marsalis Standard Time Volume 1.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance:
Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra: Far East Suite (Asian Improv)
The Bob Florence Limited Edition: Serendipity 18 (MAMA)
Tom Harrell: Time's Mirror (RCA Victor / BMG Classics)
Vince Mendoza: Epiphany (Zebra Acoustic)
Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-Star Orchestra: Inspiration (RCA Victor / BMG Classics)

Again, a generally reliable barometer of excellent albums by large ensembles and big bands. Previous winners include Miles’ final bow at Monteux with Quincy Jones and classic charts by Gil Evans and others (’93), and Joe Henderson’s big band Porgy & Bess homage in ’97, (although many observers felt that this was a makeup for slighting Henderson’s Big Band in ’93). Basie and Ellington have of course won their share; last year it went to Grover Mitchell directing The Count Basie Orchestra through the Ellingtonia of Count Plays Duke. Despite the historical perspective that it was met with disdain and incredulity, Bitches Brew also copped this for The Black Prince in 1970.

Best Latin Jazz Performance:
Al McKibbon: Tumbao Para Los Congueros Di Mi Vida (Blue Lady)
Bobby Rodriguez: LatinJazz Explosion (Latin Jazz Productions)
Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Cuban Quartet: Antiguo (Blue Note)
Poncho Sanchez: Latin Soul (Concord Picante)
Chucho Valdeés: Briyumba Palo Congo - Religion Of The Congo (Blue Note)

It’s hard to not pull for the first solo album by the 80-year-old McKibbon, who laid the foundation for Cal Tjader and has admirably supported other greats for six decades. Sanchez, with a live album of swinging funk, could also be the sentimental choice. Awarded for Latin Jazz albums since 1994.