LJC Community Conversations are designed to explore major ideas in the Latin Jazz world together as a community and inspire conversation through comments. My main motivator here is my belief that LJC readers hold a great deal of knowledge and passion around Latin Jazz, and I think that we can learn something from everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned Latin Jazz performer or a newcomer to the music, leave a comment and let your voice be heard!
The Grammy Awards always seem to get my goat - here’s my take on the latest Latin Grammys...
I’ve maintained a hot-cold relationship with the Grammys over the years; although my opinions have leaned heavily in one direction, I’ve never been able to stay purely pro or con. The Grammy Foundation wields a lot of power - the music that they endorse gets a major promotional boost among the general public. This could be a good thing, but I’ve generally felt that the albums and artists that they choose to promote haven’t quite shown musical excellence. Last year’s selection of Herbie Hancock’s album River: The Joni Letters as Album of the Year was a step in the right direction. At the same time, it felt a little contrived - a careful move that was meant to demonstrate diversification at a time when ratings were starting to fade. The organization does some fantastic educational outreach programs for young musicians, which always counts as a plus. There’s a wealth of good and bad, but I just can’t seem to get past the organization’s years of promoting bad music.
Last year I created the Best of 2007 awards to provide an insider’s view of a Latin Jazz listener’s favorite albums; it was quite an educational experience for me. I loved watching the votes pile up in each category - it seemed like Latin Jazz fans were finally having their say about the music that we love. At the same time, I noticed that many of the albums or artists that I considered to be “slam-dunks” in their categories were being quickly passed by other nominees. Some artists spread the word through their website, blogs, newsletters, and more; as a result, their fans came to LJC in droves. This was a good thing - Latin Jazz artists garnered some extra promotion, LJC received a lot of attention, and artists made a connection with their fans. The artists that didn’t actively spread the word (some of whom I considered “slam-dunks”) fell behind in the polls. The final results looked a bit different than I imagined them, and all of a sudden I had a little closer understanding of the Grammys. It was a serious self-reflection that I’ll carry into the LJC Best of 2008 Awards and one that I though I would carry into this year’s Grammy nominations.
The Grammy Awards always seem to get my goat - here’s my take on the latest Latin Grammys...
I’ve maintained a hot-cold relationship with the Grammys over the years; although my opinions have leaned heavily in one direction, I’ve never been able to stay purely pro or con. The Grammy Foundation wields a lot of power - the music that they endorse gets a major promotional boost among the general public. This could be a good thing, but I’ve generally felt that the albums and artists that they choose to promote haven’t quite shown musical excellence. Last year’s selection of Herbie Hancock’s album River: The Joni Letters as Album of the Year was a step in the right direction. At the same time, it felt a little contrived - a careful move that was meant to demonstrate diversification at a time when ratings were starting to fade. The organization does some fantastic educational outreach programs for young musicians, which always counts as a plus. There’s a wealth of good and bad, but I just can’t seem to get past the organization’s years of promoting bad music.
Last year I created the Best of 2007 awards to provide an insider’s view of a Latin Jazz listener’s favorite albums; it was quite an educational experience for me. I loved watching the votes pile up in each category - it seemed like Latin Jazz fans were finally having their say about the music that we love. At the same time, I noticed that many of the albums or artists that I considered to be “slam-dunks” in their categories were being quickly passed by other nominees. Some artists spread the word through their website, blogs, newsletters, and more; as a result, their fans came to LJC in droves. This was a good thing - Latin Jazz artists garnered some extra promotion, LJC received a lot of attention, and artists made a connection with their fans. The artists that didn’t actively spread the word (some of whom I considered “slam-dunks”) fell behind in the polls. The final results looked a bit different than I imagined them, and all of a sudden I had a little closer understanding of the Grammys. It was a serious self-reflection that I’ll carry into the LJC Best of 2008 Awards and one that I though I would carry into this year’s Grammy nominations.
