The Jazz Page will  publish a new review every week in the Raves section. Sometimes the product reviewed will be current, while at other times we will be profiling a release that we think is noteworthy enough to bring it to your attention, even if it is not of recent vintage.

The Faves section is devoted to the great jazz older and some times more recent vintage that are our favorite jazz recordings of all-time.

We’ll be adding material to Conversations section of the site soon. This part of the site is dedicated to recorded interview with jazz artists. You’ll be able to listen to them on the site or you’ll be able to download these podcasts in MP3 form for listening whenever and however it’s convenient for you. 

The point of this site is touting music we like, not trashing music we don’t like as much, so to paraphrase the tagline of the site, if it’s here, we think it’s worth adding to your collection.

Below are the nominees for Grammy Awards in the Jazz categories, with some commentaries from us in highlights

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Urbanus
Stefon Harris & Blackout
[Concord Jazz]
Nice pick. We like it.

Sounding Point
Julian Lage
[Emarcy/Decca]
We hear much good. Have his CD and will review soon.

At World’s Edge
Philippe Saisse
[E1 Music]
Also a good pick

Big Neighborhood
Mike Stern
[Heads Up International]
Never got a chance to hear this one. Though we like Mike.

75
Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate
[Heads Up International]
Probably the sentimental favorite in this category

Best Jazz Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

No Regrets
Randy Crawford (& Joe Sample)
[PRA Records]

Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
Kurt Elling
[Concord Jazz]
This man is so overdue for a Grammy he should have a half dozen by now and yet this would be his first.

So In Love
Roberta Gambarini
[Groovin' High/Emarcy]
Love her voice. A Real Pro.

Tide
Luciana Souza
[Verve]
Love her work as well. Though we didn’t get a chance to review this CD

Desire
Tierney Sutton (Band)
[Telarc Jazz]
Tierney’s always a solid performer.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)


Dancin’ 4 Chicken
Terence Blanchard, soloist
Track from: Watts (Jeff “Tain” Watts)
[Dark Key Music]

All Of You
Gerald Clayton, soloist
Track from: Two-Shade
[ArtistShare]

Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey
Roy Hargrove, soloist
Track from: Emergence
[Groovin' High/Emarcy]

On Green Dolphin Street
Martial Solal, soloist
Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard
[CamJazz]

Villa Palmeras
Miguel Zenn, soloist
Track from: Esta Plena
[Marsalis Music]

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Quartet Live
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez
[Concord Jazz]
I hear this one all the time. Great quartet

Brother To Brother
Clayton Brothers
[ArtistShare]


Five Peace Band — Live
Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band
[Concord Records]


Remembrance
John Patitucci Trio
[Concord Jazz]

The Bright Mississippi
Allen Toussaint
[Nonesuch]
Probably should win the award.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)


Legendary
Bob Florence Limited Edition
[MAMA Records]
Bob is extremely prolific

Eternal Interlude
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble
[Sunnyside]


Fun Time
Sammy Nestico And The SWR Big Band
[Hnssler Classic]

Book One
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
[World Village]


Lab 2009
University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band
[North Texas Jazz]


Best Latin Jazz Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Things I Wanted To Do
Chembo Corniel
[Chemboro Records]

urea
Geoffrey Keezer
[ArtistShare]

Brazilliance X 4
Claudio Roditi
[Resonance Records]
Very likely winner
Juntos Para Siempre
Bebo Valdes And Chucho Valdes
[Sony Music/Calle 54]

Esta Plena
Miguel Zenon
[Marsalis Music]

Solid recording. Well deserved.
Best Instrumental Composition
(A Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.)


Borat In Syracuse
Paquito D’Rivera, composer (Paquito D’Rivera Quintet)
Track from: Jazz-Clazz
[Timba Records]

Counting To Infinity
Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band)
Track from: Dialmentia
[Origin Records]


Fluffy
Bob Florence, composer (Bob Florence Limited Edition)
Track from: Legendary
[MAMA Records]

Ice-Nine
Steve Wiest, composer (University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band)
Track from: Lab 2009
[North Texas Jazz]

These guys are always worth a listen.
Married Life (From Up)
Michael Giacchino, composer (Michael Giacchino)
Track from: Up Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]

Best Instrumental Arrangement
(An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)


Emmanuel
Jeremy Lubbock, arranger (Chris Botti & Lucia Micarelli)
Track from: In Boston
[Columbia]

Hope
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Jim Beard With Vince Mendoza & The Metropole Orchestra)
Track from: Revolutions
[Sunny Side Records]
Vince Mendoza is a good pick here.

Slings And Arrows
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Chuck Owen & The Jazz Surge)
Track from: The Comet’s Tail: Performing The Compositions Of Michael Brecker
[MAMA Records]
And here.
Up With End Credits (From Up)
Michael Giacchino, arranger (Michael Giacchino)
Track from: Up Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]


West Side Story Medley
Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band)
Track from: Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute To Oscar Peterson
[Resonance Records]




Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
(An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
Tough category to pick. Every nominee in this group produced incredible music.

A Change Is Gonna Come
David Foster & Jerry Hey, arrangers (Seal)
Track from: Soul
[143/Warner Bros.]
It’s David Foster. Tough to bet against.

Dedicated To You
Laurence Hobgood, arranger (Kurt Elling)
Track from: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
[Concord Jazz]
Hobgood is so unrecognized. We hope he gets the award here for a great record.

In The Still Of The Night
Thomas Zink, arranger (Anne Walsh)
Track from: Pretty World
[AtoZink Music]




My One And Only Thrill
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Melody Gardot)
Track from: My One And Only Thrill
[Verve]
Mendoza’s arrangements on this record made it top notch


Quiet Nights
Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall)
Track from: Quiet Nights
[Verve]
It’s Claus Ogerman. Can you bet against him?