JAZZ AT THE GRAMMYS - 2010

Though the jazz category did not make the main telecast, fans were able to check out pre-show action on the web. This year's winners included a number of musicians who perform regularly at the Blue Note like Kurt Elling, Terence Blanchard and Chick Corea, who will be at the Blue Note as a special guest of Roy Haynes on his 85th Birthday (March 19 - 20) and for two weeks in May in a leading role with trio members Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian in Further Explorations of Bill Evans (May 4-9 and May 11 - 16). Congrats to all the 2010 winners!

Grammy Winners 2010: Jazz

= winner

Field 10 -- Jazz

Category 44

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

• Urbanus
  Stefon Harris & Blackout
  [Concord Jazz]
• Sounding Point
  Julian Lage
  [Emarcy/Decca]
  
• At World's Edge
  Philippe Saisse
  [E1 Music]
  
• Big Neighborhood
  Mike Stern
  [Heads Up International]
• 75
  Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate
  [Heads Up International]
  

Category 45

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]
• So In Love
  Roberta Gambarini
  [Groovin' High/Emarcy]
  

• Tide
  Luciana Souza
  [Verve]
  
• Desire
  Tierney Sutton (Band)
  [Telarc Jazz]
  

Category 46

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 Zenon, soloist
  Track from: Esta Plena
  [Marsalis Music]
  

Category 47

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]
  
• 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]
  

Category 48

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]
  
• 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]

Category 49

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]
  
• Juntos Para Siempre
  Bebo Valdes And Chucho Valdes
  [Sony Music/Calle 54]
  
• Esta Plena
  Miguel Zenon
  [Marsalis Music]

Category 84

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]
  
• Married Life (From Up)
  Michael Giacchino, composer (Michael Giacchino)
  Track from: Up Soundtrack
  [Walt Disney Records]

Category 85

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]
  

• 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]
  
• 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]
  

Category 86

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

• A Change Is Gonna Come
  David Foster & Jerry Hey, arrangers (Seal)
  Track from: Soul
  [143/Warner Bros.]
  
• Dedicated To You
  Laurence Hobgood, arranger (Kurt Elling)
  Track from: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
  [Concord Jazz]
  
• 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]
  
• Quiet Nights
  Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall)
  Track from: Quiet Nights
  [Verve]

Field 23 Album Notes

Category 89

Best Album Notes

• The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946)
  Dan Morgenstern, album notes writer (Louis Armstrong)
  [Mosaic Records]
  
• Dance-O-Mania: Harry Yerkes And The Dawn Of The Jazz Age, 19191923
  Mark Berresford, album notes writer (The Happy Six)
  [Rivermont Records]
  
• Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Music From The Film
  Douglas Brinkley & Johnny Depp, album notes writers (Various Artists)
  [Legacy Recordings]
  
• My Dusty Road
  Ed Cray & Bill Nowlin, album notes writers (Woody Guthrie)
  [Rounder]
  
• Origins Of The Red Hot Mama, 19101922
  Lloyd Ecker & Susan Ecker, album notes writers (Sophie Tucker)
  [Archeophone Records]
  

Category 109

Best Long Form Music Video
(For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.)

• In Boston
  Chris Botti
  Jim Gable, video director; Bobby Colomby, video producer
  [Columbia]
  
• Johnny Cash's America
  (Johnny Cash)
  Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville, video directors; Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville, video producers
  [Columbia/Legacy]
  
• Anita O'Day The Life Of A Jazz Singer
  (Anita O'Day)
  Robbie Cavolina & Ian McCrudden, video directors; Robbie Cavolina, Melissa Davis & Ian McCrudden, video producers
  [AOD Productions]
  
• Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy World Tour Live
  Keith Urban
  Chris Hicky, video director; Blake Morrison, video producer
  [Capitol Nashville]
  
• The Beatles Love All Together Now
  (Various Artists)
  Adrian Wills, video director; Martin Bolduc & Jonathan Clyde, video producers
  [Apple/Capitol]

Conrad Herwig's Latin Side All Star Band: Intensity On A Cold City Night

Conrad Herwig's Latin Side All Star Band: Intensity On A Cold City Night

Great review of Conrad Herwig's Latin Side band from their show on Jan. 11 - check it out!

VILLAGE VOICE 2009 JAZZ CRITICS POLL RELEASED - HALF NOTE MAKES TOP 50!

The Village Voice's annual Jazz Critics Poll for 2009 was released. The Blue Note's in-house record label, Half Note Records, has two records in the top 50 for album of the year:

16. Charles Tolliver Big Band, Emperor March (Half Note) 55 (7)

49. James Carter–John Medeski–Christian McBride–Adam Rogers–Joey Baron, Heaven on Earth (Half Note) 22 (3)

Congrats Half Note - look for more top releases in 2010.

For the complete list of VV's Jazz Critics Poll winners, including album of the year, reissue of the year, best debut and more, CLICK HERE

ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO THE WINTER LATIN JAZZ FESTIVAL FEATURING DAVE VALENTIN WITH CANDIDO, ARTURO SANDOVAL, GATO BARBIERI & PONCHO SANCHEZ!

Cold weather got you down? Come warm up at the Blue Note's Winter Latin Jazz Festival featuring Dave Valentin with Candido (Jan. 19 - 20), Arturo Sandoval (Jan. 21 - 24), Gato Barbieri (Jan. 25 - 27) and Poncho Sanchez (Jan. 28 - 31). The Blue Note will be offering a limited number of free ticket pairs to see any one of these artists, excluding Friday and Saturday during both weeks.

Tickets will be awarded via email by noon on the day of the show, so make sure you check your email to see if you are a winner, and follow the instructions below:

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net
2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - " followed by the name of the artist you would like to see.
3. Indicate which night/date and set you would like tickets for.

Remember - this giveaway is only available for the following dates: January 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31!

MARK O'CONNOR, JOHN PATITUCCI & JULIAN LAGE TRIO PROFILED ON WNYC - LISTEN HERE!

LISTEN HERE!



WATCH HERE!

JOE SAMPLE AT THE BLUE NOTE THIS WEEK

Joe Sample is back this week with his Trio - should be a fantastic run of concerts. Here's a little bit of Joe with his trio and George Benson to get you started on the right foot...for more you'll just have to come down to the club to check out the show!

MARK O'CONNOR PROFILED IN TODAY'S WALL ST. JOURNAL - TO APPEAR WITH NEW TRIO ft. JOHN PATITUCCI & JULIAN LAGE Jan. 7 - 9

A Violinist Fluent in Many Vernaculars

By JIM FUSILLI

New York

None of this classical music in one corner, bluegrass in another, jazz in yet a third for the violinist and composer Mark O'Connor. It's all part of a whole in which different musical styles are blended naturally by and for the open-minded.

Consider his recent recordings, all available on his OMAC label: his composition "Americana Symphony," performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; "Mark O'Connor String Quartets No.'s 2 & 3"; "Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio Live in New York"; his "Double Violin Concerto" with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra; and his "Folk Mass" recorded with the 40-voice Gloriae Dei Cantores choir. In April, the 48-year-old Mr. O'Connor will issue a dazzling live recording, "Jam Session," featuring Bryan Sutton, Frank Vignola and Chris Thile, among others. This week, he's playing at the Blue Note here with bassist John Patitucci and guitarist Julian Lage.

Another project is his new, two-book "The O'Connor Violin Method." Subtitled "A New American School of String Playing," it's a guide for string teachers and violin students based on the development of technique through exposure to a variety of string music from every region in the U.S. Beginners move through African-American hoedowns, minstrel-show music, hymns, spirituals, folk songs, boogie-woogie and O'Connor compositions before turning to sea shanties, fiddle tunes and ragtime, as well as French-Canadian jigs, Scottish and Irish reels, Mexican mariachi and ranchera ballads, and movements from Antonín Dvořák's America-influenced Ninth Symphony. The method evolved from Mr. O'Connor's experiences at his string camps, where young players are introduced to classical, jazz and world music together with what he calls folk fiddling. (See www.markoconnor.com for information on this year's camps.)

When we met at his apartment here, Mr. O'Connor told me he came late to the violin. "I picked it up very late—at age 11. All my classical training was on guitar: reading, technique, form. Then I dived right into the world of fiddling and jazz."

His first violin teacher, Barbara Lamb, "was a hybrid too, a classical violinist who was learning to play bluegrass and country fiddle," Mr. O'Connor recalled. As he built his technical foundation as a violinist, his playing became informed by what he called "the language of American music."

Mr. O'Connor's unorthodox training continued with his mentors, Benny Thomasson, who "almost single-handedly invented a folk system with Texas-style or contest fiddling," Mr. O'Connor said, and Stéphane Grappelli, who "revolutionized and popularized the jazz violin." He says he's the only musician who was mentored by both.

In 1993, Mr. O'Connor recorded "Heroes," an album on which he plays with violinists ranging from country fiddlers Vassar Clements and Texas Shorty to classical music's Pinchas Zukerman and India's eclectic L. Shankar. For the listener, the album is a celebration of the instrument's versatility. For Mr. O'Connor, it was a revelation.

"These guys didn't know each other. I was introducing my heroes to each other," he said. "I thought it was a big moment for violin playing. The unknowing was holding some of these people back."

Prior to the sessions, Mr. Zukerman visited Mr. O'Connor in Nashville. "I asked him, 'Have you ever heard of L. Shankar?' I put his music on. His mouth dropped. He was in shock. He said, 'L. Shankar, East India . . . I must ask Zubin Mehta about this.' I thought, 'Oh my gosh. This is going to open up whole new avenues for fiddle music.'"

Mr. O'Connor's zigzag path to a satisfying career may seem an impractical model for young players, but he disagrees. "People used to say Mark O'Connor is unique; it can't be duplicated; it's not very viable. But if we take the model of training that encompasses American music, classical, jazz and world music, and implement it with proper technique, it's completely viable."

He believes early exposure to American music will help encourage more of it in concert settings. "If we can get 15-year-old classical students to swing, we're onto something. But there's not been enough music composed and developed that would encompass both of those things." He cites Béla Bartók, Dvořák and Astor Piazzolla as precedents for composers who infused classical composition with indigenous folk traditions to create synthesized forms. Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Charles Ives employed American folk traditions in their work. Mr. O'Connor said, "The door was being opened, but it never fully swung open all the way."

Mr. O'Connor spent a week in December as an artist-in-residence at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, teaching master classes by day and preparing for what would be a joyous and illuminating concert with well more than 100 young musicians on stage playing country, bluegrass, blues and jazz as well as Mr. O'Connor's compositions that embrace all those forms. At a master class I attended, he began his instruction with a 400-year-old African-American hoedown, "Boil 'em Cabbage Down"—it's the first lesson in his method books too—and built on it until it was a darting, complex piece. He played a piece of fiddle music by William Hamilton Stepp that appears note for note as the "Hoedown" in Copland's "Rodeo." At the concert at the Berklee Performance Center, an audience member with a less democratic view of music than Mr. O'Connor and the Berklee students, graduates and faculty of its new American Roots Music program might have sat there and thought, "Oh, that's swing. Wait, that's Stephen Foster. Hold on, that's Dvořák. Isn't that Grappelli's Hot Club? Now that's bluegrass." But very quickly, it all became one rich stream of American music.

"It wouldn't surprise me if in 20 years we had a host of composers who knew the whole vernacular of American music," said Mr. O'Connor, who will be responsible if his prediction comes true.

Mr. Fusilli is the Journal's rock and pop music critic. Email him at jfusilli@wsj.com or follow him on Twitter: @wsjrock.