2019 Grammy Nominations – Jazz, Soul and Blues categories

The nominations are out for the 2019 Grammy Awards, including categories for jazz, soul, R&B, blues, American roots music and production. Among the big names this year are Tony Bennett and Diana Krall for their recent duets album ‘Love is Here to Stay’, they’re up against Willie Nelson, Seal and Gregory Porter for his ‘Nat King Cole and Me’ project in the best vocal jazz album category.

Lalah Hathaway is nominated three times – for best R&B performance, best traditional R&B performance and best R&B album, while Jazz FM’s own Marcus Miller is up for best contemporary instrumental album; he’s up against Steve Gadd, Simon Phillips, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah and Julian Lage. 

Meanwhile, the hotley contested vocal jazz category contains Kurt Elling, Freddy Cole, Kate McGarry, Raul Midon and last year’s winner Cecile McLorin Salvant. Arranger Vince Mendoza clocks up three nominations for his work with both Raul Midon and Gregory Porter, while Netflix’s Quincy Jones documentary, produced by his daughter Rashida is up for best music film.

Here’s the full list of jazz, soul and blues nominees:

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

•    LOVE IS HERE TO STAY
Tony Bennett & Diana Krall

•    MY WAY
Willie Nelson

•    NAT "KING" COLE & ME
Gregory Porter

•    STANDARDS (DELUXE)
Seal

•    THE MUSIC...THE MEM'RIES...THE MAGIC!
Barbra Streisand

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

•    THE EMANCIPATION PROCRASTINATION
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

•    STEVE GADD BAND
Steve Gadd Band

•    MODERN LORE
Julian Lage

•    LAID BLACK
Marcus Miller

•    PROTOCOL 4
Simon Phillips

Best Jazz Vocal Album

•    MY MOOD IS YOU
Freddy Cole

•    THE QUESTIONS
Kurt Elling

•    THE SUBJECT TONIGHT IS LOVE
Kate McGarry With Keith Ganz & Gary Versace

•    IF YOU REALLY WANT
Raul Midón With The Metropole Orkest Conducted By Vince Mendoza

•    THE WINDOW
Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

•    DIAMOND CUT
Tia Fuller

•    LIVE IN EUROPE
Fred Hersch Trio

•    SEYMOUR READS THE CONSTITUTION!
Brad Mehldau Trio

•    STILL DREAMING
Joshua Redman, Ron Miles, Scott Colley & Brian Blade

•    EMANON
The Wayne Shorter Quartet

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

ALL ABOUT THAT BASIE
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart

•    AMERICAN DREAMERS: VOICES OF HOPE, MUSIC OF FREEDOM
John Daversa Big Band Featuring DACA Artists

•    PRESENCE
Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band

•    ALL CAN WORK
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble

•    BAREFOOT DANCES AND OTHER VISIONS
Jim McNeely & The Frankfurt Radio Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album

•    HEART OF BRAZIL
Eddie Daniels

•    BACK TO THE SUNSET
Dafnis Prieto Big Band

•    WEST SIDE STORY REIMAGINED
Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band

•    CINQUE
Elio Villafranca

•    YO SOY LA TRADICIÓN
Miguel Zenón Featuring Spektral Quartet

Best R&B Performance

•    LONG AS I LIVE
Toni Braxton

•    SUMMER
The Carters

•    Y O Y
Lalah Hathaway

•    BEST PART
H.E.R. Featuring Daniel Caesar

•    FIRST BEGAN
PJ Morton

Best Traditional R&B Performance

•    BET AIN'T WORTH THE HAND
Leon Bridges

•    DON'T FALL APART ON ME TONIGHT
Bettye LaVette

•    HONEST
MAJOR.

•    HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
PJ Morton Featuring Yebba

•    MADE FOR LOVE
Charlie Wilson Featuring Lalah Hathaway

Best Urban Contemporary Album

•    EVERYTHING IS LOVE
The Carters

•    THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Chloe x Halle

•    CHRIS DAVE AND THE DRUMHEDZ
Chris Dave And The Drumhedz

•    WAR & LEISURE
Miguel

•    VENTRILOQUISM
Meshell Ndegeocello

Best R&B Album

•    SEX & CIGARETTES
Toni Braxton

•    GOOD THING
Leon Bridges

•    HONESTLY
Lalah Hathaway

•    H.E.R.
H.E.R.

•    GUMBO UNPLUGGED (LIVE)
PJ Morton

Best American Roots Performance

•    KICK ROCKS
Sean Ardoin

•    SAINT JAMES INFIRMARY BLUES
Jon Batiste

•    THE JOKE
Brandi Carlile

•    ALL ON MY MIND
Anderson East

•    LAST MAN STANDING
Willie Nelson

Best Traditional Blues Album

•    SOMETHING SMELLS FUNKY 'ROUND HERE
Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio

•    BENTON COUNTY RELIC
Cedric Burnside

•    THE BLUES IS ALIVE AND WELL
Buddy Guy

•    NO MERCY IN THIS LAND
Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite

•    DON'T YOU FEEL MY LEG (THE NAUGHTY BAWDY BLUES OF BLUE LU BARKER)
Maria Muldaur

Best Contemporary Blues Album

•    PLEASE DON'T BE DEAD
Fantastic Negrito

•    HERE IN BABYLON
Teresa James And The Rhythm Tramps

•    CRY NO MORE
Danielle Nicole

•    OUT OF THE BLUES
Boz Scaggs

•    VICTOR WAINWRIGHT AND THE TRAIN
Victor Wainwright And The Train

Best Instrumental Composition

•    BLUT UND BODEN (BLOOD AND SOIL)
Terence Blanchard, composer (Terence Blanchard)

•    CHRYSALIS
Jeremy Kittel, composer (Kittel & Co.)

•    INFINITY WAR
Alan Silverstri, composer (Alan Silvestri)

•    MINE MISSION
John Powell & John Williams, composers (John Powell & John Williams)

•    THE SHAPE OF WATER
Alexandre Desplat, composer (Alexandre Desplat)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

•    IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
Matt Rollings & Kristin Wilkinson, arrangers (Willie Nelson)

•    JOLENE
Dan Pugach & Nicole Zuraitis, arrangers (Dan Pugach)

•    MONA LISA
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Gregory Porter)

•    NIÑA
Gonzalo Grau, arranger (Magos Herrera & Brooklyn Rider)

•    SPIDERMAN THEME
Randy Waldman, arranger (Randy Waldman Featuring Take 6 & Chris Potter)

Best World Music Album

•    DERAN
Bombino

•    FENFO
Fatoumata Diawara

•    BLACK TIMES
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

•    FREEDOM
Soweto Gospel Choir

•    THE LOST SONGS OF WORLD WAR II
Yiddish Glory

Best Music Film

•    LIFE IN 12 BARS
Eric Clapton

•    WHITNEY
Whitney Houston

•    QUINCY
Quincy Jones

•    ITZHAK
Itzhak Perlman

•    THE KING
Elvis Presley