Grammy Nominations: Jazz, Soul and Blues

Jazz, soul and blues music is well represented at the 59th Grammy Awards, due to be held in Los Angeles on 12th February 2017 and hosted by British entertainer James Corden.

The nominations announced today (6th December) have honoured a diverse range of music across its 84 catagories. Lalah Hathaway has gained two nominations for her live album; John Beasley is featured for his ‘Monk’estra’ project (paying tribute to Thelonious Monk) including Best Large Jazz Ensemble and Best Arrangement; while 22-year old British multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier has also been recognised for his arrangement skills.

Nigel Williams will speak to a number of the nominees on his Jazz FM Saturday Show this week.

A list of jazz, soul and blues highlights is featured below…

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album:
Human Nature — Herb Alpert
When You Wish Upon a Star — Bill Frisell
Way Back Home: Live From Rochester, NY — Steve Gadd Band
Unpsoken — Chuck Loeb 
Culcha Vulcha  — Snarky Puppy

Best Traditional R&B Performance:
"The Three Of Me" — William Bell
"Woman's World" — BJ The Chicago Kid
"Sleeping With The One I Love" — Fantasia
"Angel" — Lalah Hathaway
"Can't Wait" — Jill Scott

Best R&B Album:
In My Mind — BJ The Chicago Kid
Lalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway
Velvet Portraits — Terrace Martin
Healing Season — Mint Condition
Smoove Jones — Mya

Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
"Countdown" — Joey Alexander, soloist
"In Movement" — Ravi Coltrane, soloist
"We See" — Fred Hersch, soloist
"I Concentrate On You" — Brad Mehldau, soloist
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" — John Scofield, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album:
Sound Of Red — René Marie
Upward Spiral — Branford Marsalis Quartet With Special Guest Kurt Elling
Take Me To The Alley — Gregory Porter
Harlem On My Mind — Catherine Russell
The Sting Variations — The Tierney Sutton Band

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Book of Intuition — Kenny Barron Trio
Dr. Um — Peter Erskine
Sunday Night At The Vanguard — The Fred Hersch Trio
Nearness — Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau
Country For Old Men — John Scofield

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
Real Enemies — Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Presents Monk'estra, Vol. 1 — John Beasley
Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles — John Daversa
All L.A. Band — Bob Mintzer
Presidential Suite: Eight Variations On Freedom — Ted Nash Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album:
Entre Colegas — Andy González
Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Perspective On The Music Of Woody Shaw — Brian Lynch & Various Artists
Canto América  — Michael Spiro/Wayne Wallace La Orquesta Sinfonietta
30 - Trio Da Paz
Tribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac — Chucho Valdés

Best Traditional Blues Album:
Can't Shake The Feeling — Lurrie Bell
Live At The Greek Theatre — Joe Bonamassa
Blues & Ballads (A Folksinger's Songbook: Volumes I & II) — Luther Dickinson
The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers — Vasti Jackson
Porcupine Meat — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album:
The Last Days Of Oakland — Fantastic Negrito
Love Wins Again — Janiva Magness
Bloodline — Kenny Neal
Give It Back To You — The Record Company
Everybody Wants A Piece — Joe Louis Walker

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Amy — (Various Artists)
Miles Ahead — Miles Davis & Various Artists)
Straight Outta Compton — (Various Artists)
Suicide Squad (Collector's Edition) — (Various Artists)
Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1 — (Various Artists)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella:
"Ask Me Now" — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
"Good 'Swing' Wenceslas" — Sammy Nestico, arranger (The Count Basie Orchestra)
"Linus & Lucy" — Christian Jacob, arranger (The Phil Norman Tentet)
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa)
"We Three Kings" — Ted Nash, arranger (Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis)
"You And I" — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals:
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" — Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Featuring Take 6)
"Do You Want To Know A Secret" — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa Featuring Renee Olstead)
"Flintstones" — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
"I'm A Fool To Want You" — Alan Broadbent, arranger (Kristin Chenoweth)
"Somewhere (Dirty Blvd) (Extended Version)" — Billy Childs & Larry Klein, arrangers (Lang Lang Featuring Lisa Fischer & Jeffrey Wright)

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Cinema — Andrea Bocelli
Fallen Angels — Bob Dylan
Stages Live — Josh Groban
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson
Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway — Barbra Streisand