Nominations for the Grammys have been announced and while the jazz categories, may not be quite the Cinderellas of the night (think, erm, new age), most prominence of course is given to the big R&B, hip hop and rock attention-grabbers on what is the most important night of the year for the US record industry.

Nonetheless, unlike their UK counterpart the Brits which dismally do not even acknowledge jazz in any way or form, the Grammys can pull off some surprises, most notably in UK terms in recent years nominating Norma Winstone for some long overdue recognition Stateside. This year local interest centres on guitarist John McLaughlin (right) recently nominated for a MOBO gets nominated for his Fourth Dimension release To The One as does bassist Dave Holland for his octet album Pathways.

In the best contemporary jazz album category, nominations are The Stanley Clarke Band by The Stanley Clarke Band (Heads Up); Never Can Say Goodbye by Joey DeFrancesco (High Note); Now Is The Time by Jeff Lorber Fusion (Heads Up); To The One by John McLaughlin (Abstract Logix); and Backatown by Trombone Shorty (Verve Forecast).

In best jazz vocal album Dee Dee Bridgewater gets nominated for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee; while Freddy Cole recently in fine form in London at Pizza Express Jazz Club receives a nomination for Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B, his High Note album that recalls the great songs of Billy Eckstine. Other nominees are Denise Donatelli’s For When Lights Are Low on Savant; Lorraine Feather for Ages on Jazzed Media; and Gregory Porter for Water (Motéma Music).

In the best improvised jazz solo category Alan Broadbent, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, the late Hank Jones and Wynton Marsalis are nominated, although the main competitive jousting this year is in the best jazz instrumental album with John Beasley up for Positootly; the Clayton Brothers for The New Song And Dance; Vijay Iyer for Historicity; James Moody for Moody 4B; and Danilo Perez for Providencia.

In the best large jazz ensemble album division maverick Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society who recently debuted in the UK at Café Oto are up for Infernal Machines; while the Billy Childs Ensemble Featuring The Ying String Quartet are recognised for Autumn: In Moving Pictures; and the Dave Holland Octet which reached number six in the Jazzwise albums of the year is nominated for Pathways. Other nominees in this category are the Metropole Orkest, John Scofield & Vince Mendoza for 54 and the Mingus Big Band for Live At Jazz Standard.

In Best Latin Jazz Album, Pablo Aslan, Hector Martignon, Poncho Sanchez, Chucho Valdés And The Afro-Cuban Messengers and the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet are all nominated.

Esperanza Spalding is nominated in the best new artist category while Herbie Hancock picks up a second nomination in the best pop collaboration with vocals category, as does Stanley Clarke in best pop instrumental performance. 

– Stephen Graham

For further details go to www.grammy.com/nominees