Meet the 2020 GRAMMY Jazz Nominees


The 62nd Grammy Awards are set to take place on January 26 (viewers can tune in to CBS at 8 p.m. to catch the awards ceremony). And in the jazz category, established heavyweights and ascendant newcomers were represented in strong numbers. Below is a complete list of the nominees.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Melissa Aldana

ELSEWHERE
Melissa Aldana, soloist
Track from Visions

SOZINHO
Randy Brecker, soloist
Track from Rocks

TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION
Julian Lage, soloist
Track from Love Hurts

THE WINDUP
Branford Marsalis, soloist
Track from The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul

SIGHTSEEING
Christian McBride, soloist
Track from Christian McBride’s New Jawn

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Sara Gazarek (Photo: Shervin Lainez)

THIRSTY GHOST
Sara Gazarek

LOVE & LIBERATION
Jazzmeia Horn

ALONE TOGETHER
Catherine Russell

12 LITTLE SPELLS
Esperanza Spalding

SCREENPLAY
The Tierney Sutton Band

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Joey DeFrancesco

IN THE KEY OF THE UNIVERSE
Joey DeFrancesco

THE SECRET BETWEEN THE SHADOW AND THE SOUL
Branford Marsalis Quartet

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S NEW JAWN
Christian McBride

FINDING GABRIEL
Brad Mehldau

COME WHAT MAY
Joshua Redman Quartet

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Anat Cohen (front, center) and her Tentet

TRIPLE HELIX
Anat Cohen Tentet

DANCER IN NOWHERE
Miho Hazama

HIDING OUT
Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra

THE OMNI-AMERICAN BOOK CLUB
Brian Lynch Big Band

ONE DAY WONDER
Terraza Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album

Chick Corea

ANTIDOTE
Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band

SORTE!: MUSIC BY JOHN FINBURY
Thalma de Freitas With Vitor Gonçalves, John Patitucci, Chico Pinheiro, Rogerio Boccato & Duduka Da Fonseca

UNA NOCHE CON RUBÉN BLADES
Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis & Rubén Blades

CARIB
David Sánchez

SONERO: THE MUSIC OF ISMAEL RIVERA
Miguel Zenón

Best Instrumental Composition

Fred Hersch

BEGIN AGAIN
Fred Hersch, composer (Fred Hersch & The WDR Big Band Conducted By Vince Mendoza)

CRUCIBLE FOR CRISIS
Brian Lynch, composer (Brian Lynch Big Band)

LOVE, A BEAUTIFUL FORCE
Vince Mendoza, composer (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)

STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE SYMPHONIC SUITE
John Williams, composer (John Williams)

WALKIN’ FUNNY
Christian McBride, composer (Christian McBride)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

Kris Bower

BLUE SKIES
Kris Bowers, arranger (Kris Bowers)

HEDWIG’S THEME
John Williams, arranger (Anne-Sophie Mutter & John Williams)

LA NOVENA
Emilio Solla, arranger (Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra)

LOVE, A BEAUTIFUL FORCE
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza, Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts & Temple University Studio Orchestra)

MOON RIVER
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

Jacob Collier

ALL NIGHT LONG
Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & Metropole Orkest)

JOLENE
Geoff Keezer, arranger (Sara Gazarek)

MARRY ME A LITTLE
Cyrille Aimée & Diego Figueiredo, arrangers (Cyrille Aimée)

OVER THE RAINBOW
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Trisha Yearwood)

12 LITTLE SPELLS (THORACIC SPINE)
Esperanza Spalding, arranger (Esperanza Spalding)

Best Music Film

BIRTH OF THE COOL
(Miles Davis)
Stanley Nelson, video director; Nicole London, video producer

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