Maria Schneider and the late Chick Corea were among the jazz musicians who received honours at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards.
Corea, who died a month earlier at the age of 79, posthumously won the Grammys for best improvised jazz solo and best instrumental jazz album for his work on Trilogy 2 with Christian McBride and Brian Blade.
Corea’s widow Gayle Moran accepted the awards with touching speeches, citing her late husband’s admiration of Martin Luther King Jr. and L. Ron Hubbard and encouraging fans to “keep the music fires burning.” The wins bring Corea’s total number of Grammys to 25, out of a remarkable 67 nominations.
The Maria Schneider Orchestra’s album Data Lords was named best large jazz ensemble album, and Schneider herself added another for best instrumental composition for the tune Sputnik. Schneider has now won seven Grammys out of 14 nominations.
Kurt Elling’s record Secrets Are the Best Stories, featuring pianist Danilo Pérez, was named best vocal jazz album, landing the singer his second Grammy.
The winner of best Latin jazz album was Four Questions by Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, claiming the prize over other nominees including conga player Poncho Sanchez and guitarist Chico Pinheiro.
The award for best contemporary instrumental album went to Snarky Puppy for Live at the Royal Albert Hall, giving the band their fourth Grammy win. Among the other nominees were fellow jazz notables Jon Batiste and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah.
Robert Glasper‘s song Better Than I Imagine, featuring H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello, was named best R&B song.
John Beasley and Jacob Collier, who were both nominated for multiple Grammys this year, each won a prize for best arrangement.
Blues veteran Bobby Rush’s latest record Rawer Than Raw won the Grammy for best traditional blues album.
In the category of best regional roots music album, the New Orleans Nightcrawlers won the Grammy for their record Atmosphere.
James Taylor, who was up against Harry Connick Jr. and others in the running for best traditional pop vocal album, won the award for his album American Standard, which was co-produced by jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli.
Thundercat’s It Is What It Is won the title of best progressive R&B album, emerging atop a slate that also included Robert Glasper’s F*** Yo Feelings. For best R&B album, Gregory Porter’s All Rise was eclipsed by John Legend’s Bigger Love.
Among the other jazz artists nominated in non-jazz categories were Bebel Gilberto for best global music album; Norah Jones and Mavis Staples for best American roots performance; säje, Alan Broadbent and Pat Metheny, and Remy Le Boeuf for best arrangement; Christian Sands for best instrumental composition; Jon Batiste for best contemporary instrumental album and best new age album; and Nat King Cole and Bela Fleck for best historical album.
Here are the lists of nominees in the Grammy Awards’ jazz (and jazz-centric) categories, with the winners in bold.