Artists still fuming over Grammy decision to drop Latin Jazz album category

Also check out www.jazzstage.net
 
Wayne Wallace calls his 2011 Grammy nomination one of the greatest honors of his life. That's why he's now furious with the Grammys.

"It was a great experience," says the local trombonist-bandleader, whose "Bien Bien" was nominated for best Latin jazz album. "I want others to experience it."
But that just got a lot more unlikely for Latin jazz artists. The Latin jazz album category was one of 31 fields dropped last month by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the group that runs the Grammys, as part of a move to streamline the awards show. In all, the group trimmed the number of categories from 109 to 78. Artists that normally would have submitted in the Latin jazz category now have to try their luck in the much broader fields of best jazz instrumental album or best jazz vocal album. Read complete story from mercurynews.com

 
Wayne Wallace website

Grammy Watch -- Protests over Grammy decision

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy -- Collaborations

Also check out www.jazzstage.net

Mal Waldron:
A pianist with a brooding, rhythmic, introverted style, Mal Waldron's playing has long been flexible enough to fit into both hard bop and freer settings. Influenced by Thelonious Monk's use of space, Waldronhas had his own distinctive chord voicings nearly from the start. Read complete bio from allmusic.com.
Steve Lacy:
One of the great soprano saxophonists of all time (ranking up there with Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane), Steve Lacy's career was fascinating to watch develop. Read complete bio from all music.com.

John Coltrane - Africa

 Also check out www.jazzstage.net

Four albums with a glossy, orange and black cover hit the record stores in January 1961 and began a buzz that has lasted for 50 years.  "The first four albums all shipped to radio and all buyers at the same time...a totally coordinated merchandising effort," says producer Creed Taylor. "It was a landslide. On radio everyone was playing Impulse, distributors were running out of stock."

Within six months, Impulse Records had made a mark on the music business that lasts to today, where at the Jazz Standard in Manhattan, a celebration called "Impulse! Nights" runs until Sunday. Tenor saxophonists Dave Liebman and Ravi Coltrane kicked off the series with "Africa/Brass," the first Impulse recording by Ravi's father, John Coltrane. Ravi recalls the title song, "Africa," as one of the first of his dad's tunes he learned. He would play it with his mom, keyboardist and harpist Alice Coltrane. Read complete story at nydailynews.com.