Tag Archives: vocal jazz

Listen Up! 2016 Grammy Winners

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grammy collage

Votes have been cast, the red carpet has been strutted, and the results have been revealed: the 2016 Grammy Award winners are here! You may be familiar with many of the awardees, but there are other names that perhaps are still to be discovered. Here’s a short list of the best of the best; we have a carousel of even more winners currently in the EPL collection on our catalog site. If you don’t see a title you’re looking for in our catalog, check back because we’ve made some additional purchases (though some titles are not available because they are only out as digital releases). Place your holds now! Many are checked out, but amazingly some are currently in.

Angélique Kidjo – Sings (SLC LLC) – World-renowned Beninese-born vocalist Angélique Kidjo returns to the Grammy stage once again for her third award in the World Music category (she’s been nominated several times). We loved her bold, dreamy, festive, and orchestral sound when the album debuted at the EPL in April. Hopefully many new listeners will discover it due to its latest success.

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (Aftermath Entertainment) – Hip-hop MC Kendrick Lamar was the biggest winner of the night, taking home five awards though missing the coveted Album of the Year and song of the year titles (hard to believe after earning 11 nominations!). Not a surprising result for an album that has so much to offer. It’s definitely not one to be missed. More about To Pimp a Butterfly can also be found in our April picks post.

Mavis Staples – Your Good Fortune (Anti) – This album was the product of a collaboration between two generations of Anti artists: the legendary Mavis Staples and rapidly-rising star, Son Little. Hard work and unbridled creativity paid off because one of the resulting tracks, “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” was declared the Best American Roots Performance. The rest of the album provides an equally-gratifying listen.

D’Angelo – Black Messiah (RCA Records) – Clearly his 14-year recording hiatus was fruitful, because veteran R&B singer D’Angelo used the time to write some amazing material. Track “Really Love” received a nomination for record of the year, and won the Grammy for Best R&B Song. Black Messiah as a whole won the award for Best R&B Album.

Cecile McLorin Salvant – For One to Love (Mack Avenue Records) – Salvant’s third release and second Grammy nomination netted her the award for the Best Jazz Vocal Album. On a far smaller stage, this album was recently featured on our February new music arrivals blog. It’s a delightful listen.

Hamilton: original Broadway cast recording (Atlantic Recording Corporation) – Even if you’re not into musical theater, you’d be hard-pressed to have not heard all the buzz about Hamilton at this point. Ticket sales have been through the roof, and album sales have followed. It’s no surprise that the original cast recording took home this year’s award for Best Musical Theater Album. The production goes on tour in 2017, so hopefully we’ll all have the chance to see Hamilton live in the near(ish) future; in the meantime you can at least enjoy this CD.

Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color (ATO Records) – I’m not going to lie, this one is another personal favorite of mine. I knew when I wound up in the double-digits in the EPL holds queue to get my first listen that it was going to be something special. I wasn’t disappointed, and Sound & Color has remained in heavy rotation in my car ever since. Apparently the powers that be agreed, and Alabama Shakes got to take home Grammys for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Alternative Music Album.

All of these and more can be found at epls.org – happy listening!

Listen Up! February New Music

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Blackstar Cover Art

For those of you not looking for another Bowie reflection/review, TL;DR, skip to the list at the bottom. For those of you who are into it, read on.

January was a tough time for many music fans, with the loss of some pretty legendary names. For me, it was the death of David Bowie that hit hardest. I can’t claim to have been a Bowie superfan, but his music was ever-present in my youth, and became the soundtrack to a lot of great memories as I grew into adulthood. Beyond liking the music Bowie created, I was even more fascinated by his ability to constantly reinvent himself, turning life into performance art. Nothing exposes the depth of this artistry better than the way he orchestrated his final months, turning his death into a powerful statement on 21st Century privacy, lifelong creativity, and going on your own terms.

The result of this period was Blackstar (officially ★), David Bowie’s final album, released on the artist’s 69th birthday, just two days before his death. I will never forget the shock I felt upon hearing of Bowie’s death just days after celebrating this latest release. What a surreal experience it was to go back and re-listen to the album within the confines of a completely different context. Lyrics took on haunting new meanings; music videos became more somber and stirring. The Thin White Duke was saying goodbye; we just weren’t listening.

This album would have been a great listen without the backstory, but knowing all the details and the way they were carefully crafted and presented just makes Blackstar the stuff of legend. It made me think a long while about my own mortality and wonder how I would choose to confront it: with careful plans and aggressive strides to make sure I left my loved ones with something lasting and memorable, or with fear and denial until my final moments. David Bowie’s last act showed us that it was possible to die with courage, dignity, and a flair for the dramatic. As he so eloquently said from the stage on his 50th birthday “I have no idea where I’m going from here, but I promise I won’t bore you” – I’m sure that even after his death, the legacy of David Bowie will continue to intrigue and entertain us for years to come.

That’s the long story of one of my new arrival picks, so I’ll just give you a list of brief highlights for the rest. Place your holds now! In the case of Blackstar, it might be a little bit, but it’s worth the wait.

Blackbird cover imageMiloš Karadaglić – Blackbird: The Beatles Album (Mercury Classics) – love the Beatles? Like classical guitar? This is the album for you.

Outskirts Cover ImageShemekia Copeland – Outskirts of Love (Alligator Records) – A fiery, driving mix of blues, rock, and soul. It’s the type of album you want to listen to on repeat.

For One to Love CoverCecile McLorin Salvant – For One to Love (Mack Avenue Records) – Delightful follow up to Salvant’s 2013 Grammy-nominated album, WomanChild. This 26-year-old jazz virtuoso has a phenomenal voice and a load of creativity.

Image from wondem.bandcamp.com

Image from wondem.bandcamp.com

Dexter Story – Wondem (Soundway) – For listeners looking to try a little of everything, look no further. Story effortlessly blends funk, jazz, soul, and traditional East African instrumentation and vocals to create vibrant and hypnotic soundscapes.

Cool Uncle CoverCool Uncle – Cool Uncle (Fresh Young Minds) – What happens when smooth jazz icon Bobby Caldwell gets together with Grammy-winning producer Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson)? Well they make beautiful music, of course, and they have a great time doing it. This is largely a pop/funk/RnB record, with playful nods towards the worlds of smooth jazz and even yacht rock. It may sound borderline cheesy, but it’s the kind of cheese you could fall in love with. It’s great to see people with this level of talent having fun with their craft.