Veteran jazz pianist Herbie Hancock picked up two more Grammy Awards to add to his collection on February 10th, including the coveted Album of the Year prize for River: The Joni Letters. The all-star tribute to the music of Joni Mitchell featured Hancock on piano with a number of pop vocalists and several longtime jazz sidemen. The album also earned Best Contemporary Jazz album at the pre-telecast ceremony.
Before he actually won the Album Of The Year prize, Hancock noted that he was focused on getting through the live performance of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue," which he had never played before, with Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang. Said Hancock: "It was quite a chore to be able to do that and also focus on Album of the Year, which I really want, badly. It's been 43 years since a jazz album received the Album of the Year, of the 50 years of the Grammys. That's a long time."
The last time a jazz album earned the Album Of The Year award was in 1964, when Getz/Gilberto, featuring Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto, helped kick off a bossa nova craze.
More Smooth Jazz Music News
