Vocalist Patti Austin won her very first Grammy Award Suunday night for Avant Gershwin. The live George Gershwin tribute, recorded with the WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany, earned the veteran singer the honor in the best jazz vocal performance category at the pre-telecast ceremony held in the Los Angeles Convention Center, where she was also a host for part of the evening.
Austin was so used to losing in the category over the years that she was caught without her high heels on as she accepted: "You can tell I'm in shock, I'm wearing Crocs. (Laughter) This is ridiculous! I don't know what to say, I swear I don't know what to say. I thought this was going to be another Kurt Elling moment because I love him so much and he's so brilliant and, yeah. Everybody on that list is amazing."
Other winners included the late saxophonist Michael Brecker, who won Best Jazz Instrumental Album, for his final CD, Pilgrimage, and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for the track "Anagram" from that album.
Herbie Hancock took home Album Of The Year as well as Best Contemporary Jazz Album for River: The Joni Letters, while Joni Mitchell herself was awarded the Grammy in the Best Pop Instrumental Performance category for the tune "One Week Last Summer" from her CD Shine.
New Orleans- born trumpeter Terence Blanchard earned the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Grammy for A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina). And Paquito D'Rivera earned Best Latin Jazz Album with his Funk Tango album.
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