Grammy Awards Jazz Artist Nominees For 2010

Here is the list of the 2010 Grammy Awards nominees for jazz artistry by category:
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
"Urbanus" - Stefon Harris & Blackout
"At World's Edge" - Philippe Saisse
"Big Neighborhood" -Mike Stern
"75" - Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
"Dancin' 4 Chicken" - Terence Blanchard, soloist
"All of You" -Gerald Clayton, soloist
"Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey" - Roy Hargrove, soloist
"On Green Dolphin Street" - Martial Solal, soloist
"Villa Palmeras" - Miguel Zenón, soloist

Best Pop Instrumental Album
"In Boston" - Chris Botti
"Legacy" - Hiroshima
"Potato Hole" - Booker T. Jones
"Modern Art" - The Rippingtons Feat. Russ Freeman
"Down The Wire" - Spyro Gyra

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
"BeSame Mucho" - Herb Albert
"Throw Down Your Heart" - Bela Fleck
"The Fire" - Imogene Heap
"Maxwell" - Phoenix Rise
"Funk Joint" - Marcus Miller

Best Traditional Pop Album
"A Swinging Christmas" - Tony Bennett
"Michael Buble' Meets Madison Square Garden" - Michael Buble'
"Your Songs" - Harry Connick Jr.

Best Jazz Vocal Album
"No Regrets" - Randy Crawford & Joe Sample
"Dedicated to you" - Kurt Elling sings the music of Coltrane & Hartman
"So In Love" - Roberta Gambarini
"Tide" - Luciana Souza
"Desire" - Tierney Sutton

Best Female R & B Vocal Performance
"That Was Then" - Lalah Hathaway
"Goin' Thru Changes" - Ledisi

Congratulations!
TV broadcast on CBS January 31, 2010 - 8pm ET/PT

Eddie Higgins Former Chicago Jazz Pianist Dies At Age 77

Haydn "Eddie" Higgins, well-known Chicago jazz pianist, passed away on August 31, 2009, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on February 21, 1932, he initially studied privately with his mother and then Higgins started his professional career in Chicago, while studying at the Northwestern University Music School. For twenty years Eddie worked at some of Chicago's best known jazz clubs, including the Brass Rail, Preview Lounge, Blue Note, Cloister Inn and Jazz Ltd. His longest and most memorable job was at the London House, where he led the house trio for twelve years, playing opposite the biggest jazz stars of the 50's and 60's, including Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Errol Garner, George Shearing, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans and many others. In 1966 he was a founder of Dunwich Records and he also had success with Japan's Venus Records label. He was most known as a soloist. However he played with Coleman Hawkins, Freddie Hubbard, and others. He married pianist and singer Meredith D'Ambrosio (professional website). A very comprehensive biography on Eddie Higgins by Bill Gallagher, can be found by clicking here, including jazz artists he worked and a complete discography. A Chicago Tribune article by Howard Reich (published September 2, 2009) on Eddie Higgins can be found by clicking on this link. (photo of Meredith D'Ambrosio and her husband Haydn "Eddie" Higgins circa 2001 by Sara Frooman).