The results are in for the Third Annual Latin Jazz Corner Best Of The Year Awards! The voting ran from December 2, 2009 - December 23, 2009 and drew thousands of voters from around the world. It’s been a thrilling process that has provided some interesting results about the state of the Latin Jazz world. You can learn more about the voting process HERE and keep up with the results on the Best Of 2009 Page.

2009 Latin Jazz Vocalist Of The Year: Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Sube Azul, Sofia Rei Koutsovitis
The role of the vocalist in the Latin Jazz world has changed tremendously throughout its history, and the modern singer faces some interesting challenges. During the Palladium era, the singer fronted a dance band and their prime concern was a connection with the audience. They needed an understanding of jazz harmony and the technical ability to navigate through that territory, as well as strong improvisation skills. These tasks required strong musicianship, but they were a different set of requirements than traditional jazz singers encountered. These vocalists were performing in a setting that demanded a personal interpretation of the melody as well as strong scatting technique. Performers like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and more influenced the Latin Jazz world, where vocalists began to incorporate a more personal and freely expressive approach to the style. The singer’s role as an entertainer never disappeared; they maintain a stronger connection to an audience than any instrumentalist. Latin Jazz vocalists hold a distinct position that sets them apart as important performers who can develop bold statements that mix artistry and entertainment.

2009 Latin Jazz Vocalist Of The Year Sofia Rei Koutsovitis faces these challenges boldly on her album Sube Azul, presenting a defined and engaging personality. The vocalist creates a unique context that mixes original compositions with Argentinean and Peruvian traditions, providing her with the perfect setting to make a modern jazz statement. Throughout the album, Koutsovitis performs with a commanding set of expressive articulations and a wide dynamic range that demands attention. Her artistic presence grabs onto South American traditions while invoking a enthusiastic jazz spirit, all placed within a contemporary framework. Koutsovitis moves from a quiet freely phrased introduction into a dramatic rhythmic propulsion on “Sube Azul,” showing the power of her range. The intimate and reflective setting of “Las cáscaras” reveals the emotional impact of Koutsovitis’ work, as she fills each word with potent meaning. The traditional setting that surrounds the Peruvian song “El mayoral” finds Koutsovitis storming through the song with a powerful rhythmic drive and demonstrating some attention grabbing scatting. Koutsovitis continually creates memorable moments throughout the album, utilizing the full range of her technical abilities and a bright creative spark to connect with the listener. There’s a musical maturity in her work that reveal the best pieces of jazz vocals in a Latin Jazz context, setting the standard for the genre.

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2009 Latin Jazz Trumpet Player Of The Year: Jonathan Powell - El Viaje, The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra

2009 Latin Jazz Trombone Player Of The Year: Ryan Keberle - El Viaje, The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra

A big band requires a group mentality that emphasizes the creation of a strong, unified voice; standing out as a soloist takes a a fine balance. As part of the job description, musicians need to relinquish some of their personal identity and focus upon the support of the composition. Each musician contributes unique variations in tone and and timbre, but for the most part, their phrasing, articulations, and dynamics need to conform to the written part. When a musician steps into the forefront, they have an opportunity to share their talents apart from the band, but the spotlight still demands some thought. On one hand, a feature spot offers the soloist the opportunity to display all the things that escape the listeners during their ensemble spots; stunning displays of technical virtuosity, harmonic knowledge, and improvisatory prowess can all draw attention. While these musical abilities would certainly place the focus on the the soloist, they usually move away from the intent of the original piece. An outstanding big band soloist needs to take a much more challenging path - they need to create a unique and identifiable statement within the context of the composition. Their solo should advance the momentum of the piece, not just simply move them into the forefront of the ensemble. When an artist can successfully accomplish this task and make their personality known, only then do they deliver a truly memorable big band performance.

2009 Latin Jazz Trumpet Player Of The Year Jonathan Powell and 2009 Trombone Player Of The Year Ryan Keberle share brass section duties on The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra’s El Viaje, skillfully walking the line between ensemble player and outstanding soloist. The group plays with the aggressive power of a full big band, but in reality, its a little big band instrumentation with a total of four brass players. This opens the possibility for intimate arrangements, but it also demands an outstanding performance from each player. In the complex world of Giraudo’s compositions, this is no easy task, but both Powell and Keberle handle each piece with a professional precision. There’s a unconditional accuracy in each piece that brings the music’s rhythmic nature to life and a dynamic sensitivity that pushes the work’s subtle shadings into the forefront. As both Powell and Keberle take their turns in the spotlight, their personalities arise while they maintain the integrity of Giraudo’s messages. Powell flies over the funky background on “El viaje, Tramo II” with a nimble agility, sweeping through the full range of his instrument with creative lines that glide effortlessly into the song’s greater form. Keberle handles melodic duties on “Punto De Partida” before charging into a head turning improvisation that builds tension through aggressive syncopation and sharp accents, rising into a dramatic climax. Powell and Keberle embody the excellence that makes El Viaje such an exciting recording, playing with the classy perfection of top-notch ensemble players and the inspired drive of outstanding soloists.

2009 Latin Jazz Saxophone Player Of The Year: Justin Janer - Kenya Revisited, Live!!!, Bobby Sanabria Conducting The Manhattan School Of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra
Developing an understanding of a genre takes years of intense study, practice, and performance and most importantly, an unwavering perseverance. From the beginning, musicians need to make a lifetime commitment to the art form that involves an amazing amount of time. They need to spend copious amounts of time listening to an extensive collection of recordings that outline the music’s historical progression and then they need to hear every possible artist live. They need to develop strong technical skills on their instrument that provide them the freedom to move across their instrument freely. Their practice needs to include a study of influential musicians’ improvisational approaches and then integrate important licks into their own soloing. Extensive performance gives them the ability to experiment with these skills, to varying degrees of success. Once they reach a high level of achievement they need to push themselves even further to find their own artistic identities. This adds up to a massive amount of work for most - although people can tinker with the style on a superficial level, sometimes taking them to a fairly proficient level. It takes a bit more work to turn a proficient player into an artist making a definable statement in a style. The musician needs to turn the style from an abstract musical form into a lifestyle that completely consumes them. The complete process is an overwhelming thing, which usually takes young people a good deal of time to fully absorb, if they even continue onto that path.

2009 Latin Jazz Saxophonist Of The Year Justin Janer still sits on the early side of his career, but he displays keen insight into jazz through his work on Kenya Revisited, Live!!! At the age of 26, most players are still looking for a sense of direction in their work, but Janer walks through his roles in the ensemble with the strength of a confident and focused artist. As an ensemble player, he sits at the forefront of the group, serving as lead alto in the saxophone section. Any section in a big band is only as good as their leader and this group of young saxophonists burns through these tough charts with Janer at the lead. He models a pure and bluesy tone that swings through the clave with the intensity of a professional. His bright tone guides the group through some complex lines, helping shape a precise stylistic phrasing approach. There several great qualities about Janer’s solo flights here, as he demonstrates a practiced set of technical skills and a thoughtful approach to melodic creation. He evokes the true nature of the burning opener “Frenzy” with a ferocious display of bebop mastery, charging through the song with rapid streams of notes. He integrates an understated sense of intensity into the slow cha cha cha background on “Congo Mulence,” screaming over the band with powerful cutting tone. Janer shows a clear lineage of jazz history with his improvisation on “Cannonology” paying tribute to the legendary Cannonball Adderley with his own phrases that speak the jazz language. This outstanding performance finds the young Janer ahead of the curve on his jazz development, foreshadowing great things for him in the future.

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We’ll be spending the next several days looking at the results from the LJC Best Of 2009 Awards, so make sure that you stay up-to date. So far we’ve posted the Record Label Of The Year and Album Cover Art Of The Year, as well as the Composition, Arrangement, Guitarist, and Flautist Of The Year. Tomorrow we’ll be back with more categories, so come back to LJC! It’s a great way to reflect upon the year, celebrate some albums that you loved, and get turned onto some recordings that you might have missed. Don’t miss a single result - check back tomorrow!

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Best Of 2008 Winners: Saxophone, Trombone, & Trumpet
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Bobby Sanabria & The Manhattan School Of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra
Latin Jazz Photo Album: Sofia Rei Koutsovitis
Celebrating Women In Latin Jazz: 5 Top Female Artists

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