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 Album Of The Year: El Viaje, The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra

2009 Latin Jazz Large Ensemble Album Of The Year: El Viaje, The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra

It’s hard to predict the elements that will enthrall the listening public during the course of a year, there are just too many elements at play. Far too often a trend captures the publics imagination, throwing us into a mass craze for a musical moment that might feel good, but doesn’t have much substance. Another musical statement might speak to the moment in history, connecting with all of us on a purely visceral level. The mass media often pushes musical products into our faces, and the overwhelming amount of imagery, sound, and sensations usually draw us into their desires. These social elements have driven the general public’s musical attention for decades, and despite modern changes in distribution and listening practices, they will most likely guide us for decades to come. The jazz world often considers itself removed from the whims of pop culture, keeping its head firmly set in artistry - yet even jazz lovers fall into the trap of social pressure. In some years, the best that we can hope for is that true artistry will shine through the fads and trends and at least a portion of the public will support these artists. Then during those very rare historical moments, the listening public becomes taken with a recording for one basic reason - it simply contains a wealth of rich, thoughtful, and outstanding music.

2009 marked one of those times when bold musicality and adventurous artistry stood head and shoulders above the general musical trends as LJC readers voted bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo’s El Viaje both Best Large Ensemble Album and Latin Jazz Album Of The Year. In all rules of popular culture, this album should have sat in the background and been appreciated by a small audience that focused on artistry - but fortunately that didn’t happen. The recording holds onto Giraudo’s Argentinean background, but the roots of this music are far from obvious; this is not your traditional Latin Jazz with a driving rhythm section riding beneath a stream of jazz harmonies. Instead Giraudo uses all his knowledge of rhythmic styles, jazz theory, and big band textures to tell a story that reflects his personal life. As he weaves the tale of the birth of his child, Giraudo reflects his personal identity, his artistic vision, and the depth of his overall concept. He weaves tense syncopations, free improvisation, richly harmonized band sections, and simple melodies to make his point, and he continually drives the issue to the listener. At every turn his band supports this vision with sharply executed ensemble parts, inspired improvisations that show both individual personality and a concept of the overall piece, and a vast dynamic sensitivity. Giraudo creates music that respects tradition but moves forward with strong momentum. In El Viaje, Giraudo rejects trends and looks bravely into the future, El Viaje is the Album Of The Year and this is Latin Jazz of tomorrow.

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2009 Latin Jazz Next Generation Artist: Descarumbiando , Hamlet & His Latin Jazz Experience
Sometimes an artist appears on the scene almost spontaneously and they grab attention from every angle. They seem to burst onto the music scene out of thin air with highly developed performance skills, refined compositions, and a wealth of stylistic knowledge. Their music earns an audience’s ears, and they like what they hear - despite a lack of an early connection, the mystery artist gains a number of fans on the merit of their music. We’ve come to accept this type of magical arrival, and somehow we overlook the realities of the situation; although an artist might be a new face to us, they arise from their own local scene after years of hard work. Every musician puts in their time through years of hard practice, extensive performance, and artistic experimentation. Their development occurs over the course of years, whether we witness their growth or not. Sometimes we simply meet an artist after they are well into their journey instead of discovering their music at the beginning of their travels. We get to enjoy the benefits of their hard work, experiencing a solid musical product.

American audiences got the thrill of discovering 2009 Latin Jazz Next Generation Artist Hamlet And His Latin Jazz Experience through their album Descarumbiando this past year. Based in Austria, the group brings together musicians from across Europe and around the world, mixing their varying influences into a unique blend. Led by Colombian pianist Hamlet Fiorilli, the group puts a distinctly different slant on the Latin jazz experience that shows a strong personality within the boundaries of tradition. Fiorilli grounds the group with a collection of interesting pieces, a solidly constructed improvisatory approach, and a energetic montuno. The title track, “Descarumbiano” interjects a funky edge into a set of jazz changes with traditional rhythms fueling improvisations from Fiorilli, trumpet player Hans Lassnig, and saxophone player Robert Friedl. Conguero Gianni Battilana introduces “El Fuego Del Padre” with some impressive soloing skills before the band charges into a syncopated minor melody and engaging improvisations. “Bluesambongo” mixes several different world as the band bounces between samba and songo, inspiring some enthusiastic solos from Fiorilli, Lassnig, Friedl, Battilana, and drummer Stefan Mörtel. The album contained a number of pleasant surprises for US audiences, that guarantees opens ears for more music from Hamlet And His Latin Jazz Experience.

2009 Brazilian Jazz Album Of The Year: Brazilliance x4, Claudio Roditi

2009 Afro-Peruvian Jazz Album Of The Year: Afroperuano, Yuri Juarez

There are a number of elements that enter into the creation of an album, but style dictates a major piece of a recording’s character; in this realm, the history of the style directly effects the outcome. In the Latin Jazz world, we’re talking about the history of several different jazz fusions - it’s really a matter of when the fusion began. Musicians have fused Brazilian rhythms with jazz for at least forty years, placing a trail of historical recordings and performances as a precedent to 2009. A genre with a long standing tradition and history like Brazilian Jazz offers both confines and liberties to an artist as their product reflects off the previous work. The Brazilian Jazz musician needs to respect the work of their predecessors and play within the boundaries that they established. At the same time, they need to find their voice within the style, which requires them to push the edges of the genre. On the other hand, musicians have spent much less time bringing together Afro-Peruvian rhythms and jazz, leaving an open trail for artists on this path. While this may seem like an easier path, the Afro-Peruvian Jazz artist doesn’t have a history of role models to inspire their work. Their musical decisions need to come from their own perspectives on history, tradition, and style. They need to be open to experimentation and ready to take chances at every turn. Brazilian Jazz and Afro-Peruvian Jazz represent two polar sides of the Latin Jazz world - one with a long history and one with a young life span - but the way that an artist interacts with these stylistic situations can both result in equally exciting music.

The past year offered two outstanding examples of artists building wonderful music around the legacy of their respective styles - 2009 Brazilian Jazz Album Of The Year Brazilliance x4 from Claudio Roditi and 2009 Afro-Peruvian Jazz Album Of The Year Afroperuano from Yuri Juarez. Roditi played upon the long history of Brazilian Jazz by teaming with three musicians who understand the music’s depth as he does: pianist Helio Alves, bassist Leonardo Cioglia, and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca. These four musicians took a variety of repertoire from compositions by Brazilian musicians such as Raul de Souza’s “A Vontade Mesmo” to reworked jazz standards such as Miles Davis’ “Tune Up” and Roditi originals such as “Gemini Man.” The results was a tasteful release that mixed Roditi’s fiery hard bop improvisations with a top-notch Brazilian Jazz rhythm section that could simultaneously support and push him. Juarez smartly mixed his deep knowledge of Afro-Peruvian traditional music and explored a variety of modern jazz interests. On original compositions such as the festejo “Cántelo Usted” or the fusion-esqe “Acuariana” Juarez integrates a contemporary sound with synthesizers and his electric guitar. A more traditional sound emerges on “Gracia” and “Yo Insistiré” where Juarez leans towards a more acoustic sound. The guitarist emphasizes a jazz sound with a beautiful landó “Una Noche Sin Ti” and a Peruvian arrangement of Chucho Valdes’ “Mambo Influenciando.” Juarez explores vast possibilities in Afro-Peruvian Jazz with the refined sound of his guitar in the forefront, bringing the best of the style to light. Both Roditi and Juarez smartly find strong musical responses to their stylistic foundations, giving us two of the year’s intriguing releases.

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The results from LJC Best Of 2009 Awards are officially posted. You can check out listings for:
Record Label and Album Cover Art Of The Year
Composition, Arrangement, Guitarist, and Flautist Of The Year
Vocalist, Trumpet Player, Trombonist, and Saxophonist Of The Year
Bassist, Pianist, Drum Kit Player, and Percussionist Of The Year.
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.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Focusing The Spotlight: Getting To Know The Members Of Hamlet & His Latin Jazz Experience
10 Latin Jazz Perspectives On Miles Davis
10 Latin Jazz Perspectives On John Coltrane
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Tutuma Social Club

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