As part of the week-long celebration leading up to the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards, tonight’s GRAMMY Salute to Jazz event honored Blue Note Records with The Recording Academy’s President’s Merit Award. Multiple GRAMMY-winning artist Natalie Cole served as host for the evening.  Performers included Blue Note recording artists Joe Lovano and Cassandra Wilson, internationally renowned jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and GRAMMY Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. The performers were joined by a group of 30 talented high school musicians selected from around the nation.

Images of album covers by John Coltrane, Bobby Hutcherson, and Art Blakely were projected above the performers throughout the evening celebrating jazz and the iconic Blue Note Records label. The evening kicked off with the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles and Natalie Cole introducing saxophonist Joe Lovano.  Following Lovano’s performance, Cole introduced jazz bassist Charlie Haden. 

Later on in the evening, Terence Blanchard took to the stage for a moving performance with one of the student saxophonists. Garnett Brown shared with audience members his first experience with Blue Note Records in 1967 and his work with Jack Wilson. 

Presenting the President’s Merit Award to Blue Note Records president Bruce Lundvall, Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow addressed the audience and introduced a video tribute that showcased memorable moments throughout the label’s history. 

Accepting the honor, Bruce Lundvall shared stories about his musical background and working with Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk.  After accepting the award, Natalie Cole introduced world renowned vocalist Cassandra Wilson who performed “Lover Come Back to Me.”

Closing out the memorable evening was the incomparable Herbie Hancock. When Hancock approached the microphone, he turned towards the student musicians on stage and said, “they are the future.”

-GRAMMY U Correspondent CA

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