The 67th Grammy Awards were announced this past February. Album of the Year was awarded to Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter,” and Best Jazz Vocal Album was Samara Joy’s Christmas album “A Joyful Holiday.” The winners in other categories, as well as the albums that were nominated but did not win, were all interesting. Among them, I picked out three albums that particularly caught my eye.
#286 Lakecia’s Fiery Hot Alto Sax
Phoenix Reimagined Live / Lakecia Benjamin
(Ropeadope RAO-750)
Female saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin visited Japan last fall and performed successfully at Blue Note. Her 2023 album, “Phoenix,” was nominated for three Grammys. Although “Phoenix Reimagined Live” did not win Grammys in 2025, it made its presence known by being nominated for “Best Jazz Performance” and “Best Jazz Instrumental Album .” Lakecia, who became fascinated with John Coltrane’s music through Alice Coltrane, plays the alto saxophone with fiery passion and power. She has an extreme passion for Coltrane, as she released “Pursuance: The Coltranes” in 2020 and tackled Coltrane’s numbers head-on, and she immerses herself in her playing as if possessed by something.
On the other hand, Lakecia’s music also incorporates funk and hip-hop influences, giving it a contemporary pop sense that attracts young people. The album was recorded live in a Brooklyn studio with an audience. However, the applause and other audio elements characteristic of live performances are removed, so the balance is maintained at the same level as studio recordings. Although many of the numbers in this album are from their previous one, “Phoenix,” their performance as a band has become even more powerful. The inclusion of Coltrane’s signature number, “My Favorite Things,” also reflects Lakecia’s passionate spirit. The title track, “Phoenix Reimagined,” features guest players Randy Brecker and John Scofield, adding even more glamour to the album.
#287 Brilliant Collaboration between Bela Fleck and Chick Corea
Remembrance / Chick Corea & Bela Fleck
(Thirty Tigers 83731)
The duo album by banjoist Bela Fleck, who has a wide range of musicality that goes beyond Bluegrass, and Chick Corea won the 2025 Grammy Award for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album .” The two released a duo album, “The Enchantment,” in 2007, which is also known as a masterpiece that won the Latin Grammy Award.
Chick and Bella conducted a concert tour together in 2019, and this album is one of Chick’s final works. The title track is an original by Chick, a charming number filled with the Latin pathos that is so typical of him. The wide-ranging repertoire includes originals Bella brought for the concert tour, Thelonious Monk’s ＜Bemsha Swing,＞ and even melodies from Scarlatti’s sonatas. The album also includes several tracks the two musicians created by sending audio materials and dubbing them for each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. This moving duo work is a true collaboration between two musicians with different roots and genres who have successfully fused on the one point of “playing music.”
#288 Dan Pugach’s Prominent Contemporary Big Band Work
Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence / Dan Pugach Big Band
(Outside in Music OiM)
A big band work led by Dan Pugach has won the 2025 Grammy Award for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.” Dan is a drummer from Israel who moved to the United States in 2006 and studied at Berklee College of Music.
The band’s composition is a standard big band, but the style is not traditional four-beat; instead, it has a contemporary, new feel. Each of the original numbers, which freely uses irregular time signatures while sounding natural, is like a painting in its own right. One after another, beautiful melodies flow smoothly. In addition to pieces composed and arranged by the leader, such as ＜Bianca,＞ which won the Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize sponsored by BMI, an American Performing Rights Organization, and ＜Schleppin’,＞ which he wrote inspired by Joe Henderson’s playing, the album also includes a smart cover version of the rock band Van Halen’s ＜Dreams.＞ Although many of the band members are not widely known, they are all highly talented players. It is incredibly significant that such a promising group of players, who are set to lead the contemporary band scene in the future, has won such an important award.
About the Author
Masamichi Okazaki
Surrounded by various kinds of music from his childhood, Masamichi Okazaki joined Waseda University Modern Jazz Club. He started contributing articles to music magazines when he was a student. He covers wide range of music not only trad, modern and contemporary jazz, but also from pops to classics. He writes liner notes for CDs and LPs, and is a regular contributor to “JAZZ JAPAN,” “STEREO,” and others. He joined a big band, “Shiny Stockings,” as a saxophone player. He is a director of The Music Pen Club Japan (MPCJ).
