Congratulations Herbie Hancock!

A tip of the cap to the Grammy folks for awarding Herbie Hancock the Grammy for Best Album for his terrific work River The Joni Letters. If you haven’t heard it, it’s a marvelous album featuring Herbie’s interpretations of the songs of Joni Mitchell. There are guest appearances by vocalists Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen, Luciana Souza and Joni Mitchell herself. Playing alongside Herbie is the legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and guitarist Lionel Loueke. River  The Joni Letters was only the second jazz album ever to win an Album of the Year Grammy. The first was back in 1964 when Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto won for their album Getz / Gilberto. A great accomplishment for one of my favorite albums of 2007.

Good job by the Grammy folks for having the balls to vote for Herbie and a big high five to Grammy winner Vince Gill for his “jab” at Kanye West! After being presented an award by Ringo Starr (and Dave Stewart), Vince said, “I just had an award given to me by a Beatle. Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?”