The 2000 Grammys
A salute to the achievements of Berklee alumni is certainly in order given an extremely strong showing in the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards program February 23. It was impressive to see that members of the Berklee community garnered 17 award nominations and five Grammy Awards.
First and foremost, I extend congratulations to Executive Vice President Gary Burton '62, H'89, who was nominated twice and won an award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance with his all-star project Like Minds, with Chick Corea H'97, Roy Haynes H'91, Dave Holland, and Pat Metheny H'96. It is Burton's fifth Grammy win in five decades. This level of enduring quality is extremely rare, and rarer still is the breadth of Gary's talents that we at Berklee have gained so much from during his long affiliation with us.
Alan Broadbent '69 was nominated and won for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist for the song "Lonely Town" on the Quartet West CD Art of the Song.
Diana Krall '83 was nominated for Album of the Year (extremely rare for any jazz recording) and for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for When I Look in Your Eyes. She took the award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Krall's album also won a trophy for recording engineer Al Schmitt in the Best Engineered category.
Natalie Maines '95 and the Dixie Chicks received four nominations and won in the Best Country Album and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal categories. This makes a total of four wins for the Dixie Chicks.
It is noteworthy that Associate Professor of Percussion Jamey Haddad played on the Paul Winter & Friends project, Celtic Solstice, which won in the Best New Age Album category. We also note that Robert Cray, an artist on the Rykodisc label (founded by Berklee trustee Don Rose) received an award for Best Contemporary Blues Recording.
Among the alumni nominated this year were Melissa Etheridge '80, who netted three in the Best Female Rock Vocal, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album categories. Juan Luis Guerra '83 earned his nomination for Best Latin Pop Performance, and Bruce Hornsby '74 received one in the Best Pop Instrumental Performance category. Branford Marsalis '80 was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, and Steve Vai '79 was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Susan Tedeschi '91 got her first nomination, appropriately enough, in the Best New Artist category.
Associate Professor Joanne Brackeen had the track "In Vogue" from her disc Pink Elephant Magic, nominated in the Best Jazz Instrumental Solo category for the performance turned in by tenor saxophonist Chris Potter.
Berklee honorary doctorate recipients who were nominated and/or won this year included Herb Alpert H'00, Tony Bennett H'74, Phil Collins H'91, Chick Corea H'97, Roy Haynes, B.B. King H'85, Johnny Mandel H'93, Pat Metheny H'96, Tito Puente H'95, Wayne Shorter H'99, Sting H'94, and John Williams H'80.
Congratulations to all.
