Opting for the Safe Choices

Win a few, lose a few. Or is it “Be thankful for small favors”? In this centennial year of the birth of Duke Ellington, arguably the most creative artist in American pop and jazz history, the record academy deigned to allocate a grand total of six minutes to an Ellington tribute by Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (with the added participation of Natalie Cole in case viewers had trouble dealing with all those complicated instrumental sounds).

Nor did the academy voters display any more sense of adventurousness with their selections, which pretty much followed a predictable course.

Pat Metheny took his 13th Grammy in the contemporary jazz category with “Imaginary Day,” bypassing Joe Zawinul’s musically provocative “World Tour.” No surprise there.

And there wasn’t much doubt that Shirley Horn, in a tepid jazz vocal grouping, would take the award for her “I Remember Miles.” But, to her credit, the quality of the work would have merited a Grammy even in much more competitive circumstances.

Similarly, Herbie Hancock’s anticipated win in the jazz instrumental performance grouping for “Gershwin’s World” honored a first-rate recording. But a production that also featured Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder simply had no business competing with albums by Kenny Barron, Keith Jarrett and others.

Chick Corea and Gary Burton’s best jazz instrumental solo award for “Rhumbata” and Arturo Sandoval’s best Latin jazz Grammy for “Hot House” were also safe, expected choices. But with each category filled with worthy alternatives, the awards could justifiably have gone to any of the other entries.

And, finally, in the most predictable win of all, the selection of the Count Basie Orchestra’s “Count Plays Duke” in the large jazz ensemble section over Gerald Wilson’s “Theme for Monterey” once again underscored the academy’s continuing affection for big-band repertory.