It's a four-hour drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas — but to get from from JFK to LAS, you're looking at five or six hours in the air. Factor in hotels, transportation, credentials, innumerable other logistics — and the still-existent pandemic — and the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy's Nominee Celebration in Manhattan on Mar. 28 was the site of many palpable jitters.
But they were good jitters. As GRAMMY nominees and industry professionals sipped cocktails from an open bar at the Bowery Hotel, settled into comfortable fireside couches and overall enjoyed each other's company, a glimpse into the upcoming magic of the 64th GRAMMY Awards revealed itself. Sure, many of the folks involved were nominated for the same golden gramophone, but there was nary a competitive vibe to be found. Instead, the overarching feeling in the room was of gratitude — that NYC's musical community would be elevated as a united entity.
A more specific pleasure to be found at the celebration, though, was the highlighting of categories more centric to the Premiere Ceremony than the main show. Sure, the lion's share of the attention is generally bestowed on categories like Best New Artist and Album Of The Year But what of Best Instrumental Composition, Best Children's Music Album and Best Latin Jazz Album? Simply put, they matter, too — immensely so.
So it was rewarding to catch up with GRAMMY-nominated artists like family-music singer/songwriter Falu, jazz pianist and composer Luis Perdomo, and harpist and composer Brandee Younger about the inspirations behind their GRAMMY-nominated works and their feelings as the 2022 GRAMMY Awards — and, yes, the crush of flights from JFK, LaGuardia and Newark — draw near.
Read More: 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List
Among the flashing camera bulbs and piped-in club beats, singer/songwriter Falu — who has been nominated for Best Children's Album for 2021's A Colorful World — calmly reinforced the importance of making substantive music for families to enjoy together.
"Children are the future, and the seeds that we sow in them right now really blossom and make them better citizens," the two-time GRAMMY nominee told GRAMMY.com on the red carpet, stressing that family music should "teach them the values of inclusiveness, diversity, uniqueness and embracing each other, rather than being scared of each other's differences."
And if this means that the music might introduce challenging concepts that don't just pacify with pretty sounds and colors, remember: children are wiser, and more absorbent, than we often give them credit for. "The messages aren't so complex that you can't make a 5-year-old understand," she added. "It becomes natural — something they do when they're sleeping, having dinner, or just playing in the park."
The concept of naturalness came up over and over in these conversations, driving home the point that these GRAMMY-nominated offerings were pure, human expressions — not mere vyings for global recognition. As for the revered pianist Luis Perdomo, his collaborative album with saxophonist Miguel Zenón, El Arte Del Bolero, wasn't even supposed to be a record in the first place.
"We just did it as something for fun," he explained to GRAMMY.com of the dreamy, luminous record. "Kind of like after the gig's over, the club is closing and a lot of people leave, and there are only a few people left — that was the vibe of that." With only a phone call and zero rehearsal, the Venezuelan pianist and Puerto Rican tenorman plumbed the Latin American songbook, dreamily performing standards like "Como Fue," "La Vida Es Un Sueño" and "Jaguete" during a COVID-era livestream at an empty Jazz Gallery in Manhattan.
El Arte Del Bolero resonated far beyond its low-key concept and presentation — the pair now have a GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nomination to show for it. "We did it just to put it out on YouTube," the twice-nominated Perdomo said. "It was a wild surprise." No matter what happens during the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, this nomination shows that two old friends performing songs they've known all their lives can still move listeners on a global scale.
In that same spirit, Brandee Younger — who's nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for "Beautiful is Black" — considers how her musical family in New York has been uplifted by the 2022 GRAMMY Awards nominations. “I feel like some underdogs came up,” Younger told GRAMMY.com over text a few days after the party, shouting out fellow GRAMMY nominees Curtis Stewart, Jon Batiste, the Baylor Project, Jazzmeia Horn and Kanye West — she played on the latter’s colossal, complicated, Album Of The Year-nominated Donda.
And if you want to find out how up it can get, tune into the 2022 GRAMMY Awards on April 3 to watch these creative dynamos show the world what New York's musical omniverse is all about.
