Mack Avenue Proudly Celebrates Our 2015 GRAMMY® Award Nominees!

Alfredo Rodríguez

“The astonishing virtuoso has drawn comparisons to such pinnacles of jazz pianism as Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett.” – The Boston Globe

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella – “Guantanamera”
Listen on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/1y05qvC

The Invasion Parade Demos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXPO9JtFXA

On The Invasion Parade, co-produced by Quincy Jones, his champion and mentor, Alfredo Rodríguez explores his memories of Cuba, the people and the culture he left behind‹and finds his new place. ³My music is very influenced by contemporary music‹Messiaen, Stravinsky, Bela Bartok, Prokofiev‹and I try to bring my experience and that sound to Cuban music to take it to a different place,² he says. ³And obviously, my ŒGuantanamera¹ is not about the same Guantanamera that [composer] Joseíto Fernández knew [in the 1920s],² explains Rodríguez. ³For me, music comes from life experience. My music reflects the reality I lived in and my experiences, which are very different from his.

Stanley Clarke
“A king of the acoustic and electric jazz worlds.” – NPR

Best Instrumental Composition – “Last Train to Sanity”
Listen on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/14aRcgG

The Making of “Up”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5h753MxBco

Legendary bassist and Grammy® Award-winner Stanley Clarke considers UP, to be the most energetic, rhythmic and upbeat album that he has ever done‹and with more than 40 solo albums under his belt, that¹s saying quite a lot. ³My aim here was to make a record with my friends. Every single recording session was nothing but fun,² says Clarke. He considers ³Last Train To Sanity² one of the best pieces he has ever written. ³I¹m so glad that the Harlem String Quartet, who I¹ve toured with a bit over the last year, was willing to be part of this recording. Surrounding myself with people I enjoy being with made the sessions effortless. Everyone came prepared and ready to play. All were great musicians and they came to the studio to give everything they had.