The Swarm

February 11, 2008

Herbie Hancock and Dahlia Ambach Caplin: Congratulations on winning 'Album of the Year'

TDS Editors

UPDATE: Herbie Hancock hits #5 after Grammy win…jumps 967%...

Congratulations to Daily Swarm reader Dahlia Ambach Caplin, who was the Executive Producer of Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters which won Album of the Year at last night’s Grammy Awards.

Reuters:

In a major upset, jazz veteran Herbie Hancock won the coveted album of the year Grammy on Sunday, beating front-runners Amy Winehouse and Kanye West.

Hancock was honored for “River: The Joni Letters,” an all-star tribute to Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell.

CNN:

“River” is an unapologetic straight jazz album, with unusual harmonies and expansive running times—not exactly a radio-friendly multiplatinum smash. In fact, in the history of the Grammys, only one pure jazz album—Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto’s 1964 “Getz/Gilberto”—has won the big prize, one less than the number of comedy albums that has done so.

Hancock says “River: The Joni Letters” came about because of a suggestion from Verve executive Dahlia Ambach Caplin, who asked what Hancock was going to do for his next jazz record following 2006’s somewhat pop recording, “Possibilities.” Knowing about Hancock’s friendship with Mitchell, the idea came up of doing an album of Mitchell songs, many of which have jazz underpinnings.


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20 Comments

#1 jeff says:

yay for dahlia & herbie. couldn't have happened to nicer folks. rockit!

#2 ajp says:

awesome. herbie's win was the most unexpected, exciting and inspiring grammy moment of the night - ever? well done. cheers.

#3 DEW says:

The 43 year wait is over! It's a perfect moment for Jazz - and a justly deserved one for everyone involved on this amazing album.

#4 rena says:

-yes you did!!!

#5 djp says:

AMAZING!!!!

#6 mary roberts says:

....this is terrific!! Kudos.....what an honor!!

#7 MMD says:

Congrats to Dahlia!

#8 brice says:

Amen for Jazz...congrats Herbie, all thanks to the genius of his producer Dahlia

#9 victorafrica says:

GO Dahlia. Amazing stuff!!!!

#10 M Defend says:

congrats to Dahlia for sure!

#11 Al R. says:

Congrats to both Herbie and Dahlia. Nice to see good people get the credit they deserve!!!

#12 Marilyn says:

Hooray, mazel tov!!! Yesh Dahlia & Herbie!!!!

#13 Marques says:

Congrats Dahlia, you continue to inspire me. Sending love and light, as well as wishing you continued abundance in all areas of your life. Your friend from the left coast.

PS- I don't know you personally Herbie but your music has had a profound influence on me for many years. RESPECT and CONGRATS!

#14 Thirteenburn says:

Total bullshit!!!!

So how does an album that, unless you're a hardcore jazz fan or similarly a hardcore Hancock fan, no one has heard of win Album of the Year, especially against an album so strong and unanimously loved as Winehouse's 'Back To Black'?

I don't have a dog in this fight, as I don't not like Hancock, I'm just curious as to how an album that sold WAY fewer copies than all the other nominees combined can win 'Album of the Year'? I love music, Jazz included, and yet this was the first I've even heard that Hancock had an album out, let alone heard of the album itself.

Again, an unbelievable load of bullshit and a total farce.

And people wonder why the Grammys are losing both credibility and viewership...

#15 Mark Saladino says:

Dahlia! Congratulations! I was very excited to hear your name. Hard work does pay off. Have a great day. Talk to you soon.

Mark Saladino

#16 regina says:

Thirteenburn: your comment is really ignorant. Album of the Year isn't based on sales, it's based on the quality of the music. Have you even heard "River?" Had Kanye won, would you be saying "bullshit! Only if you're a hardcore hip-hop fan..." Think about it.

#17 ianfactor says:

congrats dahlia! what an amazing accomplishment. great to see you the other
night...enjoy the honor and the fruits of your labor!

#18 Mr. Belgium says:

Yew go Dahlia my cousin!!

#19 Thirteenburn says:

I realized the other day that this is exactly the same situation as when Metallica got rooked by the very un-metal band Jethro Tull at the Grammys back in the late 80's and now that the album in question is finally on the charts just proves my point that it did not deserve to even be nominated, let alone win, especially over an album that was far superior in Winehouse's 'Back To Black'.

But now that it has, millions of people want to know what it sounds like to see if it in fact is worthy of the award. Maybe this was done expressly for the purpose to sell the album in the first place? Again, I'm not Anti-Hancock here, quite the opposite. I like his music and have for years. But nothing he's done has ever been worthy of "Album of the Year". Ever.

Face it people, Amy Winehouse got rooked by the "voters", pure and simple.

This is either PC run amok, or just an outright slight to the more talented Winehouse due to her poor choice in lifestyle, one in which she's finally sobered up and left behind and will most definitely prove next year, without a doubt, that she not only deserves the top Grammy of all, but that this years award was 100% wrong on myriad levels.

Cheers!!

#20 2RealEstateMidgets says:

And yet he still hasn't paid former MTV VJ Nina Blackwood for her appearance in his "Rockit" video!


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