We often hear mention of The Great American Songbook, a productive period of song and lyric writing which composer and author Alec Wilder described in his book American Popular Song, 1900-1950: The Great Innovators. This vision of The Great American Song ranged from Jerome Kern to Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, and others who had emerged in the first half of the twentieth century.
With rare exception, these great innovators were all born on American soil, meaning within the United States.
So where are the great innovators today? Many get their recognition with the Grammy awards, but what about musical innovation from non-English speaking parts of the Americas? That's where the Latin Grammys come into play, and this year's nominations were recently released. One thing which immediately stands out is how often we find the Mexico-born singer, Natalia Lafourcade mentioned. Her recent album, Cancionera may win for her an armload of trophies. The title song shows both her musical and lyrical skills.
One thing for sure, Natalia Lafourcade has many young fans, many now into middle age, who wouldn't think of listening to Schubert, Brahms or Beethoven, yet they have recently flocked to the hallowed ground of Carnegie Hall to hear Natalia. That concert was recorded and now Live at Carnegie Hall is in the running for Best Traditional Pop Album. Here she sings with pride of her motherland of Veracruz.
Another nominee for a Latin Grammy, or two, is Gloria Estefan for her album Raices. She taps into her Cuban roots, looking to the future in a lullaby for her grandson, then allowing the music to echo much of what excels in Cuban music.
I've been browsing, as I always do, the nominees for the Latin Grammys. It's overwhelming, so many categories, with gold embedded in just about every field. Please pardon my skipping past some in order to create a sampler of candidates not just for potential Grammys, but for induction into a Great Americas Songbook.
This songbook need not be just songs, as in songs to be sung, but it can also be inclusive of instrumental dance music, even tinged with a bit of jazz, as in another album up for a Latin Grammy called Havana Meets Harlem. The recording, featuring the Harlem String Quartet and friends, is up in the category of Best Instrumental Album.
Over the years I have had my finger on the pulse of the Latin Grammys, the entries in "Field 15, Classical," have represented performances and music of the highest caliber. It would be impossible in the span of this short summary to even mention all the entries, but KPAC is doing its best to bring these recordings into our daily rotation.
Be listening for albums such as Havana Meets Harlem, or Ausiàs Parejo's collection of guitar works by Brouwer, Erena & Others. This is up against Gabriela Ortiz's Revolución Diamantina album, with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic.
One of the gifts of the Latin Grammys is the entry it allows us into a universe of music and musicians we might otherwise miss. That's our loss if we don't have occasion from time to time to know the music of Giovanni Piacentini, whose Guitar Concerto is nominated for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
Yes, there's a whole world of music begging inclusion in our Great Americas Songbook. Keep looking beyond the classical top 40 for surprises you won't believe.
