A professor of jazz trumpet at the Frost School of Music and four alumni of the University of Miami received Grammy Awards during the 62nd annual ceremony that was held Sunday in Los Angeles.
Brian Lynch, jazz trumpet professor, was honored in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble. The Omni-American Book Club by the Brian Lynch Big Band features Frost students and alumni and was recorded in one of the school’s state-of-the-art recording studios.
“I am completely blown away and extremely gratified to have been awarded this honor and in such distinguished company,” Lynch said. “This Grammy award for Best Jazz Large Ensemble Album is really an award for all of us here at Frost, for I could not have made this project without the help of everyone here in my Frost family.”
Lynch said the album was truly “Frost built” since it involved students, alumni, and faculty members, and it was recorded in the Weeks Studio.
Shelton G. Berg, dean of the Frost School, said Lynch is “one of the world’s greats as a jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger, and richly deserving of the Grammy Award for his innovative, erudite, and most of all, highly artistic recording.”
The album, Berg said, provides “the full value of Lynch's endlessly curious approach to life, imbued with his varied musical influences, from Afro-Cuban to Hard Bop. I couldn’t be prouder of Brian, and the fact that most of the personnel on this Grammy-winning recording are Frost School of Music students and alums, and the project was recorded in one of the school's state-of-the-art studios is a fantastic achievement.”
Frost alumni who also were honored with a Grammy Award this year include:
Best Classical Instrumental Solo—Marsalis: Violin Concerto Fiddle Dance Suite, Cristian Macelaru, B.M. ’03, Instrumental Performance
Best Latin Pop Album—#El Disco: Alejandro Sanz and Julio Reyes Copello, M.M. ’00, Media Writing & Production (album producer); Carlos Fernando Lopez, B.M. ’12, Media Writing & Production, Current Graduate Student (album arranger, engineer); Natalia Ramirez, M.A. ’17, Presenting & Live Entertainment Management (album engineer)
