Predicting the jazz Western Canadian Music Awards: 2022
Looking at 4 categories with BC-based jazz artist nominees
How many of this year's Western Canadian Music Award (WCMA) nominees for jazz can you name? I made jazz Juno predictions for you over the last 2 months and did okay. I thought we'd do it again!
In 2022, there are four categories at the WCMAs with jazz-related artist nominees. However, not all of them are full of jazz. We'll look at all five nominees in Jazz Artist of the Year, but for the other three relevant categories, we'll simply predict: will our artist(s) win, yes or no?
The ceremony won't happen for quite a while – September 28 to October 2 is when BreakOut West will happen – but the nominees are out now, so let's check them out:
- How likely is it to win the award? (My opinion, doesn't mean I want the album to win)
- What's something great about it?
- What's my favourite track?
Then at the end, I'll round up my predictions.
Jazz Artist of the Year
Al Muirhead
Will Chernoff
- How likely: I love this one (it was in my Juno nomination snubs), but I don't think so here. It's too classy, all steak and no sizzle.
- Something great: the band plays "Joy Spring". Clifford Brown originated "Joy Spring" in 1954. Al Muirhead started his career before that, in 1953.
- Favourite track: "Tenor Madness"
Update: this project won! I'm happy to have been wrong...
Erin Propp & Larry Roy
Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 3, 2023
- How likely: I don't know, there's so much straight-ahead material in the category that it'd be a statement. At its best, it sounds like Joni Mitchell – or I guess Laila Biali.
- Something great: the personnel is amazing, with everyone from Joey Landreth to Larnell Lewis to members of Will Bonness' recent Juno-winning band.
- Favourite track: "Farther On"
Esteban Herrera Quintet
- How likely: has to be a favourite, as it's the only project that also earned a Juno nomination.
- Something great: it's party music.
- Favourite track: "The Poet"
Ryan Oliver
Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 17, 2022
- How likely: chalk up one nomination for Cellar Music, but even this project isn't the most epic large-ensemble effort in the category. I hate to say it, but it's not going to win.
- Something great: just beautifully recorded and executed, don't know what else to say.
- Favourite track: "For You"
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
Bandcamp New & Notable May 30, 2023
- How likely: This one's more epic. I'm kicking myself for not finding time to review this project when it was sent to me, so with that bias, I think it's the winner.
- Something great: the arrangements have real range, moving from one place to a completely different one like a play with great actors.
- Favourite track: "Dialogue"
Global Artist of the Year - Omianan
Will Chernoff
- How likely: I doubt it, but it's cool that it happened. They're up against an Inuit pop singer, a South American folk-rock band, a Spanish-language folk and jazz group from Calgary, and a Ghanaian hip-hop artist.
- Something great: the quiet moments of the arrangements, which I likened to that feeling when a rock show gets to a soft part and you can really hear your ears ring.
- Favourite track: “Bent But Not Broken”
Follow-up: they indeed didn't win; Andino Suns did.
Instrumental Artist of the Year: two jazz nominees
This category is such an odd mix of genres; the two nominees below are up against what I'd describe as electronic rock, Mozambican dance-folk (which seems to have vocals?), and sitar music.
Keanu Ienco - Celestial Desire
Will Chernoff
- How likely: it's a no from me. Keanu's music is a bit of an acquired taste, and although I think it's a good project by a kind young man, it will polarize the committee that decides the winner.
- Something great: Keanu recorded the guitars himself.
- Favourite track: "I Still Shine"
Waxwing - Flicker Down
sagov
- How likely: a favourite. I've not previously covered the trio of Jon Bentley, Peggy Lee, and Tony Wilson on Rhythm Changes, but they certainly have a strong reputation. This is their third album, coming 15 years after the first, and it's their only WCMA nomination of the three.
- Something great: track one is a seven-minute work; then there are seventeen more tracks which are all shorter. Pretty cool!
- Favourite track: "Flicker Down"
Follow-up: Waxwing didn't win; Astrocolor did. Swing and a miss!
Classical Composer of the Year - Fred Stride
Will Chernoff
- How likely: I know: what the heck? Yes, Fred is up against actual classical composers, because there's no award for jazz composers. But think about this: the fact that he's been brought into this category in the first place, despite the oddity, suggests there's some chance he'll win.
- Something great: Fred put all the thought and care you'd expect into each movement, from the wide range of moods right down to their names.
- Favourite track: “Saskatchesports” just has the greatest title.
Follow-up: Fred didn't win; Dorothy Chang did.
My 2022 WCMAs predictions
- Jazz Artist of the Year: Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
- Omianan for Global Artist of the Year: no
- Instrumental Artist of the Year: Waxwing
- Fred Stride for Classical Composer of the Year: no
Follow-up: how I did
- Jazz Artist of the Year:
Winnipeg Jazz OrchestraAl Muirhead - Omianan for Global Artist of the Year: no - got it!
- Instrumental Artist of the Year:
WaxwingAstrocolor - Fred Stride for Classical Composer of the Year: no - got it!
What do you think?
PS. Regarding the industry awards, I'm rooting for Sheldon Zaharko to win the Audio Engineering Award! Follow-up: he did!
