The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance has been awarded since 1959. Before 1979 the award title did not specify instrumental performances and was presented for instrumental or vocal performances. The award has had several minor name changes:
In 1959 the award was known as Best Jazz Performance, Individual In 1960 it was awarded as Best Jazz Performance - Soloist From 1961 to 1971 the award was combined with the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group From 1972 to 1978 it was awarded as Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist From 1979 to 1988 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist From 1989 to 1990 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance Soloist (on a jazz recording) In 1991 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist From 1992 to 2008 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Solo From 2009 to 2023, it was awarded as Best Improvised Jazz Solo Since 2024, it has been awarded as Best Jazz Performance
Recipients
Year Performing artist(s) WorkNomineesRef.1959Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook 1960 Ella Swings Lightly 1972 Bill Evans Trio The Bill Evans Album 1973 Gary Burton Alone at Last 1974 Art Tatum God Is in the House 1975 Charlie Parker First Recordings! 1976 Dizzy Gillespie Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie 1977 Count Basie Basie & Zoot 1978Oscar Peterson The Giants 1979 Oscar Peterson Jam – Montreux '77 1980 Jousts 1981 Bill Evans I Will Say Goodbye 1982 John Coltrane Bye Bye Blackbird 1983 Miles Davis We Want Miles 1984Wynton Marsalis Think of One 1985 Hot House Flowers 1986 Black Codes (From the Underground) 1987 Miles Davis Tutu 1988 Dexter Gordon The Other Side of Round Midnight 1989 Michael Brecker Don't Try This at Home 1990 Miles Davis Aura 1991 Oscar Peterson The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note 1992 Stan Getz "I Remember You" 1993Joe Henderson "Lush Life" 1994 "Miles Ahead" 1995 Benny Carter "Prelude to a Kiss" 1996Michael Brecker "Impressions" 1997 "Cabin Fever" 1998 Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton "Stardust" 1999 Gary Burton & Chick Corea "Rhumbata" 2000 Wayne Shorter "In Walked Wayne" 2001 Pat Metheny "(Go) Get It" 2002 Michael Brecker "Chan's Song" 2003 Herbie Hancock "My Ship" 2004 Chick Corea "Matrix" 2005 Herbie Hancock "Speak Like a Child" 2006 Sonny Rollins "Why Was I Born?" 2007 Michael Brecker "Some Skunk Funk" 2008 "Anagram" 2009 Terence Blanchard "Be-Bop" 2010 "Dancin' 4 Chicken" Gerald Clayton – "All Of You" Roy Hargrove – "Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey" Martial Solal – "On Green Dolphin Street" Miguel Zenón – "Villa Palmeras"2011 Herbie Hancock "A Change Is Gonna Come" Alan Broadbent – "Solar" Keith Jarrett – "Body and Soul" Hank Jones – "Lonely Woman" Wynton Marsalis – "Van Gogh"2012 Chick Corea "500 Miles High" Randy Brecker – "All or Nothing at All" Ron Carter – "You Are My Sunshine" Fred Hersch – "Work" Sonny Rollins – "Sonnymoon for Two" 2013 Gary Burton & Chick Corea "Hot House" Ravi Coltrane – "Cross Roads" Chick Corea – "Alice in Wonderland" Kenny Garrett – "J. Mac" Brad Mehldau – "Ode"2014 Wayne Shorter "Orbits" Terence Blanchard – "Don't Run" Paquito D'Rivera – "Song for Maura" Fred Hersch – "Song Without Words #4: Duet" Donny McCaslin – "Stadium Jazz"2015 Chick Corea "Fingerprints" Kenny Barron – "The Eye of the Hurricane" Fred Hersch – "You & the Night & the Music" Joe Lovano – "Recorda Me" Brad Mehldau – "Sleeping Giant"2016 Christian McBride "Cherokee" Joey Alexander – "Giant Steps" Donny McCaslin – "Arbiters of Evolution" Joshua Redman – "Friend or Foe" John Scofield – "Past Present"Billboard.com, 7 December 20152017 John Scofield "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" Joey Alexander – "Countdown" Ravi Coltrane – "In Movement" Fred Hersch – "We See" Brad Mehldau – "I Concentrate on You"2018 John McLaughlin "Miles Beyond" Sara Caswell – "Can't Remember Why" Billy Childs – "Dance of Shiva" Fred Hersch – "Whisper Not" Chris Potter – "Ilimba"2019 John Daversa "Don't Fence Me In" Regina Carter – "Some Of That Sunshine" Fred Hersch – "We See" Brad Mehldau – "De-Dah" Miguel Zenón – "Cadenas"Grammy.com, 7 December 20182020 Randy Brecker "Sozinho" Melissa Aldana – "Elsewhere" Julian Lage – "Tomorrow Is The Question" Branford Marsalis – "The Windup" Christian McBride – "Sightseeing"Grammy.com, 22 November 20192021 Chick Corea "All Blues" Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – "Guinevere" Regina Carter – "Pachamama" Gerald Clayton – "Celia" Joshua Redman – "Moe Honk"Grammy.com, 24 November 20202022 "Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)" Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – "Sackodougou" Kenny Barron – "Kick Those Feet" Jon Batiste – "Bigger Than Us" Terence Blanchard – "Absence"2023 Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese (soloist) "Endangered Species" Ambrose Akinmusire – "Rounds (Live)" Gerald Albright – "Keep Holding On" Melissa Aldana – "Falling" Marcus Baylor – "Call of the Drum" John Beasley – "Cherokee/Koko"2024 Samara Joy"Tight" Adam Blackstone featuring the Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté – "Vulnerable (Live)" Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding – "But Not for Me" Jon Batiste – "Movement 18' (Heroes)" Lakecia Benjamin – "Basquiat" 2025 Samara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" The Baylor Project – "Walk With Me, Lord (SOUND | SPIRIT)" Lakecia Benjamin featuring Randy Brecker, Jeff "Tain" Watts, & John Scofield – "Phoenix Reimagined (Live)" Chick Corea & Béla Fleck – "Juno" Dan Pugach Big Band featuring Nicole Zuraitis & Troy Roberts – "Little Fears"2026Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade "Windows - Live" Lakecia Benjamin ft. Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield - Noble Rise Samara Joy - Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True Michael Mayo - Four Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth - All Stars Lead To You - Live
Artists with multiple wins 8 wins Chick Corea
4 wins Oscar Peterson
3 wins Gary Burton Miles Davis Wynton Marsalis Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter
2 wins Ella Fitzgerald Dizzy Gillespie Joe Henderson Samara Joy Christian McBride
Artists with multiple nominations 15 nominations Chick Corea
10 nominations Wynton Marsalis
8 nominations Phil Woods
7 nominations Miles Davis Branford Marsalis Kenny Barron Herbie Hancock
6 nominations Gary Burton
5 nominations Dizzy Gillespie Hank Jones Randy Brecker Brad Mehldau
4 nominations Keith Jarrett Oscar Peterson Stan Getz Pepper Adams Tommy Flanagan Wayne Shorter
3 nominations John Coltrane Freddie Hubbard Dexter Gordon Jimmy Rowles Ira Sullivan Pete Christlieb Charlie Haden Pat Metheny Alan Broadbent
2 nominations Ella Fitzgerald Jonah Jones Andre Previn Bill Evans Jim Hall Art Tatum Sonny Stitt McCoy Tyner Hubert Laws Jaco Pastorius Zoot Sims Eddie Daniels Joe Henderson Benny Carter Joe Lovano Pat Martino Sonny Rollins Samara Joy
References