# Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance

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) | Work | Nominees |
| 1959 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook | Jonah Jones – Jumpin' with Jonah Matty Matlock – "Dixieland Story" George Shearing – Burnished Brass Jonah Jones – Baubles, Bangles and Beads |
| 1960 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Swings Lightly | Red Norvo – "Red Norvo in Hi-Fi" Andre Previn – "Like Young" Ruby Braff – "Easy Now" Bobby Troup – Bobby Troup and His Stars of Jazz Urbie Green – Best of New Broadway Show Hits |
| 1972 | Bill Evans Trio | The Bill Evans Album | Jimmy Rushing – The You and Me That Used to Be Earl Hines – Quintessential Recording Session Phil Woods – Phil Woods and his European Rhythm Machine at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival Larry Coryell – "Gypsy Queen" Dizzy Gillespie – Portrait of Jenny Carmen McRae – Carmen McRae |
| 1973 | Gary Burton | Alone at Last | Sonny Stitt – Tune-Up! Freddie Hubbard – The Hub of Hubbard McCoy Tyner – Sahara Tom Scott – Great Scott |
| 1974 | Art Tatum | God Is in the House | Ray Brown – "The Very Thought of You" Clifford Brown – The Beginning and the End Hubert Laws – Morning Star Freddie Hubbard – "In a Mist" |
| 1975 | Charlie Parker | First Recordings! | Keith Jarrett – Solo-Concerts McCoy Tyner – "Naima" Hubert Laws – In the Beginning Freddie Hubbard – High Energy |
| 1976 | Dizzy Gillespie | Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie | Phineas Newborn Jr. – Solo Piano Phil Woods – Images John Coltrane – Giant Steps (First Release of Alternate Take) Jim Hall – Concierto |
| 1977 | Count Basie | Basie & Zoot | Art Tatum – Works of Art Phil Woods – The New Phil Woods Album Jaco Pastorius – "Donna Lee" Jim Hall – Commitment Clark Terry – Clark Terry and His Jolly Giants |
| 1978 | Oscar Peterson | The Giants | Phil Woods – The Phil Woods Six-Live from The Showboat Jaco Pastorius – Heavy Weather John Coltrane – Afro Blue Impressions Hank Jones – Bop Redux |
| 1979 | Oscar Peterson | Oscar Peterson Jam – Montreux '77 | Stan Getz – Stan Getz Gold Dexter Gordon – Sophisticated Giant Woody Shaw – Rosewood Al Cohn and Jimmy Rowles – Heavy Love |
| 1980 | Oscar Peterson | Jousts | Zoot Sims – Warm Tenor Pepper Adams – Reflectory Paul Desmond – Paul Desmond Dexter Gordon – Manhattan Symphonie |
| 1981 | Bill Evans | I Will Say Goodbye | Phil Woods – The Phil Woods Quartet - Volume One Hank Jones – I Remember You Jimmy Knepper – Cunningbird Pepper Adams – Chasin' the Bird |
| 1982 | John Coltrane | Bye Bye Blackbird | Pepper Adams – The Master...Pepper Adams Ira Sullivan – The Incredible Ira Sullivan Pete Christlieb – Self Portrait Jimmy Rowles – Music's The Only Thing That's On My Mind |
| 1983 | Miles Davis | We Want Miles | Wynton Marsalis – Wynton Marsalis Tommy Flanagan – The Magnificent Tommy Flanagan Ira Sullivan – Night and Day Jimmy Rowles – Jimmy Rowles Plays Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn |
| 1984 | Wynton Marsalis | Think of One | Chick Corea – Trio Music Sonny Stitt – The Last Stitt Sessions, Vol. 1 Art Blakey – Keystone 3 Phil Woods – At the Vanguard |
| 1985 | Wynton Marsalis | Hot House Flowers | Tommy Flanagan – Thelonica Zoot Sims – Quietly There Pepper Adams & Kenny Wheeler – Live at Fat Tuesday's Ira Sullivan – Ira Sullivan... Does It All |
| 1986 | Wynton Marsalis | Black Codes (From the Underground) | Dizzy Gillespie – "Sing Joy Spring" James Moody – "Meet Benny Bailey" Stanley Jordan – Magic Touch Miles Davis – "Human Nature" |
| 1987 | Miles Davis | Tutu | Branford Marsalis – Royal Garden Blues Wynton Marsalis – "Insane Asylum" Dizzy Gillespie – Closer to the Source Eddie Daniels – Breakthrough |
| 1988 | Dexter Gordon | The Other Side of Round Midnight | Eddie Daniels – To Bird with Love Wynton Marsalis – Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. I Branford Marsalis – "Cottontail" |
| 1989 | Michael Brecker | Don't Try This at Home | Wynton Marsalis – The Wynton Marsalis Quartet Live at Blues Alley Branford Marsalis – Random Abstract Miles Davis – Music from Siesta Rob Wasserman – Duets |
| 1990 | Miles Davis | Aura | Wynton Marsalis – The Majesty of the Blues Chick Corea – "Sophisticated Lady" John Patitucci – "Bessie's Blues" André Previn – After Hours |
| 1991 | Oscar Peterson | The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note | Miles Davis – The Hot Spot Branford Marsalis – Crazy People Music George Benson – "Basie's Bag" Stan Getz – Anniversary! |
| 1992 | Stan Getz | "I Remember You" | Dave Grusin – "How Long Has This Been Going On?" Jean "Toots" Thielemans – "Bluesette" David Sanborn – "Another Hand" Phil Woods – "All Bird's Children" |
| 1993 | Joe Henderson | "Lush Life" | Kenny Barron & Stan Getz – "Soul Eyes" Miles Davis – "Fantasy" Wynton Marsalis – "Blue Interlude" Randy Brecker – "Above and Below" |
| 1994 | Joe Henderson | "Miles Ahead" | Benny Carter – "The More I See You" Phil Woods – "Nostalgico" Herbie Hancock – "Brasil (Aquarela Do Brasil)" Lee Ritenour – "4 on 6" |
| 1995 | Benny Carter | "Prelude to a Kiss" | Wayne Shorter – "Pinocchio" Chick Corea – "Lush Life" Charlie Haden – "Alone Together" Michael Brecker – "African Skies" |
| 1996 | Michael Brecker | "Impressions" | Eliane Elias & Herbie Hancock – "The Way You Look Tonight" Kenny Barron – "Take the Coltrane" Charlie Haden & Hank Jones – "Go Down Moses" Pete Christlieb – "But Beautiful" |
| 1997 | Michael Brecker | "Cabin Fever" | Charlie Haden – "Now is the Hour" Joe Lovano – "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" Horace Silver – "Diggin' on Dexter" Gonzalo Rubalcaba – "Agua de Beber" |
| 1998 | Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton | "Stardust" | Buddy DeFranco – "You Must Believe in Swing" Antonio Hart – "The Community" Tommy Flanagan – "Dear Old Stockholm" Brad Mehldau – "Blame It On My Youth" |
| 1999 | Gary Burton & Chick Corea | "Rhumbata" | Randy Brecker – "My Funny Valentine" David Liebman – "My Favorite Things" Kenny Barron – "For Heaven's Sake" Benny Golson – "Body and Soul" |
| 2000 | Wayne Shorter | "In Walked Wayne" | Gary Burton – "Straight Up and Down" Chick Corea – "Wigwam" Stefon Harris – "There Is No Greater Love" Chris Potter – "In Vogue" |
| 2001 | Pat Metheny | "(Go) Get It" | Kenny Barron – "Passion Dance" Terence Blanchard – "I Thought About You" Michael Brecker – "Outrance" Keith Jarrett – "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" |
| 2002 | Michael Brecker | "Chan's Song" | Kenny Barron and Regina Carter – "Fragile" Terence Blanchard – "Lost in a Fog" Gary Burton – "Move" Pat Martino – "All Blues" |
| 2003 | Herbie Hancock | "My Ship" | Michael Brecker – "Naima" Pete Christlieb – "Chelsea Bridge" Tommy Flanagan – "Sunset & the Mockingbird" Pat Metheny – "Proof" |
| 2004 | Chick Corea | "Matrix" | Joey DeFrancesco – "All or Nothing at All" Keith Jarrett – "Butch and Butch" Pat Martino – "Africa" Mike Melvoin – "All or Nothing at All" |
| 2005 | Herbie Hancock | "Speak Like a Child" | Alan Broadbent – "What's New" Don Byron – "I Want To Be Happy" Donny McCaslin – "Bulería, Soleá y Rumba" John Scofield – "Wee" |
| 2006 | Sonny Rollins | "Why Was I Born?" | Alan Broadbent – "Round Midnight" Ravi Coltrane – "Away" Herbie Hancock – "The Source" Branford Marsalis – "A Love Supreme -- Acknowledgement" |
| 2007 | Michael Brecker | "Some Skunk Funk" | Paquito D'Rivera – "Paq Man" Taylor Eigsti – "Freedom Jazz Dance" Roy Haynes – "Hippidy Hop" (Drum Solo) Branford Marsalis – "Hope" |
| 2008 | Michael Brecker | "Anagram" | Terence Blanchard – "Levees" Herbie Hancock – "Both Sides Now" Hank Jones – "Lullaby" Paul McCandless – "1000 Kilometers" |
| 2009 | Terence Blanchard | "Be-Bop" | Till Brönner – "Seven Steps to Heaven" Gary Burton & Chick Corea – "Waltz for Debby" Pat Metheny – "Son of Thirteen" James Moody – "Be–Bop" |
| 2010 | Terence Blanchard | "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" |
| 2017 | 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" |
| 2020 | Randy Brecker | "Sozinho" | Melissa Aldana – "Elsewhere" Julian Lage – "Tomorrow Is The Question" Branford Marsalis – "The Windup" Christian McBride – "Sightseeing" |
| 2021 | Chick Corea | "All Blues" | Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – "Guinevere" Regina Carter – "Pachamama" Gerald Clayton – "Celia" Joshua Redman – "Moe Honk" |
| 2022 | Chick Corea | "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" |