As contemporary instrumental music continues to fuse genres in new ways, The Recording Academy celebrates its evolution with the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album field.
In this category for the 2023 GRAMMYs, the nominees are Jeff Coffin's Between Dreaming And Joy, DOMi & JD Beck's Not Tight, Grant Geissman's Blooz, Brad Mehldau's Jacob's Ladder, and Snarky Puppy's Empire Central — and you can hear all of the nominees in one playlist below.
Saxophonist and composer Jeff Coffin expertly blends jazz, pop and funky textures on Between Dreaming And Joy, inspiring awe with the smooth protagonism of his saxophone.
Instrumental hip hop blooms into jazzy serenity on DOMi & JD Beck's Not Tight, which packs standout features from Anderson .Paak, Thundercat, Mac DeMarco, Snoop Dogg, and more. The duo is also nominated for Best New Artist in 2023.
On Blooz, jazz bursts with color and spirit from guitarist and composer Grant Geissman; his instrumental album makes for a breezy, jaunty listen.
Pianist Brad Mehldau gets experimental on Jacob's Ladder, unlocking vivacity with his traditional post-bop artistry along with opting for softer, more classical tracks.
Striking gold with their signature pioneering creativity, jam band Snarky Puppy whirls with soul and funk on Empire Central.
Listen to all of the above albums in this immersive playlist of the Contemporary Instrumental Music GRAMMY nominees at the 2023 GRAMMYs. Check it out on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
Playlist powered by GRAMMY U.