Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

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The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991, the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented for works released in the previous year.

Awarded forquality large jazz ensemble albums

CountryUnited States

Presented byNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

First award1961

Quick facts Awarded for, Country ...

Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Awarded for	quality large jazz ensemble albums
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award	1961
Currently held by	Dan Pugach Big Band – Bianca Reimagined: Music For Paws And Persistence (2025)
Website	grammy.com

Name changes

The name of the award has been changed several times.

1961: Best Jazz Performance Large Group
1962–1963: Best Jazz Performance – Large Group (Instrumental)
1964: Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Large Group
1965–1971: Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Large Group or Soloist with Large Group
1972–1978: Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band
1979–1991: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
1992–2000: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance
2001–present: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Recipients

More information Year[I], Performing artist(s) ...

Year^[I]	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1961	Henry Mancini	The Blues and the Beat	Quincy Jones – The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones Count Basie – The Count Basie Story Miles Davis and Giles Evans – Sketches of Spain Gerry Mulligan – "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'"	^[1]
1962	Stan Kenton	Kenton's West Side Story	Gil Evans – Out of the Cool Dizzy Gillespie – Gillespiana Count Basie Orchestra – Basie at Birdland Andre Previn – "A Touch of Elegance"	^[2]
1963	Stan Kenton	Adventures in Jazz	Jimmy Smith – Walk on the Wild Side Count Basie – The Legend Miles Davis and Gil Evans – Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall Count Basie Orchestra and Duke Ellington Orchestra – First Time! Dizzy Gillespie – Carnegie Hall Concert Gary McFarland and Stan Getz – Big Band Bossa Nova	^[3]
1964	Woody Herman	Encore: Woody Herman, 1963	Miles Davis – Seven Steps to Heaven Quincy Jones – Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits Al Hirt – Our Man in New Orleans Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band – Gerry Mulligan '63 Oliver Nelson Orchestra – Full Nelson	^[4]
1965	Laurindo Almeida	Guitar from Ipanema	Woody Herman – Woody Herman '64 Gil Evans – The Individualism of Gil Evans Rod Levitt – The Dynamic Sound Patterns of the Rod Levitt Orchestra Quincy Jones – Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini Miles Davis and Gil Evans Orchestra – Quiet Nights Oscar Peterson and Nelson Riddle – Oscar Peterson and Nelson Riddle Shelly Manne – My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast	^[5]
1966	Duke Ellington	Ellington '66	Stan Getz – Mickey One Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller Conducting Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra – Love Theme from The Sandpiper Kenny Burrell and Gil Evans Orchestra – Guitar Forms Paul Horn – Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts Rod Levitt – Insight Wes Montgomery with String Orchestra – Bumpin'	^[6]
1967	Not awarded
1968	Duke Ellington	The Far East Suite	Woody Herman – Woody Live -- East and West Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – Live at the Village Vanguard Don Ellis Big Band – Live at Monterey Buddy Rich – Big Swing Face	^[7]
1969	Duke Ellington	...And His Mother Called Him Bill	Erroll Garner – Up In Erroll's Room Buddy Rich Big Band – Mercy, Mercy (Recorded Live at Caesars Palace) Don Ellis Big Band – Electric Bath Wes Montgomery – Down Here on the Ground Woody Herman – Concerto for Herd	^[8]
1970	Quincy Jones	Walking in Space	Don Ellis Big Band – The New Don Ellis Band Goes Underground Bob Wilber – The Music of Hoagy Carmichael Count Basie – Standing Ovation Woody Herman – Light My Fire Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – Central Park North Buddy Rich Orchestra – Buddy & Soul Gary McFarland – America the Beautiful	^[9]
1971	Miles Davis	Bitches Brew	Johnny Hodges – Three Shades of Blue World's Greatest Jazz Band – Live at The Roosevelt Grill Quincy Jones – Gula Matari Duke Ellington – Duke Ellington - 70th Birthday Concert Don Ellis Big Band – Don Ellis at Fillmore Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – Consummation Paul Desmond – Bridge Over Troubled Water	^[10]
1972	Duke Ellington	New Orleans Suite	Woody Herman – Woody Maynard Ferguson – M.F. Horn Count Basie – Afrique Buddy Rich – A Different Drummer	^[11]
1973	Duke Ellington	Togo Brava Suite	Gerry Mulligan – The Age of Steam Maynard Ferguson – M.F. Horn Two Don Ellis Big Band – Connection Kenny Clarke Francy Boland Big Band – All Smiles	^[12]
1974	Woody Herman	Giant Steps	Randy Weston – Tanjah Oliver Nelson – Swiss Suite Gil Evans – Svengali Don Ellis – Soaring	^[13]
1975	Woody Herman	Thundering Herd	Patrick Williams – Threshold Les Hooper – Look What They've Done Chuck Mangione – Land of Make Believe Don Sebesky – Giant Box	^[14]
1976	Michel Legrand & Phil Woods	Images	Bill Watrous and the Manhattan Wildlife Refuge – The Tiger of San Pedro Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – Potpourri Leon Breeden directing North Texas State University Lab Band – Lab '75 Clark Terry – Clark Terry's Big-B-A-D Band Live at The Wichita Jazz Festival	^[15]
1977	Duke Ellington	The Ellington Suites	Phil Woods – The New Phil Woods Album Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – New Life Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – Long Yellow Road Dizzy Gillespie and Machito – Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods	^[16]
1978	Count Basie	Prime Time	Woody Herman – The 40th Anniversary, Carnegie Hall Concert Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – Road Time Leon Breeden directing The North Texas State University Lab Band – Lab '76 Buddy Rich – Buddy Rich Plays and Plays and Plays	^[17]
1979	The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra	Live in Munich	Thad Jones – Thad Jones Greetings and Salutations Dexter Gordon – Sophisticated Giant Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – Insights Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass – Big Band Jazz	^[18]
1980	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live	Louis Bellson & The Explosion – Note Smoking Mel Lewis, Thad Jones and Umo – Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and UMO Mel Lewis and The Jazz Orchestra – Naturally Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – Kogun	^[19]
1981	Count Basie	On the Road	Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – Present Perfect Bob Florence Big Band – Live at Concerts by the Sea Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – Farewell Louis Bellson Big Band – Dynamite Mel Lewis and The Jazz Orchestra – Bob Brookmeyer Composer/Arranger	^[20]
1982	Gerry Mulligan	Walk on the Water	Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – Tribute Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – Tanuki's Night Out Panama Francis and The Savoy Sultans – Panama Francis and The Savoy Sultans - Vol. II Don Menza and His 80's Big Band – "Burnin' (Blues for Bird)"	^[21]
1983	Count Basie	Warm Breeze	Bob Florence Big Band – Westlake Woody Herman Band – Live at The Concord Jazz Festival 1981 Mel Lewis and The Jazz Orchestra – Make Me Smile and Other New Works by Bob Brookmeyer Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – Live in Digital	^[22]
1984	Rob McConnell	All in Good Time	Louis Bellson – The London Gig Bob Florence – Soaring Gil Evans – Priestess Count Basie – Farmer's Market Barbecue	^[23]
1985	Count Basie	88 Basie Street	Woody Herman Big Band – World Class Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra – Ten Gallon Shuffle The Carla Bley Band – Misterioso The Bob Florence Limited Edition – Magic Time	^[24]
1986	Bob Wilber & John Barry	The Cotton Club	George Russell and The Living Time Orchestra – The African Game Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band – March of the Tadpoles Louis Bellson – Don't Stop Now! Lionel Hampton – Ambassador at Large	^[25]
1987	Doc Severinsen	The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen	Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra – Sentimental Journey Benny Goodman and His Orchestra – Let's Dance Woody Herman and His Band – 50th Anniversary Tour Mel Lewis – 20 Years at The Village Vanguard	^[26]
1988	Mercer Ellington	Digital Duke	Woody Herman and His Big Band – Woody's Gold Star The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen – The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Volume II Louis Bellson and His Jazz Orchestra – Louis Bellson and His Jazz Orchestra Patrick Williams – 10th Avenue	^[27]
1989	Gil Evans	Bud and Bird	The Gene Harris All Star Big Band – Tribute to Count Basie Illinois Jacquet and His Big Band – Jacquet's Got It! Richard Stoltzman – Ebony Bill Holman – Bill Holman Band	^[28]
1990	Miles Davis	Aura	McCoy Tyner Big Band – Uptown/Downtown The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Frank Foster – The Legend, The Legacy Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra – The Definitive Thad Jones The Duke Ellington Orchestra conducted by Mercer Ellington – Music is My Mistress	^[29]
1991	Frank Foster	"Basie's Bag"	Bob Florence – Treasure Chest Mel Lewis – The Definitive Thad Jones (Volume 2: Live from the Village Vanguard) Lionel Hampton – Cookin' in the Kitchen Louis Bellson and His Jazz Orchestra – Airmail Special	^[30]
1992	Dizzy Gillespie	Live at the Royal Festival Hall	Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – The Brass is Back Jay McShann – Paris All-Star Blues (A Tribute to Charlie Parker) Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band – Once More with Feeling Charlie Haden – Dream Keeper Bob Mintzer – Art of the Big Band	^[31]
1993	McCoy Tyner	The Turning Point	Benny Carter Big Band and The Rutgers University Orchestra – Harlem Renaissance GRP All-Star Big Band – GRP All-Star Big Band Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra – Carnegie Hall Concert Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – Brassy and Sassy	^[32]
1994	Miles Davis & Quincy Jones	Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux	Johnny Otis and His Orchestra – Spirit of the Black Territory Bands Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – Our 25th Year Jimmy Heath – Little Man, Big Band Tom Scott conducting The GRP All-Star Big Band – Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band Live!	^[33]
1995	McCoy Tyner	Journey	Bob Mintzer Big Band – Only in New York Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra – Evanescence Toshiko Akiyoshi – Desert Lady / Fantasy Carla Bley – Big Band Theory	^[34]
1996	Tom Scott, GRP All-Star Big Band	All Blues	The Gerald Wilson Orchestra – State Street Sweet Joe Lovano – Rush Hour Steve Slagle (Mingus Big Band) – Gunslinging Birds The Bill Holman Band – A View from the Side	^[35]
1997	Grover Mitchell	Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild	Marcus Roberts with The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra – Portraits in Blue Mingus Big Band – Live in Time Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass – Even Canadians Get the Blues Maria Schneider Orchestra – Coming About	^[36]
1998	Joe Henderson	Big Band	J.J. Johnson – The Brass Orchestra Phil Woods and The Festival Orchestra – Celebration! The Bill Holman Band – Brilliant Corners Anthony Wilson – Anthony Wilson	^[37]
1999	Grover Mitchell, Count Basie Orchestra	Count Plays Duke	The Gerald Wilson Orchestra – Theme for Monterey Jon Faddis – Remembrances The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra – Lickety Split - Music of Jim McNeely Bill Holman and The Netherlands Metropole Orchestra – Further Adventures	^[38]
2000	Bob Florence	Serendipity 18	Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra – Far East Suite Tom Harrell – Time's Mirror Vince Mendoza – Epiphany Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-Star Orchestra – Inspiration	^[39]
2001	Joe Lovano	52nd Street Themes	Buddy Collette Big Band – The Buddy Collette Big Band In Concert - The Music Of William "Buddy" Collette The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra & Jim McNeely – Nice Work Sam Rivers' Rivbea All-Star Orchestra – Culmination Maria Schneider Orchestra – Allégresse	^[40]
2002	Bob Mintzer Big Band	Homage to Count Basie	Eliane Elias, Bob Brookmeyer and the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra – Impulsive! Rob McConnell Tentet – Rob McConnell Tentet Jim McNeely Tentet – Group Therapy Nicholas Payton – Dear Louis	^[41]
2003	Dave Holland	What Goes Around	Slide Hampton and SWR Big Band – Jazz Matinee Mingus Big Band – Tonight at Noon... Three or Four Shades of Love Sammy Nestico – This Is the Moment Vanguard Jazz Orchestra – Can I Persuade You?	^[42]
2004	Michael Brecker	Wide Angles	Wayne Bergeron Big Band – You Call This a Living? The Carla Bley Big Band – Looking for America Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band – XXL Gerald Wilson Orchestra – New York, New Sound	^[43]
2005	Maria Schneider	Concert in the Garden	Bob Brookmeyer New Art Orchestra – Get Well Soon John LaBarbera Big Band – On The Wild Side David Sánchez – Coral The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra – The Way: Music of Slide Hampton	^[44]
2006	Dave Holland	Overtime	John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble – A Blessing The Bill Holman Band – Bill Holman Band: Live Mingus Big Band, Orchestra & Dynasty – I Am Three The Chris Walden Big Band – Home of My Heart	^[45]
2007	Randy Brecker with Michael Brecker, Jim Beard, Will Lee, Peter Erskine, Marcio Doctor & Vince Mendoza conducting The WDR Big Band Köln	Some Skunk Funk	Bob Brookmeyer and the New Art Orchestra – Spirit Music The Joe Lovano Ensemble – Streams of Expression Mingus Big Band – Live In Tokyo At The Blue Note The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra – Up From The Skies, Music of Jim McNeely	^[46]
2008	Terence Blanchard	A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)	Bob Florence – Eternal Licks & Grooves: Limited Edition The Bill Holman Band – Hommage Maria Schneider Orchestra – Sky Blue Charles Tolliver Big Band – With Love	^[47]
2009	Vanguard Jazz Orchestra	Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard	Vince Mendoza – Blauklang Joe Lovano with WDR Big Band & Rundfunk Orchestra – Symphonica Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band – Act Your Age Carla Bley and Her Remarkable Big Band – Appearing Nightly	^[48]
2010	New Orleans Jazz Orchestra	Book One	Bob Florence Limited Edition – Legendary John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble – Eternal Interlude Sammy Nestico and The SWR Big Band – Fun Time University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band – Lab 2009	^[49]
2011	Mingus Big Band	Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard	Darcy James Argue's Secret Society – Infernal Machines Billy Childs Ensemble featuring the Ying String Quartet – Autumn: In Moving Pictures Jazz – Chamber Music Vol. 2 Dave Holland Octet – Pathways Metropole Orkest, John Scofield & Vince Mendoza – 54	^[50]
2012	Christian McBride Big Band	The Good Feeling	Randy Brecker with DR Big Band – The Jazz Ballad Song Book Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – 40 Acres and a Burro Gerald Wilson Orchestra – Legacy Miguel Zenón – Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook	^[51]
2013	Arturo Sandoval	Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)	Gil Evans Project – Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans Bob Mintzer Big Band – For the Moment	^[52]
2014	Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik Trio, Kalisz Philharmonic	Night in Calisia	Darcy James Argue's Secret Society – Brooklyn Babylon Brussels Jazz Orchestra Featuring Joe Lovano – Wild Beauty Alan Ferber – March Sublime Dave Slonaker Big Band – Intrada	^[53]
2015	Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band	Life in the Bubble	Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – The L. A. Treasures Project Rufus Reid – Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project Archie Shepp Attica Blues Orchestra – Live: Hear the Sound Vanguard Jazz Orchestra – Overtime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer	^[54]
2016	Maria Schneider Orchestra	The Thompson Fields	Gil Evans Project – Lines of Color Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band – Köln Arturo O'Farrill & Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Cuba: The Conversation Continues Patrick Williams – Home Suite Home	^[55]
2017	Ted Nash Big Band	Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom	Darcy James Argue's Secret Society – Real Enemies John Beasley – Presents Monk'estra, Volume 1 John Daversa – Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles Bob Mintzer – All L. A. Band	^[56]
2018	Christian McBride Big Band	Bringin' It	John Beasley – Monk'estra Vol. 2 Alan Ferber Big Band – Jigsaw Vince Mendoza & the WDR Big Band Cologne – Homecoming Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge – Whispers on the Wind	^[57]
2019	John Daversa Big Band featuring DACA Artists	American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom	Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart – All About That Basie Orrin Evans & the Captain Black Big Band – Presence John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble – All Can Work Jim McNeely & the Frankfurt Radio Big Band – Barefoot Dances and Other Visions	^[58]
2020	Brian Lynch Big Band	The Omni-American Book Club	Anat Cohen Tentet - Triple Helix Miho Hazama - Dancer In Nowhere Mike Holober & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra - Hiding Out Terraza Big Bang - One Day Wonder	^[59]
2021	Maria Schneider Orchestra	Data Lords	Gregg August - Dialogues on Race John Beasley - MONK'estra Plays John Beasley Orrin Evans & the Captain Black Big Band - The Intangible Between John Hollenbeck with Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, Gary Versace & the Frankfurt Radio Big Band - Songs You Like A Lot	^[60]
2022	Christian McBride Big Band	For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver	The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart – Live at Birdland! Jazzmeia Horn and her Noble Force – Dear Love Sun Ra Arkestra – Swirling Yellowjackets + WDR Big Band – Jackets XL	^[61]
2023	Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson & the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra	The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra	John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren & the SWR Big Band – Bird Lives Ron Carter & the Jazzaar Festival Big Band directed by Christian Jacob – Remembering Bob Freedman Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & the WDR Big Band conducted by Michael Abene – Center Stage Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows – Architecture of Storms	^[62]
2024	Count Basie Orchestra conducted by Scotty Barnhart	Basie Swings The Blues	ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vincent & Emilio Solla – The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute - Ritmo Darcy James Argue's Secret Society – Dynamic Maximum Tension Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest – Olympians Mingus Big Band – The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions	^[63]
2025	Dan Pugach Big Band	Bianca Reimagined: Music For Paws And Persistence	John Beasley & Frankfurt Radio Big Band – Returning To Forever The Clayton–Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – And So It Goes Orrin Evans & the Captain Black Big Band – Walk A Mile In My Shoe Miguel Zenón – Golden City	^[64]
2026	Christian McBride Big Band	Without Further Ado, Vol 1	The 8-Bit Big Band - Orchestrator Emulator Christian McBride Big Band - Without Further Ado, Vol 1 Danilo Pérez & Bohuslän Big Band - Lumen Deborah Silver & The Count Basie Orchestra - Basie Rocks Sun Ra Arkestra - Lights on a Satellite Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra & Frost Jazz Orchestra - Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores	^[65]^[66]

Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Name changes

Recipients

See also

References

Sources

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