Best Jazz Performance

23rd Annual Grammy Awards • 1981

Honoring recordings released between Aug 31, 1979 and Aug 30, 1980

Bill Evans won the 1981 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance with "I Will Say Goodbye"

Winners & Nominees 1981

Winner
Nominees

  • I Will Say Goodbye

    Bill Evans

  • Chasin' The Bird (Album)

    Pepper Adams

  • Cunningbird (Album)

    Jimmy Knepper

  • Hank Jones

    I Remember You (Album)

    Hank Jones

  • Phil Woods

    The Phil Woods Quartet - Volume One (Album)

    Phil Woods

Previous Winners

Year Winner Work
2026 Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brian Blade Windows - Live All Nominees
2025 Samara Joy, Sullivan Fortner Twinkle Twinkle Little Me All Nominees
2024 Samara Joy Tight All Nominees
2023 Wayne Shorter, Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese, Leo Genovese Endangered Species All Nominees
2022 Chick Corea Humpty Dumpty (Set 2) All Nominees
2021 Chick Corea All Blues All Nominees
2020 Randy Brecker Sozinho All Nominees
2019 John Daversa Don't Fence Me In All Nominees
2018 John McLaughlin Miles Beyond All Nominees
2017 John Scofield I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry All Nominees
2016 Christian McBride Cherokee All Nominees
2015 Chick Corea Fingerprints All Nominees
2014 Wayne Shorter Orbits All Nominees
2013 Gary Burton, Chick Corea Hot House All Nominees
2012 Chick Corea 500 Miles High All Nominees
2011 Herbie Hancock A Change Is Gonna Come All Nominees
2010 Terence Blanchard Dancin' 4 Chicken All Nominees
2009 Terence Blanchard Be-Bop All Nominees
2008 Michael Brecker Anagram All Nominees
2007 Michael Brecker Some Skunk Funk All Nominees
2006 Sonny Rollins Why Was I Born? All Nominees
2005 Herbie Hancock Speak Like A Child All Nominees
2004 Chick Corea Matrix All Nominees
2003 Herbie Hancock My Ship All Nominees
2002 Michael Brecker Chan's Song All Nominees
2001 Pat Metheny (Go) Get It All Nominees
2000 Wayne Shorter In Walked Wayne All Nominees
1999 Gary Burton, Chick Corea Rhumbata All Nominees
1998 Doc Cheatham, Nicholas Payton Stardust All Nominees
1997 Michael Brecker Cabin Fever All Nominees
1996 Michael Brecker Impressions All Nominees
1995 Benny Carter Prelude To A Kiss All Nominees
1994 Joe Henderson Miles Ahead All Nominees
1993 Joe Henderson Lush Life All Nominees
1992 Stan Getz I Remember You All Nominees
1991 Oscar Peterson The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live At The Blue Note All Nominees
1990 Miles Davis Aura All Nominees
1989 Michael Brecker Don't Try This At Home All Nominees
1988 Dexter Gordon The Other Side Of Round Midnight All Nominees
1987 Miles Davis Tutu All Nominees
1986 Wynton Marsalis Black Codes From The Underground All Nominees
1985 Wynton Marsalis Hot House Flowers All Nominees
1984 Wynton Marsalis Think Of One All Nominees
1983 Miles Davis We Want Miles All Nominees
1982 John Coltrane Bye Bye Blackbird All Nominees
1981 Bill Evans I Will Say Goodbye All Nominees
1980 Oscar Peterson Jousts All Nominees
1979 Oscar Peterson Montreaux '77 - Oscar Peterson Jam All Nominees
1978 Oscar Peterson The Giants All Nominees
1977 Count Basie Basie And Zoot All Nominees
1976 Dizzy Gillespie Oscar Peterson And Dizzy Gillespie All Nominees
1975 Charlie Parker First Recordings! All Nominees
1974 Art Tatum God Is In The House All Nominees
1973 Gary Burton Alone At Last All Nominees
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