Grammy Nomination

I have officially been nominated for a 2021 Grammy in the category “Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella” for my arrangement of “Uranus” from my new record “The Planets: Reimagined.”

To say it’s a little surreal is an understatement. I started this record over three years ago, with an idea to bring a fresh take on Gustav Holst’s spectacular suite “The Planets.” For a while, I wasn’t sure if it was a crazy idea, but I stuck to my vision. After releasing the record this Summer, I’ve been overjoyed to see it find an audience in this very strange year of 2020. Knowing that it has brought real joy to people in a turbulent year reminds me of the power of music and the need to create art.

Now, being honored by my peers, I am ecstatic. But, I didn’t get here alone. I need to thank Alex Budman for co-producing this record with me. Alex and I have led the Budman/Levy Orchestra over the past 10 years. Given the state of large ensemble jazz, the band has been off and on again. When I started writing this project, I realized it was going to have to be a solo project. But, Alex kindly understood and offered to be involved in any way he could. His fine attention to the smallest musical details really brought out the best performances during the recording process.

Next, a huge thanks to Grammy-winning composer John Daversa, for inviting me back to my alma mater at University of Miami. He allowed me to workshop and premiere “The Planets: Reimagined” with the Frost Concert Jazz Band. His students did such a wonderful job interpreting the music, and it allowed me to really dial in the fine details.

Of course, I really need to thank Jamey Tate. He graciously allowed me to use his studio to track the rhythm section, along with his wife U-Jung’s beautiful Steinway grand piano. He also recorded and mixed the promo audio I used to fundraise on Kickstarter.

Last, a huge thanks to Steve Baughman for his amazing mixing and mastering. I have very high production standards for these records, and Steve was able to make everything sound better than I could have imagined.

Of course, the incredible band I assembled for this recording made this all possible. I am incredibly lucky to work with so many talented people in the music business. Building these friendships over the past 14 years in Los Angeles has been incredibly important to me.

Good luck to all the other nominated artists, and I’m looking forward to a terrific ceremony in January!