My Ideal, the voice-and-piano duo album from pianist Sean Mason and vocalist Catherine Russell, has been nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 67th Grammy Awards. It is Sean's first Grammy nomination and Russell's third, following her nominations in the same category for Harlem On My Mind (2016) and Alone Together (2019).
The nomination arrives less than three months after My Ideal was released on Dot Time Records on August 23, 2024. The 67th Grammy Awards will take place on February 2, 2025.
THE CATEGORY
Russell and Mason share the Best Jazz Vocal Album category with Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento, Christie Dashiell, Samara Joy, and Kurt Elling with Sullivan Fortner.
WHY MY IDEAL STOOD OUT
Across 11 songs, My Ideal moves from the early days of jazz into the 1950s, with Mason's stride-rooted piano as the only accompaniment to Russell's voice. Since its release, the album has drawn coverage from DownBeat, The Arts Desk, Relix, and No Depression, along with a listening party on WNYC's All Of It with Alison Stewart. Critic Will Friedwald, who wrote the album's liner notes, called it a "modern classic," and No Depression singled out the duo's interplay as extraordinary. A selection of these reviews appears on Catherine Russell's My Ideal Grammy page.
IN THEIR WORDS
"I am deeply honored and thrilled by My Ideal's GRAMMY nomination," Sean said. "Collaborating with Catherine Russell has been a profound experience, as she brings such depth and authenticity to every note. I'm grateful to Catherine, the talented team behind this record, and the GRAMMY community for embracing it."
Russell called recording the album with Sean "a dream come true," in a statement shared with the official nomination announcement.
CELEBRATING AT SMOKE
The duo will celebrate the nomination with a run of performances at Smoke Jazz Club in New York City from December 5 to 8, bringing the songs of My Ideal to the stage.
ALBUM DETAILS
- Album: My Ideal
- Artists: Sean Mason (piano) and Catherine Russell (vocals)
- Label: Dot Time Records
- Released: August 23, 2024
- Nomination: Best Jazz Vocal Album, 67th Grammy Awards
LISTEN
My Ideal is available on all major streaming platforms, CD, and vinyl LP. Hear the Grammy-nominated album on Dot Time Records' My Ideal album page, or stream My Ideal on Bandcamp.
For more of Sean's music as a leader, explore his debut album The Southern Suite, released in October 2023 on Blue Engine Records, the label of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Following its release, WKCR named Sean among the "defining voices of the newer generation" carrying the jazz legacy forward.
