Single International Album Francophone Album Album Artist Group Instrumental Album New Artist New Group Songwriter Country Recording Rap Recording Pop Recording Rock Recording Vocal Jazz Album Contemporary Jazz Album Traditional Jazz Album Children's Album Classical Album: Solo or Chamber Ensemble Classical Album: Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment Classical Album: Vocal or Choral Performance Classical Composition Alternative Album Dance Recording R&B Soul Recording Reggae Recording Aboriginal Recording Roots & Traditional Album: Solo Roots & Traditional Album: Group Blues Album Contemporary Christian / Gospel Album World Music Album Jack Richardson Producer Recording Engineer Album Design Video Juno® Fan Choice Award Music DVD

Vocal Jazz Album of the Year

Jeri Brown has performed extensively in Europe and North America over the course of an illustrious career. An extraordinary vocalist with a four octave range and an accomplished lyricist, she is equally at ease with classic and contemporary material. She has been nominated for a JUNO five previous times, and won the Jazz Report Jazz Vocalist of the Year Award in 1998. Firm Roots is her ninth album for Justin Time.

Toronto chanteuse Holly Cole has earned a reputation as a song stylist with few peers. Her career has taken the charming singer from the clubs of Queen Street to stardom in Japan. Unconstrained by convention, she selects tunes from jazz, pop and rock idioms and makes them her own. The self-produced Shade is her first album of jazz standards in over four years, and features such Canadian luminaries as Kevin Breit, Guido Basso, and long-time accompanists Aaron Davis and David Piltch.

Versatile Montreal jazz singer/actress Ranee Lee has achieved great success in theatre, film and television, as well as on the concert stage. Her musical portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill was a hit, and she has been a multiple JUNO nominee. A renowned jazz educator, she has toured extensively in the U.S., and performed with such jazz greats as McCoy Tyner, Clark Terry and Oliver Jones. Maple Groove, her eighth album on Justin Time, pays tribute to great Canadian songwriters.

The Toronto Star’s Geoff Chapman recently termed vocalist/pianist/composer Denzal Sinclaire “the country’s best male singer,” complimenting “his honeyed tenor and refined delivery.” Peers like Diana Krall and Diane Reeves have also sung the Toronto-born, Vancouver-based singer’s praises. Influences include Johnny Hartman and Nat King Cole, but Denzal has his own original charm. He recently signed to the prestigious Verve label, and calls that “a defining moment in my career."

Stylish and versatile pianist/vocalist Carol Welsman has three earlier JUNO nominations to her credit, and was named Female Jazz Vocalist of the Year by Jazz Report in 1996. She has performed with many of Canada's top orchestras, and has won converts with international appearances. 1999's Swing Ladies Swing album paid tribute to the swing era, while she explores the language of love on her most recent disc, her first for renowned U.S. label Savoy.