Thursday, December 4, 2008

Selected Grammy nominations that relate to folk and roots, and a few oddities

Selected Grammy nominations that relate to folk and roots, and a few oddities related to former folk radio stations that are playing some of the nominated pop artists, thrown in for good measure.

My comments, in red, are inter spaced.

Source is the Grammy website.

Category 1

Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.)

  • Chasing Pavements
    Adele
    Eg White, producer; Tom Elmhirst & Steve Price, engineers/mixers
    Track from: 19
    [XL Recordings/Columbia]
  • Viva La Vida
    Coldplay
    Markus Dravs, Brian Eno & Rik Simpson, producers; Michael Brauer & Rik Simpson, engineers/mixers
    Track from: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
    [Capitol Records]
  • Bleeding Love
    Leona Lewis
    SimonCowell, Clive Davis & Ryan "Alias" Tedder, producers; CraigDurrance, Phil Tan & Ryan "Alias" Tedder, engineers/mixers
    [J Records/SYCO Music]
  • Paper Planes
    M.I.A
    Diplo, producer; Switch, engineer/mixer
    Track from: Kala
    [Interscope]
  • Please Read The Letter
    Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
    T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer
    Track from: Raising Sand
    [Rounder]

Well,I guess Led Zeppelin will be looking for and touring with a new leadvocalist as Mr. Plant and Ms. Kraus return to the studio to recordagain before heading out on tour. The upside is this will free Jerry Douglas to do more work on his own.

Category 6

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

  • All Summer Long
    Kid Rock
    Track from: Rock N Roll Jesus
    [Atlantic]
  • Say
    John Mayer
    Track from: Continuum
    [Columbia]
  • That Was Me
    Paul McCartney
    Track from: Amoeba's Secret
    [Hear Music/MPL Communications Ltd.]
  • I'm Yours
    Jason Mraz
    Track from: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
    [Atlantic]
  • Closer
    Ne-Yo
    Track from: Year Of The Gentleman
    [Def Jam/Compound Entertainment]
  • Wichita Lineman
    James Taylor
    Track from: Covers
    [Hear Music]

Listen to Paul McCartney's new album "As The Fireman" in its entirety that is being hyped by NPR. I did, and lasted no more than 5-10 minutes. And "pop" is the right category for Mr. Taylor.s effort.

Category 11

Best Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

  • Detours
    Sheryl Crow
    [A&M Records]
  • Rockferry
    Duffy
    [Mercury]
  • Long Road Out Of Eden
    Eagles
    [Eagles Recording Company II]
  • Spirit
    Leona Lewis
    [J Records/SYCO Music]
  • Covers
    James Taylor
    [Hear Music]


Another James Taylor pop nomination, and second or third for the Eagles. Now that they have been nominated, how long it will be before WFUV, WUMB and other former folk stations,"inspired" by NPR's consultants and money, play these AAA hits, and can Cheryl Crow be far behind?

Field 3 — Traditional Pop

Category 14

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

  • Still Unforgettable
    Natalie Cole
    [DMI Records]
  • The Sinatra Project
    Michael Feinstein
    [Concord Music Group]
  • Noël
    Josh Groban
    [143/Reprise]
  • In The Swing Of Christmas
    Barry Manilow
    [Hallmark/Arista]
  • Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall
    Rufus Wainwright
    [Geffen]


"Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall" sounds more like a, well, kids may read this, I'll say no more.

Category 40

Best Country Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

  • Sumatra
    Cherryholmes
    Track from: Cherryholmes III: Don't Believe
    [Skaggs Family Records]
  • Two Small Cars In Rome
    Jerry Douglas & Lloyd Green
    Track from: Glide
    [Koch]
  • Sleigh Ride
    Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
    Track from: Jingle All The Way
    [Rounder]
  • Is This America? (Katrina 2005)
    Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas & Bruce Hornsby
    Track from: Family & Friends — Rambling Boy
    [Decca Records]
  • Cluster Pluck
    Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner
    [Arista Nashville]

Category 43

Best Bluegrass Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Cherryholmes III: Don't Believe
    Cherryholmes
    [Skaggs Family Records]
  • Del McCoury Band — Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
    Del
    McCoury Band

    [MunckMix]
  • The Ultimate Collection / Live At The Ryman
    Earl Scruggs With Family & Friends
    [Rounder Records]
  • Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947
    Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
    [Skaggs Family Records]
  • Wheels
    Dan Tyminski
    [Rounder]

Category 66

Best Traditional Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • The Blues Rolls On
    Elvin Bishop
    [Delta Groove Music, Inc.]
  • Skin Deep
    Buddy Guy
    [Silvertone Records]
  • All Odds Against Me
    John Lee Hooker Jr.
    [Steppin' Stone Records/CC Entertainment]
  • One Kind Favor
    B.B. King
    [Geffen Records]
  • Pinetop Perkins & Friends
    Pinetop Perkins & Friends
    [Stoneagle Music/Telarc]

Category 67

Best Contemporary Blues Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Peace, Love & BBQ
    Marcia Ball
    [Alligator Records]
  • Like A Fire
    Solomon Burke
    [Shout! Factory]
  • City That Care Forgot
    Dr. John And The Lower 911
    [429 Records]
  • Maestro
    Taj Mahal
    [Heads Up International]
  • Simply Grand
    Irma Thomas
    [Rounder Records]

Category 68

Best Traditional Folk Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Coal
    Kathy Mattea
    [Captain Potato Records]
  • Comedians & Angels
    Tom Paxton
    [Appleseed Recordings]
  • Bring Me Home
    Peggy Seeger
    [Appleseed Recordings]
  • At 89
    Pete Seeger
    [Appleseed Recordings]
  • Strangers In Another Country
    Rosalie Sorrels
    [Red House Records]

Category 69

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Day After Tomorrow
    Joan Baez
    [Bobolink/Razor & Tie]
  • I, Flathead
    Ry Cooder
    [Nonesuch Records]
  • Sex & Gasoline
    Rodney Crowell
    [Work Song/Yep Roc Records]
  • All I Intended To Be
    Emmylou Harris
    [Nonesuch Records]
  • Raising Sand
    Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
    [Rounder Records]

Category 70

Best Native American Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Songs From The Black Hills
    Bryan Akipa
    [SOAR Corporation]
  • Spo'Mo'Kin'Nan
    Black Lodge
    [Canyon Records]
  • Red Rock
    Northern Cree
    [Canyon Records]
  • Come To Me Great Mystery — Native American Healing Songs
    (Various Artists)
    Tom Wasinger, producer
    [Silver Wave Records]
  • Faith
    Kevin Yazzie
    [Canyon Records]

Category 72

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
    BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet
    [MunckMix]
  • From Now On
    Michael Doucet
    [Smithsonian Folkways Recordings]
  • Homage Au Passé
    Pine Leaf Boys
    [Lionsgate]
  • Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
    Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
    [MunckMix]
  • Cedric Watson
    Cedric Watson
    [Valcour Records]

Field 16 — World Music

Category 74

Best Traditional World Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey
    Debashish Bhattacharya
    [Riverboat Records/World Music Network]
  • The Mandé Variations
    Toumani Diabaté
    [Nonesuch Records]
  • Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu
    Ladysmith Black Mambazo
    [Heads Up International]
  • Dancing In The Light
    Lakshmi Shankar
    [World Village]

Category 75

Best Contemporary World Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

  • Shake Away
    Lila Downs
    [Manhattan Records/Blue Note]
  • Banda Larga Cordel
    Gilberto Gil
    [Warner Music Latina]
  • Global Drum Project
    Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo
    [Shout! Factory]
  • Rokku Mi Rokka (Give And Take)
    Youssou N'Dour
    [Nonesuch Records]
  • Live At The Nelson Mandela Theater
    Soweto Gospel Choir
    [Shanachie Entertainment]

Field 26 — Historical

Category 91

Best Historical Album

  • Art Of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years Of Traditional American Music Documented By Art Rosenbaum
    Steven Lance Ledbetter & Art Rosenbaum, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
    [Dust-To-Digital]
  • Classic Columbia, OKeh And Vocalion Lester Young With Count Basie (1936-1940)
    ScottWenzel, compilation producer; Malcolm Addey, Michael Brooks, MattCavaluzzo, Andreas Meyer & Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (LesterYoung With Count Basie)
    [Mosaic Records]
  • Debate '08: Taft And Bryan Campaign On The Edison Phonograph
    DavidGiovannoni, Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilationproducers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer (William Jennings Bryan& William Howard Taft)
    [Archeophone Records]
  • Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette
    KenFlaherty, Jr., compilation producer; Marcos Sueiro Bal, Ken Flaherty,Jr., Kurt Nauck & Glenn Sage, mastering engineers (Polk Miller& His Old South Quartette)
    [Tompkins Square]
  • To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story
    Richard Seidel, compilation producer; Mark G. Wilder, mastering engineer (Nina Simone)
    [RCA/Legacy Recordings]

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