Top 10 Grammy Nominated CD List! - a list by Top-10-CD-List

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About this list:

Of all the CD's nominated for Grammies, these are my absolute favorites! If you are like me, you'll root for them to win on February 8!

Qualifications:

I'm the CD "psychic gift predictor", so now 4 Grammies 2!

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Viewing 1-10 of 10 Items

Kate McGarry's "If Less Is More...Nothing Is Everything" - GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Jazz Vocal Album

First to recommend

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My Grammy pick for the JAZZ VOCAL category is Kate McGarry's "If Less Is More...Nothing is Everything". I would say that anyone 25 or up - male or female who likes Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson, James Taylor, Patricia Barber, Rebecca Martin, Joe Lovano, Karrin Allyson, Bill Frisell, Wynton Marsalis or Charlie Haden will love this CD.

“I’ve always been drawn to the space of silence between the notes. It’s in the silence that the secrets of songs reveal themselves.”
--Kate McGarry

If Less Is More…Nothing Is Everything (2008, Palmetto) finds Kate in a joyful, albeit introspective mood, covering everything from Jobim to The Cars, with a few originals (including a tender e.e. cummings poem set to music) rounding out the project.

Kate’s early musical inspiration came in the form of the Beatles, the Mills Brothers, Earth Wind & Fire, and the Celtic music she would hear at the local Irish pub. But then she heard Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, and her life’s calling became obvious. “The melodies and harmonic structures were mysterious and beautiful…but somehow it made so much sense to me.”

A move to the West Coast brought gigs with Clark Terry and Hank Jones at the Monterey Jazz Festival and regular hits at such venerated venues as Catalina’s, the Jazz Bakery, and Le Café. In the vicinity of Hollywood, she also did some vocals for film and commercials, including tracks for Imax Films, the Sony Pictures release Caught and the title track for Boiling Point.

Throughout 2005, there was mounting evidence of Kate McGarry’s expanding palette. In addition to releasing Mercy Streets, she toured with acclaimed pianist Fred Hersch and master vocalist Kurt Elling, performing Hersch’s song cycle, Leaves of Grass, a setting of Walt Whitman’s poetry to music. The project earned Hersch a Guggenheim Award, and the ensemble performed “Leaves of Grass” to a sold out audience at Carnegie Hall in March 2005. Kate can also be seen on Chick Corea’s 2005 DVD, Rendezvous, in an impromptu performance of “Smile” with Bobby McFerrin during Corea’s 60th birthday celebration at the Blue Note. Also in 2005, Kate performed over 50 concerts of The Different Moods of the Blues as a Lincoln Center Institute touring artist. 2006 brought fruitful collaborations with Grammy Award winning composer and bandleader Maria Schneider and New York’s Jazz Tap Ensemble and an appearance on Dee Dee Bridgewater’s NPR show, Jazz Set.

The 2007 release "The Target," eached #1 on the national jazz charts and was named one of the best vocal jazz CDs of the year by both Downbeat and the New York Times. Michael McCall of Nashville Scene raved: "McGarry embraces jazz's freedom yet points the genre toward a future that's as fresh and thrilling as its past." (via Palmetto Records)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Stanley Jordan's "State of Nature"- GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Pop Instrumental Performance

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This CD is my GRAMMY pick for BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE and you know I won't steer you wrong! Anyone fans of Pat Matheny , Jimi Hendrix, Brian Culbertson, Herbie Hancock, Earl Klugh, Esperanza, Diane Reeves, David Benoit, Marcus Miller, Grateful Dead - or anyone who practices yoga or meditation, or listens to jazz, guitars, progressive jazz, ambient or new age music and/or are fans of- they will love this CD!

Have you ever seen him live? He is AMAZING - he hasn't really had a major release in like 15 years so I was really excited to pick up a copy of "State of Nature". It's truly brilliant (as is he) - you know he plays like 4 parts at the same time? His technique is called "tapping". You can find a bunch more about it on the web. Well anyway, this new album "State of Nature" is all about the ambient sounds of nature and only Jordan can truly capture the sound of "a breeze" and then turn it in into something amazing like the "Ocean Breeze" cut on this album. He definitely gets better and better growing within his music. Here's a link to a video interview - very interesting to see the "tapping" technique in action as he plays 2 guitars at the same time!
http://www.mackavenue.com/mediaserve/epks/stanleyjordan/1040_son/ (via Borders)

Updated Jan 12, 2009

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Natalie Cole's "Still Unforgettable" - GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album- + Exclusive bonus tracks for $11!

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GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, my ABSOLUTELY pick for the winner is Natalie Cole's "Still Unforgettable". If you like any kind of R&B, Pop, Blues or Jazz - Jennifer Hudson, James Taylor, Michael Feinstein, David Foster, Harry Connick, JR., Enya, Seal, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, etc...you have GOT TO GET THIS CD!

Here's some customer reviews from Amazon:

4.0 out of 5 stars
One of her best, November 16, 2008
by Mary Koeker "music lover" (Riverside, CA)
This is a wonderful collection of Natalie Cole. It includes some new and some old, including some songs mixed like she did "Unforgettable" with her father's voice. One of her best!

4.0 out of 5 stars
Darn good collection of standards, November 4, 2008
By Keith R. Smith (San Leandro, CA)
Natalie Cole's voice is flawless on this collection of American Standards. Just like UNFORGETTABLE her emotive yet perfectly controlled vocals seemlessly plays with the lush orchestration. The clarity of her voice reminds one of the great Ella Fitzgerald.

It's fun to hear her have fun with the uptempo songs, even inject a bit of soulfulness (remember the power-house voice from the 70's?), but it is on the ballards where one feels the full range and color of her deceptively simple vocal style. This is highlighted in "You Go To My Head", "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Lollipops and Roses", where she pulls every bit of emotion out of the lyrics.

The songs are possibly the lesser known or remembered standards - the kind of songs that makes the listener initially scratch the brow but then go "oh yeah - I remember this". Orchestration is sometimes a bit expected but nonetheless perfect for Cole's voice.

This collection is a great way to introduce young children to great music and wonderful singing. My kids are amazed to hear that the person singing is the same on the 70's classics "This Will Be - An Everlasting" and "I've Got Love". It just goes to show that a great singer can sing anything. (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Solomon Burke's "Like a Fire" - GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Contemporary Blues Album

First to recommend

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GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Contemporary Blues Album - Solomon Burke's "Like a Fire" CD.

For fans of the Blues, R&B, Soul, Southern Soul and/or artists like Al Green, Regina Belle, Clapton, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Natalie Cole, Percy Sledge, BB King, etc. - you're gonna love Solomon Burke!

Here's just one of the many rave reviews on Amazon:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Emotional and soulful
June 17, 2008
By Pedder (New York, NY)
Solomon Burke is, to those in the know, a soul singer the equal of Sam Cooke or Otis Redding.

Their places in the pantheon of greats may have been sealed by their untimely deaths, but Solomon went on singing, though not to the universal acclaim he surely deserved.

At 68, with a recording career of 46 years behind him, he is not just still in fine voice, he is willing to take chances with his music rather than rely on tried and tested formulas.

It was the 2002 album "Don't Give Up On Me" - featuring songs from such greats as Van Morrison, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan - which reminded many of us that Burke was still a force to be reckoned with.
The celebrity endorsement is still present here, with Eric Clapton, Ben Harper and Keb' Mo' contributing songs. You'd expect a slightly earthier feel from these guys and that's what you get.

The King of Rock and Soul's "Like a Fire" continues its clear country orientation with a satisfying set of country-soul performances, ranging from the almost swamp-funk gospel of Ben Harper's "A Minute to Rest and a Second to Pray" at one extreme to "If I Give My Heart to You", a torch-song in the pioneering black-country tradition established by Ray Charles, at the other.

This album has something of the rootsy melting pot feel of Ry Cooder's fertile 1970s recordings, going from the ambling country lament of "The Fall" to Keb' Mo's uplifting poverty plaint "We Don't Need It", in which a man on his uppers is reassured by his family that they can do without costly fripperies because "all we need is you".

"The Fall" is a portrait of a once-proud man broken by circumstance, reflecting how "a flame can burn out, if things don't turn out". Burnished with subtle pedal steel, it's a movingly adult performance, recounted by Burke with the minimum of flamboyance and maximum emotion.
Burke is a man of the church, and there are lessons about life at every turn here, particularly the sorry tale of "We Don't Need It", where a family rallies round to help a man laid off from his job.

But it is Clapton who comes up trumps, providing Burke with the most memorable song in the title track. It trots along on the kind of bouncy guitar which propelled another of Clapton's recent masterpieces, "Change The World". (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Cherryholmes III's "Don't Believe"- GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Bluegrass AND for Best Country Instrumental Performance

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GRAMMY NOMINATED in 2 categories, for Best Bluegrass Album & Best Country Instrumental Performance, my winner is Cherryholmes III "Don't Believe".

For fans of Country, Bluegrass, Christian and/or Contemporary music - of if you like Cadillac Sky, Patty Loveless, Steel Drivers, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Blue Highway, Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Lucinda Williams, etc., you will love Cherryholmes CD "Don't Believe"!

Here's a couple of customer reviews from Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars
Cherryholmes III Is Excellent,
November 1, 2008
By GeorgeL (Kansas City)
The latest Cherryholmes CD is excellent, good songs, excellent harmonies, excellent musicianship. All the songs but one were written by members of the Cherryholmes family. I was fortunate to be able to see this group live in the Kansas City area about five days after this CD was released. They performed songs from all three CD's, and were fantastic. This CD should be added to your collection.




5.0 out of 5 stars
like wine it gets better with age
November 23, 2008
By D. Jablonski
The music quality of the Cherryholmes family keeps getting better and better. I was blown away with the tracks "The King as a Babe comes down" and "Broken". It shows an that the family can slow things down and harmonize with excellent results! If you enjoy Black and White I would highly recommend this CD/MP3! Kudos Cherryholmes. (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Spyro Gyra "A Night Before Christmas" - GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Pop Instrumental Album

First to recommend

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My pick for the Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy Award this year is Spyro Gyra "A Night Before Christmas".

You can listen here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B001DDBCXC/

I recommend this CD highly for any Jazz or Smooth Jazz fan that likes Harry Connick, Jr., Al Jarreau, Bela Fleck, Lorenna McKennitt, Sarah Brightman, James Taylor, Brian McKnight, Amy Grant.

The fact that a holiday album is on the nominees list, speaks volumes about this FANTASTIC release which will be handed down thru my family for years to come.

Product info from Amazon:
A Jazz twist for that magical night, The Night Before Christmas. Get into the holiday groove with Spyro Gyra, a jazz fusion band that was originally formed in the mid-1970s in Buffalo, New York, USA. Their music, which has been influential in the development of smooth Jazz as they combine Jazz with elements of R&B, Funk and Pop music. Although generally considered to be more "Jazz" than "smooth", Spyro Gyra's music emphasizes melody over improvisation. Catch the spirit of the season with Spyro Gyra! (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 27, 2009

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Ministry CD "Cover Up" ("Under My Thumb" track is...) GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Metal Performance

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My GRAMMY PICK for BEST METAL PERFORMANCE is Ministry's track "Under My Thumb" from the CD "Cover Up". There's some other great metal to choose from - but I think this should win.

Metal fans that like 9 Inch Nails, Portishead, Bauhaus, Metallica, The Sword, Filter, Slipknot - that kinda of stuff - are no doubt already fans of Ministry. This CD is my favorite of theirs though so you outta add it to your collection if you haven't already. (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Bart Millard "Hymned Again"- GRAMMY NOMINATED for BEST SOUTHERN, COUNTRY or BLUEGRASS GOSPEL TITLE

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My GRAMMY pick for BEST SOUTHERN, COUNTRY or BLUEGRASS GOSPEL ALBUM is Bart Millard's "Hymned Again". Anyone who enjoys Gospel, Hymns or Christian music by artists like Chris Tomlin, Third Day or the Casting Crows will thoroughly enjoy this CD.

Here's what customers on Amazon have to say about this great CD:

5.0 out of 5 stars
Contemporary rendition of classic hymms., November 29, 2008
By William Swingle "Bill" (Janesville, CA United States)
This album is a marvelous combination of foundational classics and modern sound. These arrangements will be appreciated young and old alike. One song never fails to bring me to tears! Powerful stuff.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun & upbeat!!
August 19, 2008
By N. Pittman (Louisiana)
They played the whole CD on K-Love & I immediately looked this CD up on Amazon! This is a refreshing CD and anyone who loves praise & worship, traditional hymns, or contemporary songs will love this CD.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Great hymns wonderfully redone
By Amber C. Blevins "beatleschick0284" (Ohio, USA)
This is a wonderful cd that puts a new spin on some great old classic hymns. Wether you are young or old you will find this cd enjoyable and fun to sing along to. (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Will Clipman's "Pathfinder - GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best New Age Album

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Definitely my GRAMMY pick for BEST NEW AGE ALBUM! This Native American Artist is fantastic. If you like Jazz, New Age, Ambient or World music; David Arkenstone, Deva Premal, Peter Kater, Ottmar Liebert, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Enya, BB King, Steve Winwood, Indigenous or Jesse Cook you'll love this CD

Product Info:
Four-time Grammy nominee Will Clipman blends exotic wind instruments, melodic percussion, and vocal chants with a pan-global palette of drums in thirteen musical tales told in the universal language of rhythm. (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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Rosalie Sorrels' "Strangers in Another Country"- GRAMMY NOMINATED for Best Traditional Folk Album

First to recommend

2 people recommended this item

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Hands down - my GRAMMY pick for BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK ALBUM is Rosalie Sorrel's "Strangers in Another Country". Anyone who likes artists like Pete Seeger, EmilyLou Harris, Wynton Marsalis, Neil Young, Alison Krauss, Joan Baez, BB King, Lucinda Williams, Kathey Matteo is missing out if they haven't become a fan of Rosalie's yet. Look - even Hunter S. Thompson was a fan!

Hunter S. Thompson
"Rosalie's songs are so close to the bone that I get nervous listening to them."

Product Info:
Legendary songwriter, humorist, workers-rights advocate and radical raconteur Utah Phillips is an icon of American folk music whose songs have been covered by everyone from Joan Baez to Tom Waits to Emmylou Harris and Ani Difranco.

Yet for over 50 years his greatest interpreter has been lifelong friend Rosalie Sorrels, a folk legend in her own right. Strangers In Another Country - The Songs of Bruce "Utah" Phillips is a magnificent gathering of song, story and recitation celebrating the genius of Utah, with Sorrels acting as emcee, historian and tour guide, offering rare insight into the man behind the character.

Rosalie recalls songs even Utah had forgotten or never written down, and was working on this tribute before his May 2008 passing. The album features some of his lesser known, rarely performed classics, many of which have only been available on obscure recordings and are only now available on CD.

Backing Sorrels is a stellar cast of special guests, including Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Peggy Seeger, Bryan Bowers, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Dakota Dave Hull, Pop Wagner, Peter "Madcat" Ruth, The Sorry Muthas, and Willie Murphy. The gorgeous 16-page booklet features extensive info, commentary and memories from Sorrels with historic archival photos, drawings and material from her personal collection.

An instant classic, Strangers In Another Country represents Rosalie's finest singing, full of the beauty, strength and honesty that has made her one of this century's most important American cultural voices. (via Amazon)

Updated Jan 8, 2009

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