Neil Diamond was saluted at the annual pre-Grammy Awards MusiCares dinner and concert Friday, which concluded with Diamond singing his own best-known anthems and thank yous to his mother and kids who were in the audience.
He told a story about talking guitar lessons because he was in a deep depression over the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. And after year of guitar, he switched to piano but went back to the six-string, which he declared was his one instrumental love.
In a packed house of solid performances, Jennifer Hudson brought the goods on "Holly Holy." Her perf was big and gospel-driven; the band's accompaniment swampy and sparse. It created a tremendous gap that neither side gave in to, allowing the song to breathe deeper than any other in the night.
Second in the distinctive interpretation department was the teaming of jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson and trumpeter Terence Blanchard on "September Morn." They turned the often overwrought tune into a neo-bossa ballad, the two soloists keeping the rendition sultry and swinging. Raul Malo accented his astutely tense performance of "Solitary Man" with impressive use of tremolo on his guitar; Coldplay played "I'm a Believer" like subway buskers with acoustic instruments. 
Comically, Diamond told a story - on videotape - of his attempt to call Eddie Vedder and request that he come to the event and perform. Deep into the conversation, Diamond learns he is talking to a musician in Seattle named Eddie, but his last name is Rodriguez. His band is not Pearl Jam, it is the Volcanoes. They made the journey to play a tejano version of "Red Red Wine."
After most of the acts used the house band that included Don Was on bass, Benmont Tench and Jim Keltner on drums, Diamond brought up his band and delivered performances that were mighty similar to ones he gave a few months ago at Staples Center.
The set list:
Jonas Brothers: "Forever in Blue Jeans"
Jennifer Hudson: "Holly Holy"
Kid Rock: "Thank the Lord for the Night Time"
Adele: "Cracklin Rosie"
Urge Overkill: "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon"
Coldplay: "I'm a Believer"
Eric Benet: "Heartlight"
Chris Cornell: "Kentucky Woman"
Raul Malo: "Solitary Man"
Wilson and Blanchard: "September Morn"
Rodriguez & the Volcanoes: "Red Red Wine"
Tim McGraw: "Hello Again"
Foo Fighters: "Delirious Love"
Josh Groban: "Play Me"
Neil Diamond: "Cherry Baby"/ "Love on the Rocks"/"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Faith Hill/"Pretty Amazing Grace"/"America"/"Sweet Caroline"

One gripe: Could these people please learn their music history? The auctioneer at the pre-concert auction was soliciting bids for two plaques awarded to John Lennon, one for "Let it Be" and one for "Hey Jude." He referred to both as "John's great songs." Most people in the building would refer to them as Paul's.

And emcee Jimmy Kimmel made a crack about "the clowns at Bang Records." Bang was an acronym for the first names of Bert Burns, Ahmet Ertegun, Neushi Ertegun and Gerry Wexler. (Yes, it's usually with a J). There are plenty of clowns in the music business but those four men were not among them.  

A mesmerizing piano solo on "Maiden Voyage" by the song's composer Herbie Hancock taught the high school ensemble behind him a thing or two about what it takes to become a jazz master at Tuesday's Grammy Salute to Jazz at Club Nokia. This year they paid tribute to the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records with performances by several of the label's jazz veterans, Joe Lovano, Cassandra Wilson and Terence Blanchard. But it was the pianist who spent the second half of the 1960s with the label who made the evening extra special.
Lest anyone forget, Hancock won the album of the year trophy for "River," an album that merged pop, folk and jazz in a near-meditative state. On Tuesday, though, there was nothing clam of folky in the song selection. Hancock took his band of teens through two mid-60s exercises - "Dolphin Dance" was other extended jam - that were reminders of the strength of Hancock's compositional skills and the openness with which he approaches an improvisation. 
Each headliner performed two pieces each as the high-schoolers played either as 18-piece ensemble, a quintet and a quartet. Wilson impressed with a New Orleans take on the antique "Hesitation Blues"; Blanchard took the band on an extended funk journey. Upright bassist Kate Davis of West Linn, Ore., was particularly impressive in her intonation and time-keeping; Noah Kellman, a pianist from Fayetteville, N.Y., displayed impressive feather-weight touches in certain passages.
A few musicians from Blue Note's initial heyday shared stories of the label founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion. Charlie Haden had two, the first of which concerned him getting a call from Ornette Coleman to come to a studio in Greenwich Village and record. 
"Denardo's going to play with us," Haden remembers Coleman saying. "But Ornette, he just turned 9 years old."  
So he cabs it and lugs his bass up seven flights of steps, the most vertical walking he had done in 20 years of living in Manhattan. "And here's Denardo all set up. We made beautiful music that day. It became 'The Empty Foxhole.'"
The other one involved Haden approaching label president Bruce Lundvall, who is celebrating 25 years at the helm, in 1990 with a plan to record his Liberation Music Orchestra. It was obviously an expensive project and Lundvall needed to fund it by getting money from two international labels in the EMI family. 
Haden was told to call back in a few days to get the final answer. Meanwhile, he left Lundvall with a cassette of pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, with whom Haden had played in Havana. Nearly a week passed and Haden called Lundvall's office about the orchestra recording only to be told Bruce was not in the office.
"He's on a plane to Cuba," was the assistant's answer .

Wonder what your favorite Grammy nominee is up to? Well look no further than my email inbox where I have been inundated with tallies according to labels, distributors, PR companies and artists. Some nominees are still working and not just waiting around for the Feb. 8 ceremony. Among the highlights:
Jennifer Hudson ( four noms) is releasing her next single, “If This Isn’t Love,” with a video premiere slated for January. Her quote: “It’s been a childhood dream of mine to release an album, so to receive 4 Grammy nominations is truly a blessing.  I’m extremely honored and humbled by the nominations.”
John Mayer (five noms) will celebrate the holiday season with his second annual Holiday Acoustic Revue concert on Saturday at LA's Nokia Theater. His solo acoustic performance will be preceded by a performance from Adele. Concert will benefit Toys for Tots and the Los Angeles Food Bank. Next year, he has the second voyage aboard the Mayercraft Carrier, which will sail from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, March 27-31. Mayer, O.A.R., Guster and more than a dozen other bands perform.
Adele (four nominations) will perform on "Ellen" and then "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Wednesday.
She has a U.S.  tour that begins Jan. 14 in Sommerville, Mass., that concludes Jan. 31 in San Diego. FYI: “Chasing Pavements” was the most played video on VH1 for 2008.   
Trisha Yearwood (three nominations) has a free download of "My Favorite Things" at www.sears.com and cookbook, "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen." Her quote:
"When  my producer, Garth Fundis, called me to tell me I had three Grammy  nominations, I said, "Are you kidding me?"  What a sweet surprise!   I am always honored to be recognized by NARAS, and am proud and  excited for everyone who has been involved with the HHPOL album.”
Kenny Chesney received his first-ever Grammy nomination. His quote: “I'm not gonna say that I gave up or didn't care about it because this is an award given by your peers in all genres of music… the people who make it. You get to a point where you realize you can't force it or get them to listen if they're not there, because that's not how this works… and you just have to accept that. But that said, I'm really honored to finally be nominated.”
Cherryholmes (two nominations) start a tour in January performing with orchestras around the country. Work from all three of their albums, newly composed material and songs with similar lyrical motifs have been combined into suites.

The Recording Academy found a way to get the Jonas Brothers into the nominated action while Miley Cyrus sits on the sidelines. Maybe that'll get the kids to watch! 
Anyhow, not pretending to know a lick about gospel, Spanish-language or choral music, here are some thoughts on the 51st annual Grammy Awards categories.

Particularly strong categories: Female pop vocal; pop collaboration with vocals; rock song; alternative music album;rap performance by a duo or a group; jazz instrumental album; both world music album categories; spoken word; score soundtrack album; historical album; small ensemble performance; and long-form music video.
The Curiously Weak Ones: R&B album; country song; and producer, non-classical.   
Nice to see their names: Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere in pop instrumental; Charlie Haden in country instrumental; Norma Winstone in jazz vocal album; Pete Seeger in trad folk; Ry Cooder on contemporary folk; Debashish Bhattacharya in traditional world music album; Judith Sherman in producer, classical; and Esa-Pekka Salonen and James Conlon in classical album.
Why You Release Christmas Records in September: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and Spyro Gyra are up for the pop instrumental album nod.
Brilliant underrated song: "No Hidden Path" by Neil Young, up for solo rock vocal performance  even thought the bulk of 14 minute, 33 second tune is a guitar solo.
Brilliant underrated performer/album: Norma Winstone's "Distances" is a revelation, particularly her rendition of Peter Gabriel's "Here Comes the Flood" at glacier speed.
Traditional Pop Vocal: Three tribute albums and two Christmas records? Is the category needed?
Randomly: When there are 110 categories, the Eagles and Leona Lewis should not be competing with one another in pop vocal album.
In the two blues categories, only two of the performers are under the age of 60.
What, precisely, is "urban/alternative"?

Spoiler alert!

What to expect on tonight's Grammy nominations concert broadcast.
Five categories will be announced on air: Album of the year; song of the year; record of the year; pop collaboration with vocals; and rap performance by a duo or a group.
The songs selected for the telecast are all in the Grammy Hall of Fame, which ties in with the Grammy Museum that opens to the public on Saturday. Of course, this is live  TV and anything might change.

Songs and the performers:
Mariah Carey gets the Darlene Love hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."
Celine Dion will sing Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" and throw in her own "My Love."
Foo Fighters get Carly Simon's "You're so Vain," most likely sans Mick Jagger in the background.
Xtina sings Gershwin: "I Loves You Porgy"
Taylor Swift gets Brenda Lee's classic "I'm Sorry," which she will segue into her own "White Horse."
And B.B. King will perform Louis Jordan's "Let the Good Times Roll," a song he has used to open countless concerts.

Expect more blog entries during the telecast.

Five album of the year Grammys, guitars owned by Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger's banjo will be on display when the Grammy Museum opens to the general public on Friday.
Cool as those items are -- there will be nearly 500 artifacts on display in addition to historical and interactive displays - the amount of attention they receive may pale next to the another coveted item: The green dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the 2000 ceremony.
It was one of the first items executive director Bob Santelli inquired about requiring and one of the last pieces secured for the museum located in the L.A. Live complex.
"We traced it to Versace and they were kind enough to lend it to us," Santelli said during a tour of the museum while it was in the final stage of construction.
Among the other pieces of clothing: Luciano Pavarotti's tuxedo, a gown from Ella Fitzgerald and an outfit from 1956 worn by Johnny Cash.
Instruments: a bass owned by Jimi Hendrix, Yo-Yo Ma's cello and one of Earl Scruggs' early banjos, plus the typewriter used by lyricist Sammy Cahn.
A complete story on the museum can be found here.
The Grammy Hall of Fame will add 28 new recordings, among them the Police's 1983 album "Synchronicity," the soundtrack from the film "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly," "Love Theme from The Godfather," Queen's "We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You" and "Let The Good Times Roll" by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. Full list.

LL Cool J and Taylor Swift will co-host “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!” on CBS on Dec. 3. Mariah Carey has been added as a performer to the one-hour special that will take place at Nokia Theater.

The televised concert that will include the announcement of the Grammy nominations will include performances by Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, B.B. King, John Mayer and Taylor Swift. The special will be broadcast from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 3. All of them are Grammy winners with the exception of Swift.

Remember that list of Grammy nominees you are accustomed to reading in the newspaper the day after the announcement? It's highly unlikely you will see it printed anywhere this year.
The Grammy Awards are taking their nominations to primetime, quite possibly at the expense of news coverage.
In a first for the Recording Academy, nominations in at least six categories will be announced during “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night,” which CBS will broadcast Dec. 3. The concert, to be held in the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live,  will celebrate the opening of the Grammy Museum in the complex.
It is the first time the Grammy noms have been delivered in primetime and the first significant move by a peer awards body to stem the declining interest in kudoscasts. If you think awards shows are boring, you should try attending the reading of nominations.
The televised one-hour concert will feature past Grammy winners and nominees who will give performances and then announce nominations in several categories. Event, which starts at 6 p.m. on the West Coast and airs live in the East, will be followed by an hourlong concert by one of the evening’s performers and then a gala to the opening of the museum. Tickets will be available to the public for the the events.
Grammy nominations are usually announced about 8:30 a.m. in the host city about 2½ months prior to the ceremony. Unlike the Oscar announcement, it is not carried live by the morning news programs. The Grammy organization generally has about 10 artists on hand for the announcement, who then do interviews, mostly for various TV news and entertainment programs.
By announcing the full slate of noms — about 110 categories — at 7 p.m. in L.A., the academy will force many East Coast publications to move deadlines or reduce coverage, especially any daily that intends to print any or all of the list. For TV’s entertainment newsmags, Grammy noms will be about 24 hours old by the time the next episode airs and may get bumped.
The televised concert will give the Grammys a leg up in one arena, the morning news programs, especially CBS’ “The Early Show,” which will have the night to assemble packages featuring artists who attend the nominations concert.
An insider said Grammy officials were predicting that news coverage of the noms was most likely migrating to the Internet, bolstering the notion that the nighttime announcement would have more impact than news stories and analysis a day later.
The Grammy Awards, like many kudoscasts, have had ratings struggles. The 50th annual kudoscast, held in February, attracted their smallest overall audience since 1995. At its peak, the show was watched by 20.1 million viewers. Among adults 18-49, the 50th Grammys came in 20% lower than the previous year.

The Grammy Museum will have its grand opening from Dec. 3 to 7 with events that include a gala fund-raising concert and live music presentations,
Located in the L.A. Live complex at Olympic ad Figueroa, the 32,000 square-foot museum will be four floors of  multimedia presentations that explore and celebrate the legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the awards.
Rock and blues historian Bob Santelli has been named executive director of the museum.
Museum will present educational and public programs featuring films, lectures and performances in its 200-seat Grammy Sound Stage, and will host special programs and private events throughout the many L.A. Live venues, as well as on its rooftop terrace. The opening is the culmination of the Grammy Awards' 50th anniversary celebration.
Grand opening activities include a media day and evening VIP reception on  Dec. 3; a gala fundraising concert on  Dec. 4; school groups and educators tours on  Dec. 5; a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony with music on the Nokia Plaza throughout the day on Dec. 6; and more live music on Dec. 7. The Grammy Museum officially opens to the public on Dec. 6.
Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy, said the "museum will provide visitors a unique and hands-on opportunity to experience music's rich legacy, as well as the special process that goes into creating it. The Museum also will allow guests a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the backstage preparations, excitement, energy and power of music's biggest night — the Grammy  Awards. "
After a greeting in the lobby visitors will be taken to the fourth floor where the museum tour begins. Gallery space is filled with films, artifacts and interactive exhibits.  The third floor takes guests behind the scenes into the art and technology of the recording process.  The second floor houses the Grammy Sound Stage and will feature an exclusive film that captures the backstage world of the 50th annual awards ceremony. The second floor also is home to the Museum's Special Exhibits Gallery.  The first traveling exhibit, "Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom," will explore the depth to which music has been, and continues to be, a political force in society.
Museum will be run by the Grammy Museum Foundation, a non-profit organization created by the Recording Academy, with the collaboration and financial support of AEG, which owns and operates L.A. Live.

The Grammy Awards are staying with Los Angeles and a Sunday night ceremony, announcing a Feb. 8 show at Staples Center. Nominations will be announced Dec. 4.

Despite the low ratings and a litany of performances of music recorded long before 2007, the Grammy Awards will provide significant boosts for several telecast performers and winners.
Album of the year winner, Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters," is expected to rise about 150 slots into the 10. Amy Winehouse, who won five trophies and whose performance in London was shown via satellite, is looking at a return to the top five.  Winehouse's "Back to Black" has also benefited from an advertised Best Buy sale price of $7.99.   
Alicia Keys' "As I Am," the annual Grammy nominees disc,  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand," the Wow Gospel compilation, Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad" and Foo Fighters' "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" are all experiencing considerable Grammy-related upticks.
Jack Johnson's "Brushfire" is expected to hold on to No. 1 for a second week though the 25th anniversary CD-DVD package of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is selling extraordinarily well.
Having Valentine's day in the same sales week appears to have assisted the Eagles and  Garth Brooks.

The Recording Academy will definitely have to strongly consider Alicia Keys' "As I Am" in the album of the year category later this year: It's a rare commercial juggernaut that has received considerable critical acclaim. While the single came out in time to qualify for the 50th Grammys, the album is in the eligibility period for the 51st. Same holds true for the Eagles, who won a country award for the single "How Long." Don Henley issued a statement Monday, noting that he's already looking forward to next February.

“This Grammy win is particularly sweet because of the length of time that has passed since we (the Eagles) won our first Grammy in early 1976.  I was 28 years old then.  I’m 60 now.  I always secretly hoped that we could pull off something like this, but I had almost given up.  This win feels really good — and it’s in a whole different field than we were in before.  Now I’m thinking that we might have a good chance to win again next year because Long Road Out of Eden will be eligible then.  This year, only the single, “How Long,” came out in time to make the nomination process. We’re all very grateful to the Academy members and to our loyal fans.  It’s been quite a ride and it apparently isn’t over just yet.”

The hand wringing over Herbie Hancock's album of the year win seems to be overlooking a key fact here: He did not disrupt Amy Winehouse's sweep so much as he contributed to a blooming symmetry among those  nominated multiple times.
This was an "everyone wins" year, the start of the Recording Academy treating the Grammys like contests at summer camp, a move that only upsets pontificators who feel Hancock's album is not as good as "Maiden Voyage" or the first Headhunters album. Or even the third best album of Kanye West's young career.
Sorry but this was the Grammys saying everyone shall get to participate and everyone will get a blue ribbon. Sorry, it's a lot more fun when nominees get shut out.
Consider: All eight artists with four or more nominations walked away with at least one win. That just does not happen. Call India.Arie - who was shut out the year she had seven noms - and rub that in her face.
No matter who won album of the year, all the contenders were winners in their respective genres:
Rock: Foo Fighters' "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" 
Country: Vince Gill's  "These Days"
Contemporary Jazz: Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters"
Rap: Kanye West's  "Graduation"
Pop: Winehouse's  "Back To Black"

That sort of symmetry seems mighty dangerous should the awards panel decide to play cute in hopes of duplicating the 50th edition of the awards. The Grammy procedure calls for the general membership to vote on album contenders on the early ballot. A panel then takes the top 20 and reduces the list to the five nominees. Everyone then gets a vote.
It's pretty rare that the album contenders come from five different genres. And it sort of carried over in the record category. Beyonce won last year for "B'day," which means everyone up for record of the year has a trophy.
As far as song of the year is concerned, there would have been litany of reasons to complain if  "Hey There Delilah" or "Like A Star" were victorious. Fortunately, we don't have to listen to those "Grammys are out of touch" arguments.
Next on Grammy watch: Can "River" become the first Grammy winner to double its total sales in the weeks after the awards. Its current cume is a meager 52,000.

Gossip mongers: The good news is that Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston (pictured between Alicia Keys and Fergie) look fabulous. Carrie Underwood was on hand at Clive Davis's party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Saturday with Chace Crawford of "Gossip Girl" and she looked rather disinterested in the evening, even waving off Clive's effusive introduction.
Fellow "Idol" moneymaker Chris Daughtry played the highly respectful guest, giving the standing O to every major celebrity announced. And at the next table, Randy Jackson was big on the cheers, too.
As far as the music went, though, the evening was not one of Davis' more legendary marathon events. Videotapes of past years' highlights were played regularly to remind attendees how the party has achieved its legendary status and even Davis suggested that the evening would not be setting a new bar. Still, there were enough highlights to make this a good, if not great, night of pop music.
Evaluations, in order of appearance:
Foo Fighters. Did two songs, "The Pretender" and "Best of You." Potent and hearty, it was exactly what one would expect from Dave Grohl and the boys. Nothing we haven't seen before.
Leona Lewis. The British "Pop Idol" champ did two songs, the second of which was "First Time Ever You Saw My Face." She has a big voice and tender personality, two trademarks of Whitney Houston in her early years. But what I didn't sense from Lewis that I did sense from Houston back then was the desire to be liked and welcomed into the music world. Lewis steps in gingerly, with a graciousness that should endear her to many. But is she a major pop star? Not sure. The album comes out in two months.
Daughtry with Chad Kroeger and Slash. First tune, by just Chris Daughtry and his band, was rote commercial rock; to spice things up, the "American Idol" contender and guests waddled through John Fogerty's "Born on the Bayou." Slash delivered standard-issue solos - enough to hold the interest but not necessarily amaze. Worse, Kroeger has a banal voice and Daughtry seems hell-bent on following in his footsteps.
Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli. On paper, this sounds like a PBS nightmare. I have a fear of heights and this is the sappy musical equivalent of peering over the edge of the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Yet their performance of "The Prayer" worked. Not chill-inducing, but a pleasant interaction between two singers working with just piano and synth accompaniment. Both stayed within themselves and made it a delightful two-voice performance.
Fantasia. On Broadway, she stopped "The Color Purple" with "I'm Here" and she did it again Saturday night. Right performer, right song. And if the music industry is truly paying attention, they should realize that contemporary Broadway composers are creating interesting and dramatic material that can work for modern singers. In the digital download age, Broadway shows could be a great source of material and there are not enough A&R execs mining this increasingly rich territory.
Alicia Keys. Performs "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and "No One" after Davis gives her a lengthy introduction that suggests the label people were somehow surprised that her record would be great, sell vast quantities and should have somehow been in consideration for a Grammy. No, the J folks chose to release it in the 2008-09 eligibility period and just place the single in the 07-08 territory. Keys, as she has done at so many of Davis's parties, was spectacular. "No One" was the night's rousing highlight and there's no amount of praise that can be heaped on this woman that goes too far. She is simply the best.
Akon and Wyclef. Nice pairing and they dove into a little Bob Marley ("No Woman No Cry") and some political wordplay promoting Barack Obama and Clive Davis for president. The two sang about blood diamonds and romped through Akon's  "I Wanna Love You" with grace and precision.
Davis always introduces members of the audience - he  gave props to about 70 Saturday - and 
the biggest cheers of the night went to Michael Strahan, Gladys Knight and Quincy Jones.

The state of Louisiana rolled out a red carpet to celebrate the inclusion of a zydeco/Cajun category at the Grammy Awards, filling  a downtown L.A. hotel ballroom with musicians, tourism execs, government figures and Louisiana culture enthusiasts. If only the great Boozoo Chavis were around to see this.
Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu oversaw  the lunch affair that was as intent on promoting Louisiana as location for moviemakers - they say they're No. 3 and seem really gung-ho  about the diverse landscape of Baton Rouge and Shreveport - as it was a promotion for Grammy nominees. A film loop compiled scenes from Louisiana-shot films; a second film showed the state's musical legends in performance and listed their Grammy wins. A list at the end of the film was bit of chest-pounding about the state's many residents who have had success as recording artists. Last name on the list: Britney Spears.
Entertainment was supplied by an all-star Cajun band of folks from nominated bands, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie and saxophonist Donald Harrison leading a funk band playing songs by the Meters. Menu, from chef John Besh, was some fine gumbo, crawfish etouffee, grits, strawberries and bread pudding. The best news is that organizers said they hope to do the party again next year.
Also speaking was Cynthia Simien, wife of zydeco ace Terrance, who has been campaigning for the addition of the category since 2001. It's already an interesting competition as, due to ties, there are seven nominees. The controversial one in the batch is Lisa Haley, a Californian with Southern roots and the lone non-Louisiana artist in the batch. Should she win, it's likely to be viewed as egregious as Jethro Tull taking home the first heavy metal Grammy or Bruce Hornsby winning the bluegrass award in its first year.
The nominees, several of which will be performing at a Saturday night party for the same crew, are:
* Le Cowboy Creole -   Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie   [Times Square Records]
* King Cake -  Lisa Haley [Blue Fiddle Records]
* Live: Á La Blue Moon -  Lost Bayou Ramblers  [Swallow Records]
* Blues De Musicien -  Pine Leaf Boys [Arhoolie Records]
* Racines - Racines [Swallow Records]
* The La Louisianne Sessions -  Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars [Octavia Records]
* Live! Worldwide - Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience  [AIM Trading Group P/L]

Aretha Franklin and gospel great Shirley Caesar sang about joy and raised the roof of the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday night at a gala and dinner that raised a record $4.5 million for MusiCares.
The Grammy Foundation's annual fete veered away from the singer-songwriters who have been honored in the past and wound up with an ebullient affair fueled by the gospel spirit of the performers. It was a rare night - Al Sharpton was more inspirational than Bill Cosby was funny, the gospel trio Trin-i-Tee 5:7 strode into the secular world with conviction, and daytime TV host Judge Mathis got some primetime love with a shout-out from the Queen of Soul. (To be fair, Cosby improvised marvelously at Tuesday's Grammy jazz event, riffing on John Coltrane, the weight of Blue Note LPs and jazz arcana. Mathis was among the many Detroiters sitting up front around Franklin).
When it came to performances, it was one inspired performance after another, starting  with BeBe and CeCe Winans and their reading of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," a song the Winans recorded with Franklin a dozen years ago.
Best new artist nominee - and longtime Bay Area soul thrush - Ledici  lowered herself into the groove of "Rock Steady"; Fantasia beamed on "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"; and newcomer Lil Mama did an impressive rap version of "Respect."
Patti Austin pushed Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Say a Little Prayer for You" into a revival meeting sing-along, but to get there had to wade through serious-minded solos from pianist Herbie Hancock and Roy Hargrove on the flugelhorn. Despite being about four versions of one song in a single take, it worked even if a  transition or two was a bit rough-edged.
Jamia Simone Nash, the tyke from "August Rush," delivered an adult-bodied reading of "Call Me"; Corinne Bailey Rae rendered the evening's gentlest moment, playing "Angel" on her acoustic guitar; the Trin-I-Tee gals delighted with a medley of "Spanish Harlem" and "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)." Carmen Carter, Dave Koz, Anthony Hamilton and John Legend also performed, Dan "four pieces of dry white toast" Aykroyd and Jim Belushi danced as the Blues Brothers, and classical pianist Lang Lang  provided some flash that was out of place.
Caesar was the evening's fireball, getting the tuxedo-and-gown crowd to rise out of their seats while singing "Sweepin' Through the City" with a full choir.
Franklin, who performed two songs, joked about the six-day drive to get to L.A. and the difficulty of moving around in her tight jewel-encrusted gown. She belted out "Chain of Fools" and took her place at the piano for "One Night With the King" before backing her son Eddie.

Never mind that Frank Sinatra is dead: He will be opening the 50th Grammy Awards in a duet with Alicia Keys   - promptly followed by Carrie Underwood performing "Before He Cheats."
Here's the message: a)  We don't make 'em like we used to; and b) without Clive Davis we're hosed. It strikes me as a bit odd that the Grammys and CBS can't come up with something - ANYTHING - to run between Frankie and Carrie. There has to be something that says  "ya know, there was a time when this industry was not based on more than the A&R skills of one guy and a TV talent show."
For the record, Sinatra won nine Grammys, one of which was for art director 50 years ago. He was big in '59, '65 and '66.
Our insider who has seen rehearsals says to keep an eye on Tina Turner - she could really turn heads. And, as of Friday night, Michael Jackson was a no show.

"Nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Hey man, paint 'Starry Night' again.' He painted it and that was it."
- Joni Mitchell retort to a Universal Amphitheater audience on the difference between the performing and visual arts.
Herbie Hancock, whose interpretations of Mitchell's work are up for album of the year, won't get a chance to display those works as he has been saddled with performing George Gershwin on the Grammy telecast. Perhaps that's the price to pay when you make an album that is completely down-tempo and introspective.
Or maybe it is television's way of saying jazz has no place on a network broadcast and the closest we can come is yet another Gershwin "Rhapsody in Blue" performance that will put a piano master, Hancock, and a classical  speed demon, Lang Lang, in a pairing that has "exclusivity" as its promotional tagline. (It will be nice, though, to see our old friend John Mauceri conducting behind them.)
Yet there's an unfortunate paradox here: Hancock is the one name musician in jazz attempting to keep the music moving forward and here he is to returning to work, written eight decades ago, that won him a Grammy nine years ago.  At a time when the Grammys have the opportunity to celebrate an artist, they instead put a genre of music in a cage, ensuring that it's safe for public viewing by looking at a style's history and not using that history as a prism for the future.
Safe performances will also be coming from duets of Fergie and John Legend and Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. John Fogerty, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis will pay tribute to rock's history and I'm guessing, make that hoping, they won't be forced to play an Elvis tune.   

Considering the downsizing that occurred in the music industry in 2007 the Recording Academy's post-Grammy gala may be more crowded than usual. Traditionally, a party for the folks with no label parties to attend, the Academy is ramping up the entertainment and actually got Wolfgang Puck to promote the menu a week before the event.
Natasha Bedingfield, Cyndi Lauper, DJ Chris Cox, Fourplay and the Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensembles will perform at the event held in the Convention Center.
Puck, catering the event for the first time after years behind the Oscar gala, and his crew will be serving: shrimp and white bean bruschetta; roma tomato caprese cups with fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and torn basil vinaigrette; lamb osso bucco with tomato orzo and lemon parsley gremolatta; pella royale; peach sangria shooters; rosemary olive oil rubbed filet mignon; baked spicy crab fondue; spicy beef; braised short ribs; glass noodles with spicy shrimp; bangers; and prime rib.
To wash it down: Anheuser-Busch's beers, Patrón tequila, Ultimat vodka, Pyrat rum, Forest Glen Wines and Domaine Laurier Champagne.
At the bar: Tony Abou-Ganim's signature mango cocktail "The Sweet Escape," which was created in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards.
Leftovers go to Angel Harvest.

The lightning round of the Grammys - basically the two hours in the afternoon in which 90 or so awards are handed out - has been seeing an upgrade as a ceremony the last couple of years. This year, however, will see its first name entertainment. Koko Taylor, pianist Pinetop Perkins, guitarist Honeyboy Edwards and band will perform "Let The Good Times Roll." Another first: The pre-telecast ceremony will be streamed live on www.grammy.com from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. PT on Feb. 10. Taylor is up for a Grammy in the traditional blues category.

Beatlemania will never die and the Recording Academy keeps kicking itself for not giving the Fab Four more trophies back in the day. (The band only received four when they were together and two of them were for "Sgt Pepper.").
The casts of "The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil" and "Across the Universe" will provide the Beatle magic at this year's telecast. Both projects are actually nominated for Grammys this year.
Feist, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley will also perform.  Bette Midler, who will join Cirque in Vegas later this month as the replacement for Celine Dion, will be a   presenter.

The Writers Guild has given the Grammy telecast a thumbs up, allowing the Recording Academy to hire its two union writers.
The board of directors of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) granted  an interim agreement on Monday, allowing for the show's written material  to be covered under a Guild contract.
“Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media. In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW board felt that this decision should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists,” said WGAW president Patric M. Verrone.
Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow issued a statement: "The Recording Academy is gratified by the WGA's decision to grant the interim agreement we requested for our milestone 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Having our talented writers on the team further ensures the highest level of creativity and innovation, something our audience has come to expect every year.  Music fans worldwide can look forward to an amazing lineup of artists and performances on Feb. 10, making our 50th anniversary show one of the most memorable ever."

Remember when NME printed a story saying a Led Zeppelin reunion would occur based on a source for the World Entertainment News network?
How about this for outlandish speculation: John Paul Jones will be conducting an orchestra for the Foo Fighters at the Feb. 10 Grammys. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Grammy nominees, have been invited to perform on the telecast. That's either two-thirds or half way to a Led Zep presence, depending on how you view the drummer's role. Jimmy Page probably has no plans that night.

The striking Writers Guild of America has decided to back away from picketing the Feb. 10 Grammys kudocast, my colleague Dave McNary reports.
The WGA West  board made the decision Tuesday but has not granted the week-old request from the awards show for an interim agreement – which would allow WGA writers to work on the show.
The WGA’s move to allow the Grammys to proceed without interference means that the kudocast will be able to use the 10-20 actors who usually serve as presenters. It also removes the problem of having to cross a picket line for a substantial number of nominated musicians who have appeared in films and on TV.
It also opens the door for a medley of tunes heard on "Viva Laughlin."

Management for Beyonce and the Foo Fighters have declared their support for the Grammy Awards and will appear at the show regardless of the situation with writers strike.
Mathew Knowles, Beyonce's father and the head of Music World Entertainment, said Beyonce and his  artists Solange and Trinitee 5:7 "have been asked to participate and will do so. We have an incredible Beyoncé performance that will be announced soon."
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters reconfirmed his band's participation in the "My Grammy Moment" competition.
The band's;s manager, John Silva of SAM Music Management, said, "We're looking forward to attending this year's Grammy Awards as we do every year. We are hopeful that we will see a resolution to the current situation affecting our entire industry, as Foo Fighters have always had nothing short of amazing experiences with the writers, producers, fellow artists and audiences at the Grammys and every television show the band has ever played."

The Recording Academy has indeed requested a waiver from the WGA for the Feb. 10 kudoscast.
“We will take whatever action is necessary to ensure that a program so vital to our industry, artists, charitable beneficiaries and the great city of Los Angeles is held as planned,” Recording Academy president and CEO Neil Portnow said in a statement. “Accordingly, all preparations by the Academy for our milestone 50th annual Grammy Awards remain in full-swing.”

The new is coming out second hand, but it appears that the company producing the Grammy Awards, John Cossette Productions, has made a written offer to the WGA to sign an interim agreement similar to the one inked for the 39th NAACP Image Awards.
The earliest a decision will be made on the waiver - it has to go to the WGA board - is Monday.
The American Federation of Musicians and AFTRA "strongly urge all of our members to support the important work of the Recording Academy by participating in the Grammy events. We also strongly encourage all participating union members to express support for our ongoing efforts to ensure that musical artists and creative talent receive fair compensation for their work in digital media, as well as support for our brothers and sisters in the WGA."
Until a waiver is granted, however, it's quite possible that the two goals - participating in the Grammys and supporting the WGA - cannot be achieved at the same time.
The union contracts that  govern talent appearing on the 50th Annual Grammy Awards telecast are with the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

The Beverly Hilton, where the Golden Globes were scheduled for Sunday, is a ghost town today. There are parking spaces available, only a single news crew's van is parked outside and the only lingering limos belonged to a NAACP Image Awards announcement.
The fear that other awards show venues will be similarly empty is certainly bound to start spreading if there is no settlement to the writers strike within the next two weeks. The Grammy Awards, if staged amidst pickets at Staples Center, would have to do a show with no WGA writing, no actors as presenters and none of musicians with union or Hollywood connections.
Were the strike to have taken place last year - and SAG was refusing to go against the writers - the ceremonies would have lacked the presence of T.I., Ludacris, Reba McEntire, Mandy Moore, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, Quentin Tarantino, Luke Wilson, Lewis Black, Nicolas Cage, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Rock and David Spade.
There have been no announcements of performers or presenters for this year's Grammys. Last year, announcements of performers and presneters began during the second week of January, starting with beyonce, Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
If there is still a strike - and this is pure speculation - it's highly unlikely the Feb. 10 will be host to Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Beastie Boys, Joni Mitchell, John Fogerty, Lucinda Williams, Jack White, Steve Earle, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Fantasia, George Lopez, Jay-Z, Timberlake, Tim McGraw or Beyonce. (Grohl and his Foo Fighters are part of a heavily promoted Grammy Awards contest in which an unknown will be performing with the band. They appeared at the announcement, pictured, of the nominations).
Tech workers booked to work on the show are not crossing the picket line to do their jobs. But there are probably countless musicians who would not cross the picket line of fellow artists, a blow to the centerpiece of the Grammys' 50th anniversary.

Love's "Forever Changes," released by Elektra in 1967 and one of my favorite all-time albums,has finally been given its due by the Recording Academy, which has placed Arthur Lee and Bryan Maclean's masterpiece in its Hall of Fame.
Seventy recordings, ranging from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" to Ethel Merman singing "You're the Top," will be added to the Grammy Hall of Fame, which was started in 1973. The list now includes 798 titles.
The oldest tune on the list is  1905's "Give My Regards To Broadway" by Billy Murray; the youngest is Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album from 1982. Sixteen of the new entries are from the classical field.
Other personal faves on the list:  John Coltrane Quartet's "Ballads"; the Broadway cast album of "Company"; "The Harder They Come" soundtrack; Junior Wells' "Hoodoo Man Blues"; Slim Harpo's tune "I'm a King Bee"; Dusty Springfield's "The Look of Love"; Prince's double album "1999"; Little Walter's "Juke"; "Velvet Underground & Nico"; the Chords' do-wop classic "Sh-Boom";  Mstislav Rostropovich performing Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1in E flat, Op. 107 with the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Mississippi Sheiks' "Sittin on Top of the World"; and Etta James' "The Wallflower."
The full list is after the jump:

Leslie Feist’s impressive year hit another high note Thursday when she was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including new artist and pop vocal album.
The night before, she had delivered a gig in London, Ontario, the last of a 25-concert fall tour. She has only two gigs left on this year’s calendar — KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas Show on Sunday and homecoming gig in Toronto on the 18th.
After that, she says, it’s “stringing popcorn and cranberries with my nieces” for most of December, which will also find her shooting a video for “I Feel It All” with director of her “1234” video, Patrick Daughters. He also received a Grammy nom for what is probably 2007’s most seen vid clip.
“We came together with the same spirit - the video was a compete joy to make because I was with people who I felt were at the same point in their lives as I was in mine,” Feist says of the “1234” shoot. “We went into it playdate style, making  two videos in three days. I thought ‘My Moon My Man’ was the winner but then Apple wanted (‘1234’). TV wasn’t playing it and I felt like here’s this other station called Apple and they want to air one video and it’s mine. I had no idea what could happen – I knew none of the logistics other than it was (to be aired) for three months maximum.”
Apple picked up the “1234” video, used it in the iTunes ad and breathed new life into her album “Reminder,” which has now sold nearly 400,000 copies. Since the ad broke, she has shared a co-headliner concert tour with Spoon, received expanded airplay and started to appear on year-end critical lists; her calendar for 2008 is fast filling up with tours that will take her to Australia, Japan, Canada and the U.S.
“I live in a bubble,” she says, trying to clarify how the past year has affected her. “(I see life) in the context of gigs , the size of venues and the quality of the mood in a room. My awareness (of success) is statistical; my day to day is on the frontlines.”

The news has been out there for a week and it has even confounded some scribes. The vinyl edition of Bruce Springsteen's "Magic" will be released Sept. 25, one week ahead of the CD and the digital edition.
Where many retailers and fans complain that vinyl editions follow the release of a CD, by moving up the Springsteen album, the release date falls within the eligibility window for the 50th annual Grammy Awards.
Imagine, though, if Columbia stumbles into something here. Vinyl continues to grow in popularity despite the consistently high prices.Imagine a world, though, that would allow a fan to purchase a vinyl record for about $15 and a for a couple bucks more, provide them access to the digital edition of the album.
The Springsteen faithful who still own vinyl copies of "Born to Run," "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The River" might well want both, but have no interest in shelling out 20 to 30 bucks for the benefit of sound quality and portability. Might there be some sort of new-fangled business model hiding in there, especially for indie rockers with vinyl-loving fans? Makes more sense than previous vinyl-computer links.