[Updated Dec 11]

Yesterday the nominations were announced for the 51st annual Grammy Awards. Here are the nominees of local interest. Where possible, I kept the competition in, but not always. So it goes. Lil Wayne certainly did his part this year.

Album Of The Year

(Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s)/Mixer(s) & Mastering Engineer(s), if other than the artist.)

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

Coldplay

Markus Dravs, Brian Eno & Rik Simpson, producers; Michael H. Brauer, Markus Dravs, John O’Mahoney, Rik Simpson & Andy Wallace, engineers/mixers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer

[Capitol Records]

Tha Carter III

Lil Wayne

Babyface, Brisco, Fabolous, Jay-Z, Kidd Kidd, Busta Rhymes, Juelz Santana, D. Smith, Static Major, T-Pain & Bobby Valentino, featured artists; Alchemist, David Banner, Vaushaun “Maestro” Brooks, Cool & Dre, Andrews “Drew” Correa, Shondrae “Mr. Bangladesh” Crawford, Darius “Deezle” Harrison, Jim Jonsin, Mousa, Pro Jay, Rodnae, Skillz & Play, D. Smith, Swizz Beatz, Robin Thicke, T-Pain & Kanye West, producers; Angel Aponte, Joshua Berkman, Andrew Dawson, Joe G, Darius “Deezle” Harrison, Fabian Marasciullo, Miguel Scott, Robin Thicke, Julian Vasquez & Gina Victoria, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer

[Universal Motown/Cash Money]

(Rooting interest beyond Lil Wayne: Locals in the production list included Mousa and Darius “Deezle” Harrison)

Year Of The Gentleman

Ne-Yo

Chuck Harmony, Ne-Yo, Polow Da Don, StarGate, Stereotypes, Syience, Shea Taylor & Shomari “Sho” Wilson, producers; Kirven Arrington, Jeff Chestek, Kevin “KD” Davis, Mikkel Eriksen, Jaymz Hardy Martin, III, Geno Regist, Phil Tan & Tony Terrebonne, engineers/mixers; Herb Powers, Jr., mastering engineer

[Def Jam/Compound]

Raising Sand

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; Gavin Lurssen, mastering engineer

[Rounder]

In Rainbows

Radiohead

Nigel Godrich, producer; Nigel Godrich, Dan Grech-Marguerat, Hugo Nicolson & Richard Woodcraft, engineers/mixers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer

[TBD Records]

Best Rock Album

(Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.)

Consolers Of The Lonely

The Raconteurs

[Third Man/Warner Bros.]

(Rooting interest: Dirk Powell plays fiddle.)

Best Rap Solo Performance

(For a solo Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.)

Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…

Jay-Z

Track from: American Gangster

[Roc-A-Fella]

A Milli

Lil Wayne

Track from: Tha Carter III

[Cash Money/Universal Motown]

Paris, Tokyo

Lupe Fiasco

Track from: The Cool

[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master)

Nas

Track from: Untitled

[Def Jam]

Sexual Eruption

Snoop Dogg

Track from: Ego Trippin

[Geffen]

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

(For duo, group or collaborative performances of Rap only. Singles or Tracks only.)

Royal Flush

Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000

[LaFace]

Swagga Like Us

Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne

[Roc-A-Fella/Grand Hustle/Atlantic]

Mr. Carter

Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z

Track from: Tha Carter III

[Cash Money/Universal Motown]

Wish You Would

Ludacris Featuring T.I.

[DTP]

Put On

Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West

[Def Jam]

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

(For a Rap/Sung collaborative performance by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

American Boy

Estelle Featuring Kanye West

Track from: Shine

[Homeschool/Atlantic]

Low

Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain

Track from: Mail On Sunday

[Poe Boy/Atlantic]

Green Light

John Legend & Andre 3000

[Columbia/G.O.O.D. Music]

Got Money

Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain

Track from: Tha Carter III

[Cash Money/Universal Motown]

Superstar

Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos

Track from: The Cool

[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

Best Rap Song

(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

Lollipop

D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major)

Track from: Tha Carter III

[Cash Money/Universal Motown; Publishers: Young Money Publishing/Warner-Chappell Music, Herbalicious Music/Blackfountain Music/EMI-April Music, JimiPub Music/EMI Blackwood, Three Nails and A Crown Publishing]

Low

T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters (Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain)

Track from: Mail On Sunday

[Poe Boy/Atlantic; Publishers: E-Class Publishing/Top Quality Publishing/NappyPub Music/Zomba Songs]

Sexual Eruption

Calvin Broadus, S. Lovejoy & D. Stewart, songwriters (Snoop Dogg)

Track from: Ego Trippin

[Geffen; Publishers: My Own Chit Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music, Shawty Redd Songs/EMI April Music, Pimpin Tha Pen]

Superstar

Lupe Fiasco & Soundtrakk, songwriters (Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos)

Track from: The Cool

[1st & 15th/Atlantic; Publishers: Hey Lu Chill Music (Heavy As Heaven/Universal Music), 1st & 15th Publishing (Mr. Lopez Music/Universal Music Publishing)]

Swagga Like Us

D. Carter, S. Carter, Clifford Harris & Kanye West, songwriters (M. Arulpragasam, N. Headon, M. Jones, J. Mellor, T. Pentz & P. Simonon, songwriters) (Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne)

[Roc-A-Fella/Grand Hustle/Atlantic; Publishers: Crown Club Pub./Warner-Tamerlane/Please Gimme My Publishing/EMI Blackwood/Carter Boys Music/EMI April/Young Money Pub./Warner-Tamerlane/Hollertronix/Domino Publishing/Universal Z Tunes/Univ. Polygram Int'l]

Best Rap Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

American Gangster

Jay-Z

[Roc-A-Fella]

Tha Carter III

Lil Wayne

[Cash Money/Universal Motown]

The Cool

Lupe Fiasco

[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

Nas

Nas

[Def Jam]

Paper Trail

T.I.

[Grand Hustle/Atlantic]

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

(For established duos or groups with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

God Must Be Busy

Brooks & Dunn

Track from: Cowboy Town

[Arista Nashville]

(Rooting interest: Kix Brooks is from Shreveport.)

Stay

Sugarland

Track from: Enjoy the Ride

[Mercury Records]

(Rooting interest: Annie Clements is on bass and backing vocals.)

(For a collaborative performance, with vocals, by artists who do not normally perform together. Singles or Tracks only.)

Life In A Northern Town

Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town

Track from: Love On The Inside [Deluxe Fan Edition]

[Mercury Records]

(NOTE: Included because we have a rooting interest – the touring rhythm section is Annie Clements on bass and Better Than Ezra’s Travis McNabb on drums. This is the one song on the Sugarland album that was cut live and includes McNabb and one of the handful to feature Clements’ backing vocals, not that you can tell with all the voices on this track.)

Best Country Instrumental Performance

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

Is This America? (Katrina 2005)

Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas & Bruce Hornsby

Track from: Family & Friends — Rambling Boy

[Decca Records]

(NOTE: Rooting interest: the subject matter, and Charlie Haden, who’s had an honorable career)

 Cluster Pluck

Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner

[Arista Nashville]

(Rooting interest: Features the great James Burton from Shreveport.)

Best Country Album

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Around The Bend

Randy Travis

[Warner Bros.]

(NOTE: Rooting interest: Travis cut a song by former NO songwriter Jim McCormick on this album)

Best Bluegrass Album

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Del McCoury Band — Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Del McCoury Band

[MunckMix]

(NOTE: I have mixed feelings about the MunckMix albums qualifying for Grammys since they’re pretty much official bootlegs, but it does give us a rooting interest. I also want to hear this one because the soundbleed from Calle 13’s Congo Square set was so bad that I couldn’t focus on McCoury that afternoon.)

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Cannon Re-Loaded: All-Star Celebration Of Cannonball Adderley

(Various Artists)

Gregg Field & Tom Scott, producers

[Concord Jazz]

(NOTE: Rooting interest: Terrence Blanchard’s on the album. Also – really? This was a pretty tepid effort, with Tom Scott finding little new or old in celebration of Adderley.)

Best Jazz Vocal Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

Loverly

Cassandra Wilson

[Blue Note]

(Rooting interest: Jenny Bagert, photography; Wesley Fontenot, engineer; Herlin Riley, drums.)

(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.)

34 Ghosts I-IV

Nine Inch Nails

Track from: Ghosts I-IV

[The Null Corporation]

(NOTE: Rooting interest: After his time here, we’ll consider Trent Reznor an honorary New Orleanian. And I respect him for having the nerve to call an angst time-out and play tracks from Ghosts live.)

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)

Be-Bop

Terence Blanchard, soloist

Track from: Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars)

[Monterey Jazz Festival Records]

Best Traditional Gospel Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

Down In New Orleans

The Blind Boys Of Alabama

[Time Life]

(NOTE: Rooting interest: Recorded at Preservation Hall with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Hot 8 Brass Band, and Allen Toussaint, Roland Guerin, Shannon Powell and David Torkanowsky; Charles Driebe, executive producer; Ben Sandmel, liner notes.)

Best Traditional Blues Album

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Skin Deep

Buddy Guy

[Silvertone Records]

(Rooting interest: Buddy Guy is a Lettsworth, Louisiana native, and Nathan Williams plays accordion.)

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Peace, Love & BBQ

Marcia Ball

[Alligator Records]

(Rooting interest: A serious locals count: David Barard, bass; Herman V. Ernest III, drums; Chris Finney, engineer; Wardell Quezergue, horn arrangements; Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), piano, organ, clavinet, chorus; Terrance Simien, accordion, chorus; Wayne Toups, accordion, chorus; and David Egan, who wrote the title cut.)

Like A Fire

Solomon Burke

[Shout! Factory]

City That Care Forgot

Dr. John And The Lower 911

[429 Records]

(Rooting interest: Once again, a serious locals count: David Barard, bass; Herman V. Ernest III, drums; James “12″ Andrews & Crescent City Allstars, trumpet; Terence Blanchard, trumpet; Alonzo Bowens, tenor sax & horn arrangements; Ani DiFranco, vocals; Terrance Simien, vocals; Dr. John, piano, organ, clavinet, chorus; Chris Finney, engineer; John Fohl, guitar and backing vocals; Shannon McNally, backing vocals; Jason Mingledorff, baritone sax, horn arrangements; Wardell Quezergue, horn & string arrangements; Korey Richey, asst engineer; Kenneth “Afro” Williams, percussion.)

Maestro

Taj Mahal

[Heads Up International]

Simply Grand

Irma Thomas

[Rounder Records]

(Rooting interest: serious locals count: Irma Thomas, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Davell Crawford, Dr. John, David Egan – who also wrote a song for the album – Charles Elam III, David Farrell, Wesley Fontenot, Peter Harris, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Tom McDermott & His Jazz Hellions, Rick Olivier, Alfred “Uganda” Roberts, James Singleton, Michael Skinkus, David Torkanowsky, and Raymond Weber.)

 (NOTE: Mixed feelings: Hate to see Irma, Mac and Marcia Ball going against each other and friend-of-New Orleans Taj Mahal, but at the odds are good of the Grammy coming this direction. Personal preference: Simply Grand. Footnote: Pollstar.com shows Solomon Burke playing a venue To Be Announced during the weekends of Jazz Fest. Think it might be Jazz Fest?)

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet

[MunckMix]

(Rooting interest: Michael Doucet, David Doucet, Mitchell Reed, Jimmy Breaux, Billy Ware and Tommy Alesi.) 

From Now On

Michael Doucet

[Smithsonian Folkways Recordings]

(Rooting interest: Michael Doucet, Mitchell Reed, and Todd Duke.)

 Homage Au Passé

Pine Leaf Boys

[Lionsgate]

(Rooting interest: Wilson Savoy, Courtney Granger, Drew Simon, Jon Bertrand and Thomas David.)

Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys

[MunckMix]

(Rooting interest: Steve Riley, David Greely, Sam Broussard, Kevin Dugas and Brazos Huval.)

Cedric Watson

Cedric Watson

[Valcour Records]

(Rooting interest: Cedric Watson, Jermaine Prejean, Eric Frey, Chas Justus, Jeffery Broussard, Corey Ledet, Anna Laura Edmiston, Kelli Jones and Joel Savoy.)

 (NOTE: Again, more MunckMix albums, and another slightly shaky entry is the Pine Leaf Boys’ album, which was released digitally on September 30, the last day for releases to qualify for Grammy consideration. It’s available through iTunes, but their new label, Lionsgate, has yet to release physical copies. A little early to start handicapping this one, but the two that stood out for me were Doucet’s album (which would be my morning line favorite) and Cedric Watson’s album. There are side dramas a-plenty here, by the way, as Watson competes against former bandmates the Pine Leaf Boys, and as OffBeat  contributor Steve Hochman points out, “There’s the Savoy family domination, with Wilson’s Pine Leaf Boys, Cedric’s album being on Joel’s Valcour label plus Steve Riley being their cousin and Doucet a musical partner with their parents in Savoy Doucet.”)

Best Comedy Album

(For comedy recordings, spoken or musical)

Anticipation

Lewis Black

[Comedy Central Records]

Flight Of The Conchords

Flight Of The Conchords

[Sub Pop]

For Your Consideration

Kathy Griffin

[Columbia/Music With A Twist]

It’s Bad For Ya

George Carlin

[Eardrum Records]

Songs Of The Bushmen

Harry Shearer

[Courgette Records]

(Rooting interest: Harry Shearer is a part-time New Orleanian and is a fierce advocate for the city, and John Fischbach, engineer.)

 (NOTE: You’ve got to feel for Harry going up against a George Carlin album after Carlin’s death. I’d like to think this isn’t a foregone conclusion, but ….)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Ghosts I-IV

Trent Reznor & Rob Sheridan, art directors (Nine Inch Nails)

[The Null Corporation]

Best Opera Recording

(Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.)

Dun, Tan: The First Emperor

Tan Dun, conductor; Michelle DeYoung, Plácido Domingo, Elizabeth Futral, Paul Groves, Wu Hsing-Kuo & Hao Jiang Tian; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

[EMI Classics]

(Rooting interest: Elizabeth Futral is from Covington.)

 That wraps the local section. Here are a few additional nominations that make me happy for different reasons:

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

Simon Cowell, Clive Davis & Ryan “Alias” Tedder, producers; Craig Durrance, 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]

(NOTE: It’s reassuring to see two projects as interesting and intelligent as M.I.A. and Plant/Krauss recognized. Brains are so rarely recognized.)

Best Pop Instrumental Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

A Night Before Christmas

Spyro Gyra

[Heads Up International]

(NOTE: I really didn’t plan to do any WTF’s because there would be too many, but this is a pretty innocuous disc by any standards, Christmas or otherwise.)

Best Electronic/Dance Album

(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.)

New York City

Brazilian Girls

[Verve Forecast]

Alive 2007

Daft Punk

[Virgin Records]

Bring Ya To The Brink

Cyndi Lauper

[Epic]

X

Kylie Minogue

[Capitol/Astralwerks]

Last Night

Moby

[Mute]

Robyn

Robyn

[Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope]

(NOTE: One of these things / is not like the others. It’s a drag when you get into the “What will the Grammys get wrong?” derby, but did anybody know Cyndi Lauper even put an album last year until you saw this? Did anybody know she’d made a dance album? And next to Robyn’s justly acclaimed album and Minogue’s overlooked album, it’s particularly hard to see.)

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

(For duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

Stay With Me (By The Sea)

Al Green Featuring John Legend

Track from: Lay It Down

[Blue Note Records]

Never Give You Up

Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton

Track from: The Way I See It

[Columbia Records]

(NOTE: Both Green and Saadiq made interesting, satisfying albums that revisited the past – Green, as produced by ?uestlove among others, returned intelligently to the songwriting and arranging charms of his own past, while Saadiq revisited Motown without being simply retro.)

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)

You’ve Got The Love I Need

Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton

Track from: Lay It Down

[Blue Note Records]

Love That Girl

Raphael Saadiq

Track from: The Way I See It

[Columbia Records]

Best R&B Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

Lay It Down

Al Green

[Blue Note]

The Way I See It

Raphael Saadiq

[Columbia]

(NOTE: Is there someone in the Grammy office who actually sits there with a stopwatch to determine the percentage of vocal tracks? Or who counts the songs and does the math?)

Best Jazz Vocal Album

(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)

Loverly

Cassandra Wilson

[Blue Note]

(NOTE: Wilson’s at the House of Blues Saturday night as part of the New Orleans Songwriters Festival performing a writers’ round with Jimmy Webb, Allen Toussaint and Zachary Richard.)

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Appearing Nightly

Carla Bley And Her Remarkable Big Band

[WATT]

(NOTE: Again, intelligence rewarded, but like M.I.A., Plant/Krauss, Green and Saadiq, not simply smart. If I was doing more WTFs here, I’d have to point out a bunch of intelligent, respectable, “proper” choices that are musically banal or hamstrung by propriety. In all of these cases, genres are launching points for personal visions, and their work – Bley’s certainly included – illuminates her own art and the genre she’s riffing on.)

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]

(NOTE: I was also fond of the Emmylou and Rodney Crowell albums this year.)

Best Reggae Album

(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Repentance

Lee “Scratch” Perry

[Narnack Records]

(NOTE: I didn’t hear this one and hit the point of diminishing returns with contemporary Perry albums about five or six discs’ back, but I love the idea of Lee “Scratch” Perry at the Grammys, walking the red carpet with a joint the size of a hamhock – which he broke out of his backpack and smoked onstage at the House of Blues when I saw him seven or eight years ago.)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

(An Engineer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.))

Just A Little Lovin’

Al Schmitt, engineer (Shelby Lynne)

[Lost Highway Records]

(NOTE: Shelby Lynne’s interpretations of Dusty Springfield songs were so intimate and so private that you felt like you were listening to her meditating on her on love life while sitting alone in bed in a darkened room looking out the window at a rainy night. The words were all sung to herself, not to her love, and Schmitt really does deserve credit for capturing such a delicate, subtle performance.)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

(A Remixer’s Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.)

Electric Feel (Justice Remix)

Justice, remixers (MGMT)

Track from: Oracular Spectacular

[Columbia]

(NOTE: Another case where I don’t know the track, but I liked Justice’s [Cross] and its arena-rock version of techno.)