Notable Grammy Award winners

My annual, somewhat scattered, report, on the Grammy Awards, and the nominees/winners in the roots music categories.

Mavis Staples wins Best American Roots Performance for "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" from her "Your Good Fortune" record.  Notable runners-up included Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn's "And Am I Born To Die", from their self titled record, the title track from Buddy Guy's new record "Born To Play Guitar", "City of Our Lady" by The Milk Carton Kids, from their record "Monterey". also on Anti Records, and "Julep" by The Punch Brothers, from their Nonesuch Records release, "Phosphorescent Blues".

http://www.grammy.com/nominees?genre=59

Jason Isbell wins Best American Roots Song for "24 Frames".  The runners-up go to some more heavy hitters including The Mavericks' "All Night Long", written by Raul Malo, off their "Mono" release.  Don Henley & Merle Haggard's performance of "The Cost of Living", written by Don Henley and Stan Lynch, from the "Cass County" record, and the aforementioned, "Julep", by The Punch Brothers.

Another honorable mention, goes to Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell for their tune "The Traveling Kind" co-written with Cory Chisel, the title cut from their new record on the Nonesuch label.

Jason Isbell wins Best Americana Album, for"Something More Than Free" on Southeastern Records, followed by Brandi Carlile's "The Firewatcher's Daughter" on ATO Records, the aforementioned Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris "The Traveling Kind", as well as "Mono" by The Mavericks, and "Phosphorescent Blues", by The Punch Brothers.

The Steeldrivers, win Best Bluegrass Album, for their recording "Muscle Shoals" on Rounder Records.  Rounding out the Bluegrass category were Dale Ann Bradley's "Pocket Full of Keys" on Pinecastle Records, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley's "Before The Sun Goes Down" on Compass Records Group, "In Session" by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver" on Mountain Home Music Company, and Ralph Stanley & Friends "Man of Constant Sorrow", on Red River Entertainment.

Buddy Guy's "Born To Play Guitar" is Best Blues album, and it is out on RCA Records.  Runners-up include the Cedric Burnside Project "Descendants of Hill Country", Shemekia Copeland "Outskirts of Love", Bettye LaVette's "Worthy", and John Primer & Various Artists, "Muddy Waters 100", a 100th birthday tribute, to the late, great bluesman, Muddy Waters.

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, win Best Folk Album, for their self-titled release.  Also in the folk category are Norman Blake's "Wood, Wire, & Words" on Plectrafone Records, Tomorrow Is My Turn by Rhiannon Giddens on Nonesuch, "Servant of Love" by Patti Griffin on PGM, and Glenn Hansard's "Didn't He Ramble" on the Anti label.

Jon Cleary wins Best Regional Roots Music album, with "Go Go Juice".

Alabama Shakes is runner-up for Album of The Year for their "Sound And Color" record on ATO Records, and so was the new sensation, bringing country music back to it's roots, Chris Stapleton, for his "Traveller" album, on Mercury Nashville. Tony Bennett wins Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, for his tribute to standards songwriter Jerome Kern, "The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern" on RPM Records/Columbia Records.  Bob Dylan, was a runner-up in the category, for his "Shadows In The Night" recording, released by his longtime record company, Columbia.

A couple of mentions in the Best Contemporary Instrumental album category.  Snarky Puppy, wins the Grammy in this category, for their Impulse! release, with the Metropole Orkest, "Sylva", and runners-up include "Guitar In The Space Age" by Bill Frisell on the well known Okeh label (a label, that has been around, since the days of 78 RPM records), and jazz bass legend Marcus Miller's "Afrodeezia", on another famous label, Blue Note.

Kirk Whalum's "The Gospel According To Jazz" Chapter IV, on Mack Avenue Records, also gets an honorable mention here, as the contemporary jazz tenor saxophonist, delves once again, into gospel music.

Alabama Shakes also wins Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, for "Don't Wanna Fight", and their album "Sound & Color" gets the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.  Roots music, is here to stay, folks!  Wilco's "Star Wars" is also on the list for Best Alternative Music Album.  Charlie Wilson, was nominated for Best Traditional R&B (Rhythm & Blues) performance, for "My Favorite Part of You" from his "Forever Charlie" record on RCA.

Chris Stapleton's "Traveller" wins the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance, and also, Best Country Album.  Kacey Musgraves "Pageant Material" was also nominated.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo, has many worthy candidates, and of course, one winner.  Here they are in order of nomination.

"Cherokee" Christian McBride (soloist) Christian McBride Trio "Live at The Village Vanguard" Mack Avenue Records

"Giant Steps" (the John Coltrane tune) Joey Alexander (soloist), from the record "My Favorite Things" on Motema Music.

"Arbiters of Evolution" with jazz saxophonist Donny McCaslin playing the solo, on The Maria Schneider Orchestra's "The Thompson Fields", on ArtistShare.

"Friend or Foe" with saxophonist Joshua Redman, soloing, on "The Bad Plus Joshua Redman" on Nonesuch Records.

"Past Present" by John Scofield, the title track from his "Past Present" album, on the Impulse! label.

The aforementioned "Past Present" wins the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.  Runners-up are Joey Alexander's "My Favorite Things" on Motema Music, trumpeter Terence Blanchard (feat. The E-Collective), "Breathless" on Blue Note, Robert Glasper & The Robert Glasper Trio "Covered: Recorded Live at Capitol Studios", also on Blue Note, and saxophonist Jimmy Greene's "Beautiful Life" on Mack Avenue Records.

Keyboard and Hammond B3 master, Jon Cleary, takes The Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album, with his "Go Go Juice" record on FHQ Records.

A tribute record, to the great Glen Campbell, where he recorded with various artists, on Big Machine Records... a compilation, produced by Julian Raymond, won the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

The Best Instrumental Composition Grammy, goes to Arturto O'Farrill, and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, for the "Afro Latin Jazz Suite".  Runner-up, was jazz saxophonist/composer, Bob Mintzer, with his composition, "Civil War" from his "Get Up!" album, on MCG Jazz.

The late David Bowie, is recognized, as is the arranger for his song "Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)", posted here, after news broke of his passing, as the album with the Best Arrangement for Instruments and Vocals,  This is a track from Bowie's "Nothing Has Changed" record, and the credited arranger who earns the award is Maria Schneider.

Some roots music packages, won Grammy's for Best Recording Package, and Best Boxed or Limited Edition Package.

Best Recording Package, goes to an album celebrating "The King of Texas Swing"... Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, by Asleep At The Wheel, on Bismeaux Records.

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package (put together in part, by Jack White), is "The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records Volume 2, 1928-1932".

Alabama Shakes, and their new record "Sound & Color", also wins the Grammy for Best Engineered Album.

Producers Dave Cobb (for Jason Isbell's new record), and Blake Mills (for Alabama Shakes), earn honorable mentions here, as nominees for Producer of the Year.

In the Best Musical Film category, honorable mentions (but no awards), are for films about James Brown ("Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown) on Inaudible Films, Roger Waters ("The Wall"), on Back Lot Music, and, Nina Simone ("What Happened, Ms. Simone?" on Netflix.