Okay, so the Grammys didn’t completely blow, just about 97% did. There were some greats – Aretha, Tina, John Fogerty, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, some damn good – Foo Fighters, The Time, some suprises (Amy Winehouse was good and seemed SOBER!) And then there was the crap, well that would make my hand cramp to write it. Some stand outs for me:
Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade [New West Records]
Best Traditional Folk Album: Levon Helm – Dirt Farmer [Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records]
Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs & The Whites – Salt Of The Earth [Skaggs Family Records]
Best Bluegrass Album: Jim Lauderdale – The Bluegrass Diaries [Yep Roc Records]
Best Country Instrumental Performance: Brad Paisley – Throttleneck from: 5th Gear [Arista Nashville]
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Willie Nelson & Ray Price – Lost Highway from: Last Of The Breed [Lost Highway Records]
Best Country Album (and best on camera slam of Kanye West!): Vince Gill – These Days [MCA Nashville]
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) [Rounder Records]
Best Historical Album: Woody Guthrie – The Live Wire [Woody Guthrie Publications]
And Uncle Tony, you were robbed! Next year, man….