The Obligatory Grammy Post, Neighborhood Church Pics.
The Recording Academy have been known for either safe, iffy or lukewarm decisions when it comes to the Grammy Awards. Aesthetics of “The Establishment,” as some say. and in some categories, they have continued that tradition in the 48th Annual Grammy Awards.
Whole Grammy 2006 awards list here.
U2’s the big winner, an audience friendly choice, and not an altogether bad one. Happy that The White Stripes won for their album “Get Behind Me Satan” in the Best Alternative Music Album category, although they should have won for more groundbreaking material in the previous years. Happy that the Arcade Fire’s Funeral at least got nominated in the same category. And good for granddaddy of skateboard punk Green Day, winning Record of the Year for “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” for coming out with an album that showed why they inspired a generation of rockers to do what they do.
I do admit that even if it may be considered a “safe” decision, Allison Krauss and Union Station’s wins (Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - “Restless;” Best Country Instrumental Performance - “Unionhouse Branch;” and Best Country Album - “Lonely Runs Both Ways”) sat well with me. Maybe its because I like the bluegrass/gospel side of country. And at the risk of my friend Matt strangling me for saying it -- YAY for Monty Python’s Spamalot beating The Light in the Piazza for Best Musical Show Album! Too bad Danny Elfman’s “Wonka’s Welcome Song” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Arcade Fire’s “Cold Wind” from the Six Feet Under 2 - Everything Ends didn’t win, but it was great that it at least got nominated for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.
On more obscure but fun things, I came across a site a few years ago with ethnomusicologist John Lomax’s 1939 Southern States Recording Trip with his wife Ruby Lomax , and I downloaded some stuff of it. In some of them featured Vera Hall, most popularly heard nowadays singing "Trouble So Hard" sampled into Moby's song "Natural Blues."
John's son Alan Lomax continued the legacy of documenting folk music, including blues greats such as Jelly Roll Morton. the Jelly Roll Morton recordings were recently compiled into an album, The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings. This compilation won Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album in this year's Grammys. I hope to get my hands on the album soon. more on the Alan Lomax recordings here.
Went to morning Mass at the nearby church a few days ago, I was sort of thankful to wear these…
… after months of wearing these...
Just a few shots of the church…
morning vegetable market just outside the church.
… and the area around.
