On November 9, 2008, Zenzile Miriam Makeba died aged 76. She was singer, songwriter, actress, civil rights activist, and United Nations goodwill ambassador, nicknamed Mama Africa. She was the first African woman to win a “Grammy Award” (for “Best Folk Recording” in 1966 with Harry Belafonte for “An Evening with Belafonte and Makeba”). Makeba popularized African music among Western audience. Few of her popular songs were critical of apartheid, making her a symbol of opposition to the apartheid and white-minority government in South Africa. Upon her death, former Nelson Mandela said “her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us.”
Tag Archives: Grammy Award
George Benson & Al Jarreau: Givin’ It Up
On October 24, 2006, “Concord” label released “Givin’ It Up”, an album by Al Jarreau and George Benson. It was recorded in April 2006, at “Henson Recording Studios”, “NRG Studios”, and “Capitol Studios” in Hollywood; “G Studio Digital” in Studio City, CA; “LAFX Studios”, “The Pass”, “Willyworld”, and “Revelation Studios” in Los Angeles; “White Lightning Studios” in Sylmar, CA; “Porcupine Studios” in Chandler, AZ; “The B Hive” in Phoenix, AZ; “East Bay Studios” in Tarrytown, NY, and was produced by John Burk, Michael Broening, Marcus Miller, Patti Austin, Freddie Ravel, Larry Williams and Chris Dunn. In 2007, the album won “Grammy Award” for “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance” (Al Jarreau), and “Best Pop Instrumental Performance” (George Benson).
Personnel:
- George Benson – lead and backing vocals, guitar, arrangements
- Al Jarreau – lead and backing vocals, vocal percussion, arrangements
- Paul McCartney – lead vocals
- Ray Fuller – guitar
- Dean Parks – guitar, rhythm guitar
- Freddie Fox – guitar
- Michael O’Neill – rhythm guitar
- Michael Thompson – guitar
- Larry Williams – keyboards, acoustic piano, arrangements
- Michael Broening – keyboards, organ, programming, arrangements, organ
- Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano
- Patrice Rushen – keyboards, Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano, arrangements
- Rex Rideout – acoustic piano, arrangements
- Barry Eastmond – keyboards, arrangements
- Freddie Ravel – Fender Rhodes, clavinet, organ, synthesizer, Moog bass, drums, percussion programming, arrangements, BGV arrangements
- Joe Turano – Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 organ, arrangements
- Randy Waldman – acoustic piano, arrangements
- Abraham Laboriel – electric bass
- Mel Brown – bass guitar
- Marcus Miller – bass guitar, arrangements
- Stanley Clarke – bass guitar
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
- Michael White – drums
- Gregg Field – drums
- Ricky Lawson – drums
- Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
- Bashiri Johnson – percussion
- Marion Meadows – saxophone
- Chris Botti – trumpet
- John Burk – arrangements
- Jill Scott – lead vocals
- Patti Austin – lead and backing vocals, BGV arrangements
- Maxi Anderson – backing vocals
- Valerie Pinkston – backing vocals
- Sharon Perry – backing vocals
- Darlene Perry – backing vocals
- Lorraine Perry – backing vocals
- Sandra Simmons Williams – backing vocals
- De’Ante Duckett – backing vocals
- Alethea Mills – backing vocals
- Chavonne Morris – backing vocals
- Fred Martin – BGV arrangements
- Michael Broening, Myron Chandler, Jeff Harris, Don Murray, Charlie Paakkari, Seth Presan, Bill Smith – recording engineer
- Kevin Becka, Barry Eastmond, Eric Ferguson, Carlos Martinez, Dennis Moody, John Wroble – additional engineering
- Phillip Broussard, Keith Gretlein, Casey Lewis, Paul Smith – engineer assistant
- Seth Presant, Bill Smith, German Villacorta – Pro Tools engineer, editing
- Alex Pavlides – additional Pro Tools engineer
- Al Schmitt – mixing
- Steve Genewick – mixing assistant
- Doug Sax, Sangwook Nam – mastering
- Abbey Anna – art direction
- Andrew Pham – art direction, design
- Randee St. Nicholas – photography
- Barry Eastmond, Gregg Field – additional production
- Glen Barros, Kevin Lee, Noel Lee – executive producer
Track listing:
- Breezin’ – Bobby Womack, Al Jarreau
- Mornin’ – Al jarreau, David Foster, Jay Graydon
- Long Come Tutu – Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau
- God Bless the Child – Billie Holliday, Arthur Herzog Jr.
- Summer Breeze – Jim Seals, Dash Crofts
- All I Am – Rex Rideout, Phillip “Taj” Jackson
- Ordinary People – John Legend, will.i.am
- Let It Rain – Barry Eastmond, Al Jarreau
- Givin’ It Up for Love – Freddie Ravel, Al Jarreau
- Every Time You Go Away – Daryl Hall
- Four – Miles Davis, Jon Hendricks
- Don’t Start No Schtuff – Joe Turano, Al Jarreau
- Bring It On Home to Me – Sam Cooke
Arthur Neville
On July 22, 2019, Arthur Lanon Neville died aged 81. He was singer, musician (piano, keyboards) and songwriter, a founding member of The Meters, co-founder of The Neville Brothers, and founding member of The Funky Meters. He performed and recorded with Paul McCartney, Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Professor Longhair, and Labelle. Neville received three “Grammy Awards”.
The Dandy Warhols: The Dandy Warhols Are Sound
On July 14, 2009, “Beat the World Records” label released “The Dandy Warhols Are Sound”, the seventh Dandy Warhols (The) studio album. It is the original mix of the band’s 2003 album “Welcome to the Monkey House”, by “Grammy Award” winning soul music mixing engineer Russell Elevado.
Personnel:
- Courtney Taylor – Taylor– vocals, guitar
- Peter Holmstrom – guitar
- Zia McCabe – vocals, bass, keyboards
- Brent DeBoer – vocals, drums
- Evan Hodge IV – mastering
Track listing:
All tracks by Courtney Taylor-Taylor, except where noted.
- Burned
- Scientist
- We Used to Be Friends
- The Last High – Evan Dando, Courtney Taylor – Taylor
- Wonderful You
- The Dandy Warhols Loves Almost Everyone
- I Am Over It
- Heavenly
- Plan A
- Rock Bottom
- I Am Sound
- Insincere
- Pete Int’l Spaceport
Reggie Lucas
On May 19, 2018, Reginald Grant Lucas aka Reggie Lucas died aged 65. He was songwriter, musician (guitar) and record producer. As musician he has recorded and performed with Miles Davis, Carlos Garnett, Babatunde Olatunji, Norman Connors, Flora Purim, Lonnie Liston Smith, Hubert Eaves, Roberta Flack, Urszula Dudziak, James Mtume, Gary Bartz, Zbigniew Seifert, John Lee, Gerry Brown and Masabumi Kikuchi. As producer Lucas worked with Madonna, Mtume, Models, Randy Crawford, Rebbie Jackson, Bunny DeBarge, The Four Tops, John Adams, The Weather Girls, Elisa Fiorillo and Nick Scotti. In 1981, Lucas and James Mtume won a “Grammy Award” for “Best R&B Song” for their composition “Never Knew Love Like This Before”, which was performed by Stephanie Mills. As leader, Lucas has recorded two albums.
John Prine
On April 7, 2020, John Prine died aged 73. He was singer – songwriter and musician (guitar), known for his music that has elements of protest and social commentary. His song “Sam Stone” stands as a reference to the phenomenon of heroin or morphine addiction among Vietnam war veterans. During 2005 at the request of U.S. poet laureate Ted Kooser, John Prine became the first singer – songwriter to read and perform at the Library of Congress. Prine won two “Grammy Awards” and recorded eighteen albums.
Krzysztof Penderecki
On March 29, 2020, Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki died aged 87. He was a Polish composer and conductor, one of the most important European and world composers of the 20th century. Penderecki composed four operas, eight symphonies and other orchestral pieces, a variety of instrumental concertos, choral settings of mainly religious texts, as well as chamber and instrumental works. Among his best known works are Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, Polish Requiem, Anaklasis and Utrenja, Symphony No. 3, his St. Luke Passion, Penderecki has won many prestigious awards, including the Commander’s Cross in 1964, the Prix Italia in 1967 and 1968, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1964, four Grammy Awards in 1987, twice in 1998, and 2017, Wolf Prize in Arts in 1987 and the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition in 1992.
Lyle Mays
On February 10, 2020, Lyle David Mays died aged 66. He was musician (piano, keyboards) and composer, arranged and composed for One O’Clock Lab Band, toured with Woody Herman, but was best known as a member of the Pat Metheny Group. For his work with Pat Metheny, Mays won eleven “Grammy Awards”.
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown
On May 15, 2009, “Reprise” label released “21st Century Breakdown”, the eighth Green Day studio album. It was recorded January 2008 – April 2009, at “Ocean Way Recording” inHollywood; “Studio 880” in Oakland, California, “Jel Studios” in Newport Beach, California, “Costa Mesa Studios” in Costa Mesa, California, and was produced by Butch Vig, Billy Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt. At the 52nd Grammy Awardsheld in January 2010, “21st Century Breakdown” won “Grammy Award” for “Best Rock Album”. The album was certified Platinum in US by “RIAA”.
Personnel:
- Billie Joe Armstrong– lead vocals, guitar, piano
- Mike Dirnt– leaf and backing vocals, bass guitar
- Tré Cool– drums, percussion
- Jason Freese– piano
- Tom Kitt– string arrangements
- Patrick Warren – string conducting
- Chris Dugan – engineer
- Keith Armstrong – engineer assistant
- Nik Karpen – engineer assistant
- Wesley Seidman – engineer assistant
- Brad Kobylczak – additional engineering
- Joe McGrath – additional engineering
- Andrew Schubert – additional engineering
- Brad Townshend – additional engineering
- Chris Lord-Alge– mixing=
- Ted Jensen– mastering
- Chris Bilheimer – design, photography, stencils
- Andrew Black – stencils
- Micah Chong – stencils
- David Cooper – stencils
- Marina Chavez – back cover photography
Track listing:
All lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, all music composed by Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt.
- Song of the Century
- 21st Century Breakdown
- Know Your Enemy
- ¡Viva la Gloria!
- Before the Lobotomy
- Christian’s Inferno
- Last Night on Earth
- East Jesus Nowhere
- Peacemaker
- Last of the American Girls
- Murder City
- ¿Viva la Gloria?
- Restless Heart Syndrome
- Horseshoes and Handgrenades
- The Static Age
- 21 Guns
- American Eulogy: A. Mass Hysteria/B. Modern World
- See the Light
Bright Eyes: Cassadaga
On April 9, 2007, “Saddle Creek” label released “Cassadaga”, the seventh Bright Eyes studio album. It was recorded in 2006, and was produced by Mike Mogis. In February 2008, the album won “Grammy Award” for “Best Recording Package”.
Personnel:
- Conor Oberst– voice, guitar, piano, synthesizer
- Mike Mogis– voice, guitar, bass, pedal steel, lap steel, mandolin, dobro, percussion , vibraphone, baritone, ukulele, glockenspiel
- Nate Walcott– organ, piano, electric piano, string, orchestral and woodwind arrangement
- Ward– voice, guitar
- Janet Weiss– drums
- Clark Baechle– percussion
- David Rawlings– guitar
- Stacy DuPree– voice
- Sherri DuPree– voice
- Z Berg– voice
- Rachael Yamagata– voice
- Hassan Lemtouni – voice
- Chris MacDonald- voice
- Gillian Welch– voice
- Ted Stevens– voice
- Sean Foley – voice
- Maria Taylor– voice
- Andy LeMaster– voice
- Jake Bellows– voice
- Tim Luntzel– bass
- Dan McCarthy– bass
- Stefanie Drootin– bass
- Shane Aspegren– drums, percussion
- Jason Boesel– voice, drums
- John McEntire– percussion , electronics
- Michael Zerang – percussion
- Jonathan Crawford – percussion
- Dan Bitney – percussion
- Dan Fliegel – percussion
- David Moyer – bass clarinet
- Brian Walsh – clarinet, bass clarinet
- Sarah Wass – flute
- Myka Miller – oboe
- Anton Patzner– violin
- Bill Meyers – conductor
- Suzie Katayama – conductor
Track listing:
All tracks by Conor Oberst, except where noted.
- Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)
- Four Winds
- If the Brakeman Turns My Way – Conor Oberst, Jason Boesel
- Hot Knives
- Make a Plan to Love Me
- Soul Singer in a Session Band
- Classic Cars
- Middleman
- Cleanse Song
- No One Would Riot for Less
- Coat Check Dream Song – Conor Oberst, Nate Walcott
- I Must Belong Somewhere
- Lime Tree
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