50th Grammy Award Nominations

The Nominations are in, and they seem a little quirky to me. (Do Grammys matter anymore in a declining recording industry?)

Once you get past Beyonce, the Foo Fighters and Kanye West -- incidentally Cincinnati native LA Reid's Island Def Jam label and its subsidiaries are doing very well, thank you -- I don't see any of the usual Cincinnati-related nominees. There's no CSO, Paavo Jarvi, Kunzel and the Pops -- and Telarc producers, who record the CSO and Pops, were recognized for their work with other bands.

But there are a few nominations with Cincinnati ties. Perhaps the biggest deal is eighth blackbird, that hip, superb ensemble that studied at CCM and continues to return annually for MusicX (oops, that has been canceled after next year...)

There's also Cincinnati composer and retired bass of the CSO, Frank Proto, who conducts a disc of his own music with clarinetist Eddie Daniels.

Also appearing are conductors James Levine with his Boston Symphony Orchestra and Michael Gielen, former CSO music director in the '80s.

And Ed Stern can continue dancing a jig when he sees this:

For Best Musical Show Album -- "Company" (the production originated at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Tommy Krasker, producer (Stephen Sondheim,composer/lyricist) 2006 Cast Recording With Raúl Esparza & Others; Nonesuch Records/PS Classics.

Best Classical Album, and Best Classical Vocal Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition -- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs. Lorraine Hunt Lieberson; Dirk Sobotka, producer (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra), Nonesuch Records.

(By the way, the following, which also got THREE nominations, including Best Album -- is interesting because of what Nashville is accomplishing with its new concert hall and Naxos record contract: "Tower: Made In America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer (Nashville Symphony)Naxos.)

Best Choral Performance -- Schoenberg's "Gurrelieder," Michael Gielen, conductor; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks & MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig; SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden Und Freiburg, Haenssler Classic

Also note: Penderecki's Symphony No. 7 "Seven Gates Of Jerusalem"
Antoni Wit, conductor; soloists and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir; Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Naxos. (Penderecki, a composer and conductor, leads his own Piano Concerto with the CSO this weekend.)

Best Chamber Music Performance -- "Strange Imaginary Animals," Eighth Blackbird, Cedille Records... Also, for Best Classical Contemporary Composition -- Jennifer Higdon's "Zaka" on a track from: Eighth Blackbird's "Strange Imaginary Animals"

Best Small Ensemble Performance -- "Bridges - Eddie Daniels Plays The Music Of Frank Proto," Frank Proto, conductor; Eddie Daniels; Ensemble Sans Frontière, Red Mark

Winners to be announced February 10, 2008.

Did we miss any other local stars? Click here to see the whole list and let us know if you see more.