2010 Grammys

The Grammys have come a long way over the years, when I was a teenager it was about Rock 'n Roll. these days Rock takes a second seat to the big dogs of Pop. As always many genres are not broadcast, but there is some real good stuff on the nominees list. Take a look for yourself, and please scroll down a bit.

Record of the year: I think its between "I got a Feeling", "Poker Face" with Halo having an outside chance. Album of the year, will it be The Fame by Lady Gaga? IIRC 5-6 top ten hits. Or The End by the BEP, 2 monster number one chart toppers, or Beyonce with her I am Sasha Fierce? Dave Mattews and Taylor Swift have to be taken seriously too, sometimes its one artists year, they just march out of the hall clutching 4-5-6 statues. Or sometimes the grammys are distributed, Best Record may not go to the artist who wins best album. I do think Lady Gaga does not go home without a Grammy or 2, thats for sure.

Song of the year: For me Its either Put a ring on it or Poker Face. Best New Artist I'm going with Keri Hilson or Zac Brown, Keri sounds great and is gorgeous so I'm picking her. Best Female Vocal, it might come down to Beyonce and Taylor Swift.... I will predict a trouble selection though.

Best Male vocal looks to play out between 3 young bucks vs. a couple of old school dudes, Stevie Wonder and Seal need to make the case that neither John Legend, Maxwell and Jason Mraz. Mraz's Make it Mine is an infectious pop tune by the popular guitarist, while Maxwell's Love You has a good old R&B flavor to his voice, John Legends This Time is done straight up. I think its a toss up between Maxwell and John Legend.

May favorite for best collaboration is Willie Nelson and Norahs Jones's remake of the classic Christmas love song Baby its Cold Outside. Best Pop Vocal album: This might be a chance for someone else to get a Grammy, like Pink or Kelly Clarkson.

David Guetta and Kelly Rowland are up for 2 Grammys for When Love Takes Over, best dance and best remix. The song was #1 in the US dance hit, #1in Europe, and #1 International dance hit on the Billboard charts. If the Boom Boom Pow gets best dance, then When Love Takes Over should get a grammy for best remix. So I predict David and Kelly will go home with with at least one Grammy. The song When Love Takes Over is this blogs namesake and one of my favorite songs of 2009 and I'm really rooting for Kelly to take home 2 Grammys. If her vocal performance is any indicator Kelly might get 2 Grammies, but David Guetta is a big name as a DJ and he might get picked for best remix so the Black Eyed Peas can get a best dance Grammy for Boom Boom Pow.

It is interesting that Guetta is up for Best Electronic Dance album, as is :Lady Gaga and Britney Spears is also up for best dance opposite Kelly Rowland, I just don't see When Love Takes Over getting shut out.

Traditional Pop, Rock Solo, Rock Group, Best Hard Rock, Best Metal, Best Rock Instrumental. Lamb of God, I can't find my way back home, Tony Bennet, Nickleback. If Best Rock Album goes old school, it'll be Clapton and Winwood, Live @ Madison Square Garden.

Jody Whatley, on her Facebook page mentioned Lalha Hathaway,  so shes my dark horse pick vs Beyonce for Best Female R&B Vocal. Best male R&B Vocalist: I'm picking Anthony Hamilton's Point Of It All, his Facebook page has like 150k friends, the girls love him, and frankly his song has a way better groove than Maxwells.

Anyway its nearly 8:30pm and I'm skipping so many great categories, R&B group, Traditional R&B Vocal Group, Urban and Alternative, More R&B, Rap, Country, Gospel, Jazz, Latin Jazz, Tropical Latin, Latin Rock. The list is quite extensive.

Husband and Wife, Susan Tedeschi and Dereck Trucks are each up for Best Contemporary Blues Album and Duke Robillard for Best Traditional Blues Album, good luck to all 3 of you.

One more word, Aventura, they're just huge.

Nikki Armstrong heads up an afternoon of Jazz for Haiti Disaster Relief.

Sunday, January 24th: Jazz Fundraiser: Disaster Relief for Haiti from 12 noon 'till 5:00 PM

Haiti Fundraiser

973-486-0822 Event reservation direct line

Jazz Fundraiser: Disaster Relief for Haiti
Trumpets is sponsoring an afternoon of Jazz to raise funds to help our Haitian brothers and sisters in their time of need. 100% of the door and 20% of food and drink will be given directly to the Red Cross to help the poor, displaced and injured. The number of casualties will go up from disease and neglect, if the survivors do not immediately receive medical attention and supplies, food, potable water and shelter. Please support our efforts by joining us on the 24th.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
$20 music donation $12 minimum
100 per cent of music donation and 20 per cent of food/drink will be given to the Red Cross. 

The Musical Team will be headed up by North Jersey favorite Nikki Armstrong who's bring her friends:
 Ed Alstrom,  Rio Clemente, Ted Curson, Vinnie Cutro, Rich DeRosa, John DiStefano, Enrico Granafei, Billy Hart, Cynthia Holiday, Bruce Jackson, Sarah James, Mike Kaplan, Betty Liste, Anna Maria Mannarino, Kristine Massari, Joe Politi, Dave Rimelis, Dave Stryker, Vinny Valentino, Marlene Ver Planck, Roseanna Vitro, Kate Baker and many more!

Schedule available on www.trumpetsjazz.com

Please make a reservation since seating will be limited. We have requested that a representative be present at the event to receive any additional donations. Call for further information and reservations.
Only 12 miles west of NYC
NJ Transit from NYC to Walnut Train station Montclair, NJ.

Grand Opening- 501 lounge, Montclair NJ, Live Kim Sozzi

One of my favorite number one songs of 2009 was Kim Sozzi's "Feel your love". A song of love and renewal. Kim will be live January 22nd, friday night at the Grand Opening of the 501 Lounge in Montclair. You bet that since I live like 5 blocks away... I am sooo.... going to be there !!

************* FRIDAY JANUARY 22ND 2010 ***********

Tri State / Partybody / NJClubnights / NJ Pulse / Turning Point / Black Bill
Present:
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THE GRAND OPENING
of
501 LOUNGE

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MEET MTV'S JERSEY SHORE CAST!!!
MEET MTV'S JERSEY SHORE CAST!!!
MEET MTV'S JERSEY SHORE CAST!!!
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SNOOKIE LOOK-ALIKE CONTEST (judged by the cast)
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Billboard #1 recording artist:

KIM SOZZI PERFORMING LIVE!!!!

All of her smash hits!
"Feel Your Love" | "Like a Star" | "Break Up" | "Alone" | "Life Goes On"

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Music by resident DJ's
DJ Nicky Sibilia
DJ Tony Gia

Along with guest DJs (celebrating their birthdays)
DJ Shamis & DJ Justin Higgins

501 Lounge
501 Bloomfield Ave.
Montclair NJ.

2010, Jody Whatley "Looking forward"

In the Spirit of the New Year, Jody Whatley asks an interesting series of questions on her blog:

Having said that memories and looking back are also important. What did you learn about yourself? Did you achieve what you wanted? Did you make better decisions for yourself, adjusting your sails when you needed to? Memories do serve us, they can be a litmus test for good things if you use them well as a reminder of what we did wrong and what we got right. Memories can also make us smile or sharpen our focus and improve as people.

What did I learn about myself? I learned what sort of things triggered negative thoughts in my life, I learned to recognize these events in near real time, and developed a tool kit that allows me to counter depressive events, negative trains of thought with good, uplifting positive thoughts. Something so strong and uplifting, like the opening notes of a song that can make me straighten out my shoulders, lift my chin up to look at the world straight in the eye with a smile that says I am wiser, smarter, and I'm going to have that beautiful life. And I am not going to feel guilty about loving myself.

Did you achieve what you wanted? No, but never the less I achieved things of great value . I didn't buy a house, marry, start a family, start a business, become financially independent. In fact these dreams I had as a younger man became lost in the mud of life and my epiphany this summer cleared the waters, so that I can work to reclaim my dreams. And have new dreams. It took 8 months, but I found a new job where I can make a little bit more money, just enough to give me the room I need to lay claim to my dreams, just enough room to go back to my creative roots, my dancing, being a musician, being a singer, my acting, my writing.

Did you make better decisions for yourself, adjusting your sails when you needed to? Oh man, this whole experience has been more than an adjustment of my sails, I put up a new mast and all new canvass on this baby, and now shes fast sleek and a lot more maneuverable. I have a business plan for my life, I learned how and why I would sabotage myself, and yes, I'm making better decisions for myself.

Memories do serve us, they can be a litmus test for good things if you use them well as a reminder of what we did wrong and what we got right. I have a memory. About an ex-girlfriend, "the one that got away", she could make love with her soul, in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by 100 people she could touch my hair above my ear with her fingers, look deep into my eyes and simply take us away to a private cosmic place, like another universe that was just ours. I didn't know a woman could do that. My mind thought it should be possible, but my heart and soul had no clue.

I experienced that true pure love one time, I want it again, I know its real. And now I have the emotional foundation nesessary to attract the woman/soulmate I want, and the financial foundation is soon to be.


I know, I can, I will, full-fill, my dreams. :-).