Yesterday’s Grammy Award results brought us the usual tears, jeers, surprises and safe bets. It was also a handing over of the old guard to the new. Music legends such as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel reminded us of their enormous contributions to music history, while the new crop of chart toppers including Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, SZA, and of course Taylor Swift endeared themselves further to their ever-growing monster fanbases. In fact many of those were responsible for breaking some long-standing Grammy records. Taylor Swift became the first artist to win Album of the year for a fourth time, winning for “Midnights”, Billie Eilish became only the second woman to ever win two Song of the year trophies, winning for “What Was I Made For”, while Victoria Monét broke Sheryl Crow’s record for the oldest solo artist to win Best New Artist. Additionally, Kacey Musgraves became the first artist to ever win all four country awards at the Grammys after winning for “I Remember Everything”, while Boygenius became the first all-female group to win in both Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song categories! (Data courtesy VegasInsider.com)
Congratulations to both Tommy Emmanuel and Kylie Minogue flying the Australian flag with their Grammy wins. The great news for music fans is that a swag of this year’s Grammy Winning artists are headed to Australia very soon.
Five recently crowned Grammy winning artists are heading to Bluesfest this Easter and they include:
Blind Boys of Alabama
Best Roots Gospel Album *Echoes of the South”
The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. Celebrated by The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five Grammy® Awards, they have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 70 years
PJ Morton
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Good Morning”
PJ Morton is a soul singer, songwriter, performer and producer based in New Orleans. With five consecutive years of GRAMMY® wins as a self-released, self-produced artist, chart-topping achievements and countless collaborations, his album Watch The Sun was the next step in a remarkable career that continues to bridge styles, traditions, and generations.
Meshell Ndegeocello
Best Alternative Jazz Album
“The Omnichord Real Book”
Meshell Ndegeocello is an unassuming colossus whose body of work extends far beyond the early hits and virtuosic bass playing with which she is most associated. “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night),” her taunting and funky breakout single, immediately set her apart as an instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer.
Tommy Emmanuel with The String Revolution
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella
“Folsom Prison Blues”
Australia’s internationally acclaimed acoustic guitar icon Tommy Emmanuel CGP has recently added yet another accolade to his vast collection, having been named the number one acoustic guitarist in the world on Music Radar, as voted by his fellow musicians.
Robert Trujillo
Best Metal Performance
“72 Seasons”
Robert Trujillo accepted his Grammy yesterday as bass player of heavy metal titans Metallica, however when he comes to Bluesfest at Easter it will be with his side project Infectious Grooves. Boasting an all-star lineup of incredible players, Infectious Grooves are set to unleash an insane seismic collision of funk and metal that will celebrate their first trip to Australia since playing at Soundwave Festival in 2008, 16 long years ago! The 2024 incarnation of Infectious Grooves is more potent than ever. Featuring original members Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir and guitarist Dean Pleasants, who will be accompanied by none other than Robert Trujillo, whose last Australian visit was over a decade ago with his warlord bandmates in Metallica, one of the biggest bands on the planet. Adding extra groove on guitar will be Dave Kushner, best known for being part of the platinum-selling supergroup Velvet Revolver, also an OG Infectious Grooves member, having appeared on the band’s debut album. Anchoring the whole thing down is drummer Jay Weinberg, making his first live appearance after 10 years with the iconic metal band Slipknot. Formed in 1989 by Mike Muir and Robert Trujillo, Infectious Grooves inject a potent mix of funk and groove into their sound which instantly captivated audiences with their cross-genre appeal.
And in non-Bluesfest related Grammy Award winning artist tours …
GABY MORENO
Best Latin Pop Album
X Mí (Vol. 1)
Heading back to Australia in March is longtime latin favourite Gaby Moreno. Guatemalan singer, songwriter and activist Gaby Moreno has just added another Grammy win to a long list of accolades, including her recent Latin Grammy Award, just weeks before she is set to embark upon her Australian tour.
Australian audiences will get to experience Gaby Moreno in person when she brings her band to down under in March. Kicking off the tour with her return to Port Fairy Folk Festival on March 8-11, she will then hit the road and perform at Archies Creek Hotel (March 16), Sydney’s Foundry 616 (March 20), The Stag and Hunter Hotel in Mayfield (Newcastle – March 22), Brisbane Jazz Club (March 23) and the Majestic Theatre Pomona in the Noosa hinterlands on Sunday, March 24.
Gaby will also be performing with her other project The Songbirds, a three-part harmony supergroup from the US. The SongBirds have announced they will perform in Sydney and a run of Victorian shows to complement their four days of performances at Port Fairy Folk Festival in 2024. Comprising three of the world’s finest vocalists: Mexican-American Erica Canales – a long-time touring member of The Killers, Guatemalan Latin Grammy winner Gaby Moreno and Australian-born Emmy and Grammy nominee Dannielle De Andrea also “The Voice” behind John Farnham, Ariana Grande and Jackson Browne.
Moreno will release her ninth album, titled Dusk on February 16, showcasing Moreno’s diverse music prowess as she embraces blues, rock n roll and Latin folk, performed in English and Spanish.
GABY MORENO’S SOCIALS: YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER SITE
TAYLOR SWIFT
Album of the Year
Midnights
With the Taylor Swift Eras tour about to hit Australia in less than two weeks, her record breaking Grammy Award brings even more hype to the tour down under. By winning Album of the Year for the 4th time, Taylor has now won three times more than The Beatles. Let that sink in!
Ever the opportunist, Taylor used her 13th Grammy win on Sunday to announce that her new album, “Tortured Poets Department,” will arrive April 19. It struck me at the time … I wonder how music fans would feel if every acceptance speech included a blatant plug for an artist’s new album and Instagram page? Anyhoo, it’s Taylor and she’s in a universe all of her own.
There is so much excitement in Melbourne ahead of the show that even the merchandise sales have to be organise with military precision, with Crown announcing details for the official merchandise locations this week.
Crown will host the first official Australian merchandise pop up on Tuesday 13 February from 9am-6pm at Crown Melbourne. As demand is expected to be high, fans will be required to reserve a spot for this first special pop up. Reservation bookings will begin on Wednesday 7 February 12noon AEDT via https://www.axs.com/au (until allocations are exhausted; please note, reservations will be issued on at first come, first served basis). Everyone attending the Crown merchandise pop up will need to have a reservation for a specific time slot, available for up to two people per booking. Reservations are free but non-transferrable and will be available in half-hour increments.
Successful reservations will be required to use the AXS app for entry. Download at the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
There are plenty of opportunities to see your fave Grammy Award winning artists in Australia very soon but also don’t forget to support your local artists and venues, who need bums on seats more than ever.