Hancock Wins Grammy for Album of the Year

The Grammy Awards last night were the usual self-absorbed nonsense from the red carpet to the final credit. However, there were a few worthwhile bits. Amy Winehouse got all the praise she deserves, Vince Gill got a Grammy handed to him by a Beatle, and Herbie Hancock won album of the year for “River: The Joni Letters,” his Joni Mitchell interpretations. It was only the second jazz album ever so honored.

Mr. Hancock said, “I’d like to thank the Academy for courageously breaking the mold this time, in doing so, honoring the giants upon whose shoulders I stand, some of whom like Miles Davis, John Coltrane . . . unquestionably deserved the award in the past, but this is a new day, that proves that the impossible can be made possible.” Mr. Hancock is a class act.

Ms. Winehouse won record of the year, song of the year, best new artist, best female pop performance, and best pop album. She accepted her awards from London; owing to visa issues related to her alleged drug use, she couldn’t make it in person. One hopes she can get her life cleaned up enough to make in person next year.

Kanye West used his acceptance speech to honor his mother, who died in November during cosmetic surgery. He rambled on a bit, and the music came up to hint that he needed to wrap up. Instead, he said, “It would be in good taste to stop the music,” and the music stopped. And then, he brought his speech to a close. One doesn't mess with a man's tribute to his mother.

And Barrack Obama won a Grammy, too. He won the award for best spoken-word album. Obama won for his book, The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream. Other nominees in that category included Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.





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