View Full Version : A friend won a Grammy
A friend of ours won a Grammy tonight. Well, actually it was whenever they did the "other awards" part that you don't see on TV, but it's a Grammy just the same.
As some of you know, once upon a time in another life Missy and I ran a fan magazine for Tori Amos. One of the great things about that time was that we got to meet Bill Miller, a Native American singer-songwriter who opened for her on one of her tours.
Bill's music has run the gamut from country to folk and rock and ultimately contains elements of all of those. He's a truly gifted artist in every since of the word. Along with his singer-songwriter material, Bill also writes and performs music for the Native American flute. It was an album of flute music titled "Cedar Dream Songs" that won him the Grammy for Best Native American Music Album.
So as frustrating as it can often be to watch the Grammys and often feel that real talent is being passed over for whatever is selling the most units, there are still some good people and talented artists out there. You just have to seek them out.
Bill Miller's web site is http://www.billmiller.net
You can also sample some music on Amazon.
Spirit Songs: Best Of Bill MIller (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001ENYB2)
Raven In The Snow (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002N15) (my favorite)
Cedar Dream Songs (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001Z36LE) (flute music)
You Are the Rain (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006IGOS) (full MP3 track downloadable from Amazon)
awesome dude :)
Loretta Lynn also won the best country award beating out the rest of that nashville pop tripe. :cool: proves that nashville is fulla nothing but suck.
awesome dude :)
Loretta Lynn also won the best country award beating out the rest of that nashville pop tripe. :cool: proves that nashville is fulla nothing but suck.
Well, maybe if by "Nashville" you mean what the Pop Music industry is now selling as country. There are actually still a lot of talented artists based in Nashville, Bill Miller among them. Most of them scratch out a living as songwriters or session musicians. If you're ever in Nashville visit the Bluebird Cafe and you'll probably find the music that you're looking for.
devilmaster
02-14-05, 02:15 AM
Well, actually it was whenever they did the "other awards" part that you don't see on TV, but it's a Grammy just the same. So as frustrating as it can often be to watch the Grammys and often feel that real talent is being passed over for whatever is selling the most units, there are still some good people and talented artists out there. You just have to seek them out.
Exactly.
I always get a kick out of telling people that, before the celine dions and the alanis morrisettes, one of canada's greatest grammy winners is Walter Ostanek.
A 13 time nominee and three time grammy winner, I doubt 1 in 100 canadians could identify him.
http://www.niagara.com/~rostanek/Images/walt_1.jpg
Yes, Canada's Polka king is synonymous with Oktoberfest here in Ontario.
http://www.walterostanek.com
Steve
Well, maybe if by "Nashville" you mean what the Pop Music industry is now selling as country.
yep, that's exactly what I mean when I use "nashville", but I'll take you up on that tip if I ever get a chance... :)
Well, maybe if by "Nashville" you mean what the Pop Music industry is now selling as country.
Most of it seems like nothing more than a background soundtrack for line dancing anymore.
I enjoy older country and kinda lost interest in the genre after Randy Travis faded away. There's still some artists I listen to but not many.
racer2c
02-14-05, 11:42 AM
I used to really dig Tori. Congrats to your freind. I'll check him out.
racer2c
02-14-05, 05:03 PM
Just out of curisousity nrc and Racegrrl, back when I was really into Tori, my first wife would often kid me that Tori was nothing more than a Kate Bush wanna be. Not knowing too much about Kate, I would dismiss her insinuations. Until one day she broke out her complete Kate library on vinyl and I was like "oh ma gawd". Did Tori ever speak about Kate as being an influence?
Audi_A4
02-14-05, 05:22 PM
Exactly.
Yes, Canada's Polka king is synonymous with Oktoberfest here in Ontario.
Steve
Dude do you remember Yosh and Stan Schmengie ?The Schmengie Brothers from SCTV :gomer:
oddlycalm
02-14-05, 06:19 PM
Cool nrc, I'll check that out. We got into native American contemporary music a few years back by accident after seeing a couple hot bands that were playing a winery festival gig.
BTW, if you like NA flute music, check out Carlos Nakai
Carlos Nakai (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/37282/ref=pd_simart_detail/103-3217564-1944625)
oc
RaceGrrl
02-15-05, 12:22 AM
Just out of curisousity nrc and Racegrrl, back when I was really into Tori, my first wife would often kid me that Tori was nothing more than a Kate Bush wanna be. Not knowing too much about Kate, I would dismiss her insinuations. Until one day she broke out her complete Kate library on vinyl and I was like "oh ma gawd". Did Tori ever speak about Kate as being an influence?
Tori never cited Kate Bush as an influence. She always said that she admired and was influenced by rock guitarists and tried to duplicate what they did on the guitar on her piano. I once asked her about the comparisons with Kate and she made some comment about them both being women who play piano so the comparisons were inevitable, but that she felt that her work was completely different than Kate's.
You have to remember that at that time, there were no other female artists out there who played piano on their records. It was understandable that people would assume that there was an influence there. I imagine Tori got pretty sick of the comparisons after having lived in London while writing and recording Little Earthquakes.
I loved Tori's stuff early on, could have done without much of her later work at Atlantic, and have been happier with what she's put out with Sony. I think Kate Bush was the better songwriter, and Tori is the better musician. I feel like Kate's stuff has held up better over time than Tori's will. Tori's last two records at Atlantic were too musically gimmicky for my taste.
Sorry... but you did ask!
racer2c
02-15-05, 11:00 AM
Tori never cited Kate Bush as an influence. She always said that she admired and was influenced by rock guitarists and tried to duplicate what they did on the guitar on her piano. I once asked her about the comparisons with Kate and she made some comment about them both being women who play piano so the comparisons were inevitable, but that she felt that her work was completely different than Kate's.
You have to remember that at that time, there were no other female artists out there who played piano on their records. It was understandable that people would assume that there was an influence there. I imagine Tori got pretty sick of the comparisons after having lived in London while writing and recording Little Earthquakes.
I loved Tori's stuff early on, could have done without much of her later work at Atlantic, and have been happier with what she's put out with Sony. I think Kate Bush was the better songwriter, and Tori is the better musician. I feel like Kate's stuff has held up better over time than Tori's will. Tori's last two records at Atlantic were too musically gimmicky for my taste.
Sorry... but you did ask!
Very interesting. Thanks for taking time to respond. :thumbup:
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