I don’t much like the Grammys–don’t go for the glitter and attitude and hyperoverdrive version of "reality" it presents. And what was it about the redneck thing that night?? Gretchen Wilson sang some song about being a redneck girl and Lynrd Skynrd sang that repulsively racist song, Sweet Home Alabama (yuck–but I noticed that a prominent line in Green Day’s song was “I don’t got no redneck agenda”–did he know he’d be battling with the Southern white retro rockers?). But there is one thing I do like about them–they provide a small measure of exposure for something I do love dearly, folk and world music.
I don’t always like every winner they choose in these genres but this year I think the choices are pretty exciting (not to say the other nominees weren’t). So I’ve created some hyperlinks below in case you’d like to sample the music yourself. I don’t yet have any mp3 files for these songs, but when I do I’ll add them here. These are the winners I’ve singled out for recognition (as presented at SFgate.com):
Beautiful Dreamer –The Songs of Stephen Foster, Hard Times (hear it) 
| The Revolution Starts … Now, Steve Earle, Rich Man’s War (hear it) 
| Loretta Lynn & Jack White Portland Oregon (hear it) 
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Raise Your Spirit Higher, Ladysmith Black Mambazo 
| Egypt, Youssou N’Dour Tijaniyya (hear it) 
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There Will Be a Light, Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama 
| Earl’s Breakdown, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Earl & Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements & Jerry Douglas 
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WARNING: This mp3 blog exists to spread the wonder and genius that is traditional music. It does NOT exist to enhance your private mp3 collection. So by all means come, listen, enjoy, then follow the links to buy the music. If you come, listen, download, then leave—you’re violating the spirit behind this blog and doing nothing to support the artists featured here. And if you link to my mp3 file at your own site, then you’re stealing my bandwidth and being pretty uncool. So please don’t do it.
