Preview - LOOKING THROUGH THE NAKED WINDOW: THE RESTORATION CHRONICLES

Well, I have pushed the button to officially release the book, LOOKING THROUGH THE NAKED WINDOW: THE RESTORATION CHRONICLES (again, simultaneously in both Paperback and Kindle editions) and they should be available on Amazon within the next week.  FINALLY, through the new publisher, the first book of my memoir series will reach a much wider audience.  I thank you for your patience with me in my tweaking, as I did a bit of a re-write in some places and I am readying myself to write the next installment.  I cannot begin to tell you how GREAT IT FEELS to release it all to you, my friends, fans and family.  You have no idea how much I appreciate your support of my books this year and I look forward to reading “the one with the dirt!”  Of course, I will post when it is fully available, and you can always visit my Author page at Amazon for this and all of my other titles.  Thank you, AGAIN, for all your love, encouragement and support.  NOW, I can’t wait till you all can get your paws on THIS one.  Oh my!!!!

https://www.amazon.com/author/antoniocassone

SYNOPSIS:

In his eighth published work, ANTONIO CASSONE invites you to revisit ‘the first season’ of his personal memoir series, where each book is a season and each chapter is an episode. “What if your life were a weekly drama series on television—or in my case made for cable?” This is the question he asks his beloved readers and how he tells his dramatic memoir.  In this re-production of the first installment of the series he covers, in plain English, how he grew up faced with peer pressure, sexual frustration, and a lifelong identity crisis. He tells of a life lived with much regret and exposes his deepest, innermost feeling becoming “naked” to the world. “The Restoration Chronicles” edition of this volume of LOOKING THROUGH THE NAKED WINDOW is a tighter edit of the original work with a few new details.  Just like the other books of the series, there is no turning back. Once you enter this gritty tale, it promises to hook you no matter what background you come from or what path your life has taken you. All lives lead to a desire for fulfillment, a chronicling for telling, and an understanding desire for acceptance. He dares to take a look deep within and promises to go further than his own expectations.

If I Voted for the Grammy Awards - 2013 Edition

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, February 10th, 2013.  Normally, I try to predict, but this year I am going to share my absolute favorites for this post.  So, here - or HEAR - they are, for better or worse, are my picks for this years best in recorded music (and otherwise).  Some, of which, I will absolutely jump up and down for, *Drum roll* here are my prediction/picks in each category.

for full list of nominees CLICK HERE

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson

Greg Kurstin, producer; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Greg Kurstin & Jesse Shatkin, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer

Label: RCA Records/19 Recordings Limited

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

André 3000, John Mayer, Earl Sweatshirt & Tyler, The Creator, featured artists; Om'Mas Keith, Malay, Frank Ocean, Pharrell & Shea Taylor, producers; Calvin Bailif, Andrew Coleman, Jeff Ellis, Doug Fenske, Om'Mas Keith, Malay, Frank Ocean, Ken Oriole, Philip Scott, Mark "Spike" Stent, Pat Thrall, Marcos Tovar & Vic Wainstein, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer

Label: Def Jam

 

SONG OF THE YEAR

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters (Kelly Clarkson)

Label: RCA/19 Recordings; Publishers: Universal Music Publishing MGB Scandinavia, Perfect Storm Music Group/Sony ATV Music Publishing Scandinavia, BMG Gold Songs, Kurstin Music/EMI April Music

 

BEST NEW ARTIST

 

Frank Ocean

 

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE

Set Fire To The Rain [Live] - Adele

Track from: Live At The Royal Albert Hall

Label: XL/Columbia

 

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye Featuring Kimbra

Track from: Making Mirrors

Label: Universal Republic

 

Best Pop Instrumental Album

Live At The Blue Note Tokyo - Dave Koz

Label: Just Koz Entertainment

 

Best Pop Vocal Album

The Truth About Love - Pink

Label: RCA Records

 

Best Dance Recording

Let's Go - Calvin Harris Featuring Ne-Yo

Calvin Harris, producer; Calvin Harris, mixer

Label: Ultra Music

 

Best Dance/Electronica Album

Bangarang - Skrillex

Label: OWSLA/Big Beat/Atlantic

 

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Kisses On The Bottom - Paul McCartney

Label: Hear Music

 

Best Rock Performance 

I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons

Track from: Babel

Label: Glassnote

 

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

No Reflection - Marilyn Manson

Track from: Born Villain

Label: Cooking Vinyl

 

Best Rock Song

We Take Care Of Our Own
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)

Track from: Wrecking Ball

Label: Columbia Records; Publisher: Bruce Springsteen

 

Best Rock Album

El Camino - The Black Keys

Label: Nonesuch

 

Best Alternative Music Album

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do - Fiona Apple

Label: Epic/Clean Slate

 

Best R&B Performance

Adorn - Miguel 

Label: RCA Records / Bystorm Entertainment

 

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Lately - Anita Baker

Label: Blue Note

 

Best R&B Song

Adorn -Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel)

Label: RCA/Bystorm Entertainment; Publisher: Art Dealer Chic

 

Best Urban Contemporary Album 

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

Label: Def Jam

 

Best R&B Album

Write Me Back - R. Kelly

Label: RCA Records

 

Best Rap Performance

N****s In Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West

Track from: Watch The Throne

Label: Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC

 

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Wild Ones - Flo Rida Featuring Sia

Track from: Wild Ones

Label: Poe Boy/Atlantic

 

Best Rap Song

Daughters - Nasir Jones & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Patrick Adams, Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer & Paul Leka, songwriters) (Nas)

Track from: Life Is Good

Label: Def Jam; Publishers: Rich Daily Since '71, Universal Music Publishing, Unichappell Music

 

Best Rap Album

Undun - The Roots

Label: Island Def Jam

 

Best Country Solo Performance

Blown Away - Carrie Underwood

Track from: Blown Away

Label: 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Nashville

 

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars

Label: Big Machine Records/Universal Republic

Best Country Song

Blown Away - Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)

Track from: Blown Away

Label: 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Nashville; Publishers: Global Dog Music/Lunalight Music, Big Loud Songs/Angel River Songs

 

Best Country Album

Four The Record - Miranda Lambert

Label: The RCA Records Label Nashville

 

Best New Age Album

Troubadours On The Rhine - Loreena McKennitt

Label: Verve

 

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Alice In Wonderland - Chick Corea, soloist

Track from: Further Explorations (Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez & Paul Motian)

Label: Concord Jazz

 

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Radio Music Society - Esperanza Spalding

Label: Heads Up International

 

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Unity Band - Pat Metheny Unity Band

Label: Nonesuch

 

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Dear Diz (Every Day I Think Of You) - Arturo Sandoval

Label: Concord Jazz

 

Best Latin Jazz Album

Flamenco Sketches - Chano Domínguez

Label: Blue Note

 

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance

Take Me To The King - Tamela Mann

Label: Tillymann Music Group

 

Best Gospel Song

My Testimony - Aaron Lindsey & Marvin Sapp, songwriters (Marvin Sapp)

Track from: I Win

Label: Verity Gospel Music Group; Publishers: Universal Music-Brentwood Benson Songs/Marvin L. Sapp Music/Ardent Media

 

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song

Jesus, Friend Of Sinners - Mark Hall & Matthew West, songwriters (Casting Crowns)

Track from: Come To The Well

Label: Beach Street/Reunion Records

 

Best Gospel Album

I Win - Marvin Sapp

Label: Verity Gospel Music Group

 

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Come To The Well - Casting Crowns

Label: Beach Street/Reunion Records

 

Best Latin Pop Album

MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition - Juanes

Label: Universal Music Latino

 

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

 

Imaginaries - Quetzal

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

 

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

Pecados Y Milagros - Lila Downs

Label: Sony Music

 

Best Tropical Latin Album

Formula Vol. 1 - Romeo Santos

Label: Sony Music

 

Best Americana Album

Babel - Mumford & Sons

Label: Glassnote

 

Best Bluegrass Album

Beat The Devil And Carry A Rail - Noam Pikelny

Label: Compass Records

 

Best Blues Album

Bring It On Home - Joan Osborne

Label: Saguaro Road

 

Best Folk Album

The Goat Rodeo Sessions - Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile

Label: Sony Classical

 

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Malama Ko Aloha (Keep Your Love) - Keola Beamer

Label: 'Ohe Records

 

Best Reggae Album

Tomahawk Technique - Sean Paul

Label: VP/Atlantic

 

Best World Music Album

The Living Room Sessions Part 1 - Ravi Shankar

Label: East Meets West Music

 

Best Children's Album

Little Seed: Songs For Children By Woody Guthrie - Elizabeth Mitchell

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

 

Best Spoken Word Album

Society's Child: My Autobiography - Janis Ian

Label: Audible, Inc.

 

Best Comedy Album

Cho Dependent (Live In Concert) - Margaret Cho

Label: Clownery Productions, Rocket Science

 

Best Musical Theater Album

The Gershwins' Porgy And Bess - David Alan Grier, Norm Lewis & Audra McDonald, principal soloists; Tommy Krasker, producer (George Gershwin, composer; Ira Gershwin, Dorothy Heyward & DuBose Heyward, lyricists)

(New Broadway Cast With Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis, David Alan Grier & Others)

Label: PS Classics

 

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Marley (Bob Marley & The Wailers) - Chris Blackwell & Barry Cole, producers

Label: UMe/Island/Tuff Gong

 

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers

Label: Null/Madison Gate

 

Best Song Written For Visual Media

Safe & Sound (From The Hunger Games) - T Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift, John Paul White & Joy Williams, songwriters (Taylor Swift Featuring The Civil Wars)

Label: Big Machine Records/Universal Republic; Publishers: Sony ATV Tree Publishing, Taylor Swift Music, Sensibility Songs, Absurd Music, Shiny Happy Music, Baffle Music, Henry Burnett Music

 

Best Instrumental Composition

Mozart Goes Dancing - Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)

Track from: Hot House

Label: Concord Jazz

 

Best Instrumental Arrangement

Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite For Ellington - Michael Philip Mossman, arranger (Bobby Sanabria Big Band)

Track from: Multiverse

Label: Jazzheads

 

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

City Of Roses - Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding, arrangers (Esperanza Spalding)

Track from: Radio Music Society

Label: Heads Up International

 

Best Recording Package

Boys & Girls - Brett Kilroe, art director (Alabama Shakes)

Label: ATO Records

 

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Some Girls: Super Deluxe Edition - Stephen Kennedy & Jimmy Tilley, art directors (The Rolling Stones)

Label: UMe/Universal Republic

 

Best Album Notes

Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles - Billy Vera, album notes writer (Ray Charles)

Label: Concord

 

Best Historical Album

Ram - Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition) - Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Simon Gibson, Guy Massey & Steve Rooke,

mastering engineers (Paul & Linda McCartney)

Label: MPL/Hear Music/Concord

 

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

The Goat Rodeo Sessions - Richard King, engineer; Richard King, mastering engineer (Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)

Label: Sony Classical

 

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Salaam Remi

• Back To Love (Anthony Hamilton) (T)
• Between The Cheats (Amy Winehouse) (T)
• Girl On Fire (Alicia Keys & Nicki Minaj) (S)
• How Many Drinks? (Miguel) (T)
• Life Is Good (Nas) (A)
• Like Smoke (Amy Winehouse Featuring Nas) (T)
• Running (Melanie Fiona Featuring Nas) (T)
• Sins Of My Father (Usher) (T)
• A Song For You (Amy Winehouse) (T)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix) - Skrillex, remixer (Nero)

Joseph Ray, Skrillex & Daniel Stephens, remixers

Label: Cherry Tree/Interscope

 

Best Surround Sound Album

Rupa-Khandha - Daniel Shores, surround mix engineer; Daniel Shores, surround mastering engineer; Marina Ledin & Victor Ledin, surround producers (Los Angeles Percussion Quartet)

Label: Sono Luminus

 

Best Engineered Album, Classical

Beethoven: The Late String Quartets, Op. 127 & 131 - Bruce Egre, engineer (Brentano String Quartet)

Label: Aeon

 

Producer Of The Year, Classical

Marina Ledin, Victor Ledin

• Americana (Modern Mandolin Quartet)
• Brubeck & American Poets (Lynne Morrow & Pacific Mozart Ensemble)
• Delibes: Sylvia; Coppélia (Martin West & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)
• Mind Meld (ZOFO Duet)
• Rupa-Khandha (Los Angeles Percussion Quartet)
• Weigl: Isle Of The Dead; Six Fantasies; Pictures & Tales; Night Fantasies (Joseph Banowetz)

Best Orchestral Performance

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances - Valery Gergiev, conductor (London Symphony Orchestra)

Label: LSO Live

 

Best Opera Recording

Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen
James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

 

Best Choral Performance

Handel: Israel In Egypt - Julian Wachner, conductor (Trinity Baroque Orchestra; Trinity Choir Wall Street)

Label: Musica Omnia

 

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Rupa-Khandha - Los Angeles Percussion Quartet

Label: Sono Luminus

 

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola - Kim Kashkashian

Label: ECM New Series

 

Best Classical Vocal Solo

Poèmes - Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France)

Label: Decca Records

 

Best Classical Compendium

Une Fête Baroque - Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor; Daniel Zalay, producer

Label: Virgin Classics

 

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Stucky, Steven: August 4, 1964 - Steven Stucky, composer; Gene Scheer, librettist (Jaap Van Zweden, Dallas Symphony Chorus & Orchestra)

Label: DSO Live

 

Best Short Form Music Video

We Found Love - Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris

Melina Matsoukas, video director; Juliette Larthe, Ben Sullivan, Candice Ouaknine & Inga Veronique video producers

Label: Def Jam

 

Best Long Form Music Video

 

Bring Me Home - Live 2011

Sade; Sophie Muller, video director; Roger Davies, Grant Jue & Sophie Muller, video producers

Label: Epic