GRAMMY WATCH - Best Classical Crossover Album - Picks & Predictions

In a year where Sting overtook the Classical Albums charts on Billboard, he is noticeably absent from the Grammy's list for this category. That being said, it is still a dog fight in my eyes. All I can say is WOW! This is what it is all about. Some of the best really shine the brightest here and that is why I covered it alone, as opposed to with the other several Classical categories.

And the nominees are:

Best Classical Crossover Album

MEETING OF THE SPIRITS
Matt Haimovitz (Amaryllis Jarczyk, Jan Jarczyk, John
McLaughlin, Dominic Painchaud, Leanna Rutt & Matt
Wilson) [Oxingale Records]

OFF THE MAP
The Silk Road Ensemble [World Village]

ROOTS - MY LIFE, MY SONG
Jessye Norman (Ira Coleman, Steve Johns, Mike Lovatt,
Mark Markham & Martin Williams) [Sony Classical]

TIN, CHRISTOPHER: CALLING ALL DAWNS
Lucas Richman, conductor (Sussan Deyhim, Lia, Kaori
Omura, Dulce Pontes, Jia Ruhan, Aoi Tada & Frederica von
Stade; Anonymous 4 & Soweto Gospel Choir; Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra) [Tin Works Publishing]

VOCABULARIES
Bobby McFerrin
[Emarcy/Universal

Jessye Norman has had a long and storied career and her look back on not only that in Roots, but her life as well is a surefire tour de force. Silk Road Ensemble and Matt Haimovitz put forth solid efforts. Soweto Gospel Choir with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, just the culmination of that work coming together and the back story of it makes you want to cheer for them. Definitely a heart tugger. Bobby McFerrin will definitely get votes from his pop and jazz families, and deservedly so with him expanding his already broad range. His Vocabularies is definitely a feather in his cap.

My Pick: Jessye Norman

My Predicition: Bobby McFerrin

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on CBS - Sunday, February 13.

For more information on the nominees and for full coverage visit www.grammy.com.