2007 Surround Sound Grammy Nominees Announced [HFR]

The Recording Academy has announced the nominees for their 2007 “Best Surround Sound Album” Grammy Award. Nominees in “Field 28 – Surround Sound and Category 93” of the 2007 Grammy Awards Competition featured albums by artists including Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Hugh Masakela, Joe McBride, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant and Zap Mama, Donald Fagen, Wierd Al Yankovic, Alan Parsons and Ensemble 96 conduced by Шystein
Fevang. Record companies represented in the list of nominations include 2L, Heads Up, Reprise, Volcano and Immergent.

Previous Winners of the Surround Sound Grammy
Last year, the 2006 Surround Sound Grammy was given to the 20th Anniversary Edition of Brothers in Arms by the Dire Straits. The special anniversary edition was released in both SACD and DVD-A and featured an excellent 5.1 Surround Sound remix by Surround Producers Chuck Ainlay & Mark Knopfler, Surround Mix Engineer Chuck Ainlay and Surround Mastering Engineer Bob Ludwig.

The award followed the initial Best Surround Sound Album Grammy that was given to the Surround Sound Super Audio CD edition of Genius Loves Company by Ray Charles (Concord Records/Hear Music SACD-1033-6). It featured Charles performing duets with a host of famous artists including Norah Jones, James Taylor, Diana Krall, Elton John, Natalie Cole, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis & Van Morrison on his final album release. The album featured a 5.1 SACD Surround Sound mix that was produced by John Burk, Phil Ramone & Herbert Waltl, engineered by veteran Surround Sound engineer and producer Al Schmitt and mastered by Robert Hadley & Doug Sax at the Mastering Lab.

2007 Best Surround Sound Album Nominees
The five nominees for this year’s Surround Sound Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album, for vocal or instrumental albums, albums only (the Grammy Award will go to the Surround Sound Mix Engineer, Surround Sound Mastering Engineer and Surround Sound Producer of the winning album) are:

Immortal Nystedt
Ensemble 96 conducted By Oystein Fevang

Surround Mix Engineer – Morten Lindberg
Surround Mastering Engineer – Morten Lindberg
Surround Producers – Morten Lindberg & Hans Peter L’Orange
(2L 2L29SACD) [SACD]

Long Walk To Freedom
Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Melissa Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Hugh Masakela, Joe McBride, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant and Zap Mama

Surround Mix Engineer – Martin Walters
Surround Mastering Engineer – Martin Walters
Surround Producer – Martin Walters
(Heads Up HUSA 9109) [SACD]

Morph The Cat (Special Edition)
Donald Fagen

Surround Mix Engineer – Elliot Scheiner
Surround Mastering Engineer – Darcy Proper
Surround Producer – Donald Fagen
(Reprise Records 49976-2) [CD + DVD-A]

Straight Outta Lynwood
Weird Al Yankovic

Surround Mix Engineer – Tony Papa
Surround Mastering Engineer – Bernie Grundman
Surround Producer – Weird Al Yankovic
(Volcano/Zomba Label Group 82876-89951-2) [DualDisc]

A Valid Path
Alan Parsons

Surround Mix Engineers – P.J. Olsson & Alan Parsons
Surround Mastering Engineer – Bob Michaels
Surround Producer – Alan Parsons
(Immergent 67662-84111-2) [DualDisc]

The 2007 Grammy Awards Telecast
Surround Sound fans will want to be sure and tune into the Grammy Awards telecast on February 11th, 2006 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast in High Defintion TV (HDTV) and 5.1 Surround Sound on CBS starting at 8:00 P.M. (Eastern & Pacific Time). That will be the venue where they will announce which of these five Surround Sound albums takes home the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album of the Year.