Calling it now: "What's That Sound?" will be nominated for a 2017 Grammy

[Tusk]

I love Haley as much as the next guy but this is kind of delusional. There is no reason to expect that this album is anywhere close to being on the Grammy's radar.

Not at all out of the question, Concord has involved some very experienced, award winning engineers and producers.... they do give awards out for things other than 'popularity'.....

[Miguel]

I love Haley as much as the next guy but this is kind of delusional. There is no reason to expect that this album is anywhere close to being on the Grammy's radar.

Many of the entries for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical are lesser known than the big award winners. The last two years the man who mastered Haley's album made the short list of nominees. Of him, John previously noted: "...the 3 FB posts he has made since Feb 2016 involve restoring a historic collection of jazz records, getting nominated for a Grammy, and Haley Reinhart."

So you see, I'm counting on him being on the Grammy's radar. And maybe Bill Schnee as well though he was last similarly nominated in 2008 (he's been nominated for the award 11 times).

The nature of the content is the biggest stumbling block that I see. The Grammy's website must not be search-engine friendly as I can't find the eligibility requirements (wanted to see if an album of mostly cover songs qualifies).

Found this:

Ryan Adams' critically acclaimed song-by-song cover of Taylor Swift's 1989 album could be a contender for Album of the Year at the 58th Grammy Awards in 2016.

The Recording Academy confirmed to Mashable that his cover album — filled with fresh reinterpretations — is eligible for nominations and awards because it was released before the Sept. 30 deadline and because it meets the requirements of being a new recording.

"For the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, albums must be released between Oct. 1, 2014, and Sept. 30, 2015. Recordings must be commercially released in general distribution in the United States, i.e. sales by label to a branch or recognized independent distributor, via the Internet, or mail order/retail sales for a nationally marketed product. Recordings must be available for sale from any date within the eligibility period through at least the date of the current year’s voting deadline."

--------------------------

[john]

Bill Schnee has been an audio engineer on many recordings and I'm sure insiders are well aware of his work. The same goes for Paul Blakemore. And these engineering type awards are probably dependent on those in the engineering community. I would imagine somebody like Concord would have to promote it in some way -- make it known -- and perhaps they will do that if they feel it is top notch. To me some of the songs on the album could be used for demos by high end audio venders or kiosk type setups where you sample the sound of equipment.

William S. "Bill" Schnee (born July 4, 1947) is an American musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Schnee has been nominated 11 times for the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy Award and worked on a multitude of other Grammy nominated and awarded albums. He has won two Grammys, an Emmy for Outstanding Sound for a Television Special, and a Dove Award. In a 45+ year career of very diverse artists, Schnee has received over 135 gold and platinum records and has recorded/mixed over 50 top twenty singles.

Comment by Blakemore in an interview (Universal Audio)

I know the goal of mastering is to be transparent, but I think when you pour as much heart and soul into a project as you do, that enthusiasm has to come across on the final product.

I really think that there’s this interesting thing that happens in studios, be they recording studios, mixing studios or mastering studios, where somehow what the engineer is feeling about the music gets imprinted in some way on the music. So I think it’s really important as an engineer to open yourself up emotionally and be willing to go wherever it is that the music needs to go.

I also think that it’s very important that you be willing to embrace and love whatever musical style that you’re working on because that affection somehow or another ends up coming out of the speakers in some kind of subtle way.

BTW Blakemore has been more active this week on his FB page (has Cleveland Indians fever). He posted this too:

Paul R. Blakemore
September 26 at 12:19pm

Two albums I mastered have been nominated for three Latin Grammys. Many thanks to Universal Audio for the powerful software tools that I used to master these Latin Grammy Nominated albums! Universal Audio

Best Engineered Album
Dance Of Time
Rodrigo De Castro Lopes, engineer; Pete Karam, mixer; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer
(Eliane Elias)
[Concord Jazz]

Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album
Dance Of Time
Eliane Elias
[Concord Jazz]

Best Traditional Tropical Album
To Beny Moré With Love
Jon Secada Featuring The Charlie Sepúlveda Big Band
[BMG/ Peermusic]

[Tusk]

"Time of the Season" is the first song from What's That Sound that I felt that instinctual flashback to listening to the old LP's sitting in front of speakers and feeling the vibrations, the warmth of the bass, the music wash over me.... I don't know much about the production end of things, what qualifies as a high technical achievement, I just know when a piece of music makes me feel a certain way. IMO WTS is the best 'sounding' of Haley's 3 albums so far