But by covering the Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Pop Group Vocal categories, it does a nice job of showing how heavily the field is weighted toward adult contemporary acts. And there's no easier way to get a sense of this year's ballot than by picking up '1998 Grammy Nominees.' Obviously, the disc is hardly an exhaustive overview with 92 categories in all, that would require a boxed set of back-breaking proportions. Nobody really believes that the annual Grammy Awards fully reflect the best in popular music, but it's interesting to note how close a given year's ballot gets. A man's got to know his limitations, Clint. Unfortunately, it also contains fawning liner notes and the ramblings and amateur piano-playing of the popular actor and award-winning director. If you can't find something to like on this 23-track offering, jazz ain't your cup of tea. 'Eastwood After Hours: Live at Carnegie Hall' has romance ('I See Your Face Before Me'), a bodacious big band ('Doe Eyes/Jitterbug Waltz'), and premier soloists in pianist Kenny Barron, tenor saxman Joshua Redman and trumpeter Jon Faddis. But rather than take the simplistic approach of writing music that would somehow galvanize listeners into action, Sakamoto opted for a more reflective tack, composing music that reflects the emotions people have while watching such images and wondering what they can do to help.Įastwood After Hours: Live at Carnegie Hall (Malpaso/Warner Brothers 9-46546)Ĭlint Eastwood (pictured) should have listened to Dirty Harry in co-producing this two-CD set. As with 'We Are the World' and 'Do They Know It's Christmas,' 'Untitled 01' was inspired by TV footage of starvation in Africa.

Perhaps the best way to approach 'Discord' would be to forget about categories altogether and focus on the music's impact. At the same time, the fact that Sakamoto augments his orchestra with electric guitarist David Torn and turntable virtuoso DJ Spooky makes it clear that we're not dealing with standard-issue classical music, either. It's not a pop album indeed, its somber sonorities and occasional churning dissonances are closer to the sound and spirit of such classical composers as Olivier Messaien and Toru Takemitsu. Even so, 'Untitled 01,' the four-part orchestral work that makes up 'Discord,' comes as a surprise.

Ryuichi sakamoto m.a.y. in the backyard