53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards Tonight

Home at last. This trip, I have been almost completely detached from my usual television addiction. I have been looking at the majestic landscape instead. The Rocky Mountains will do that to you, as there is plenty to see, from Montana to Idaho to Wyoming. These peaks give reason to pause, too, as one feels the hand of God on this landscape.

I am back to my couch just in time to watch The GRAMMYs® on the tube tonight. A couple of months ago, we posted a pretty robust list of Americana artists that are in the running. We wish they could ALL win, but think they are already winners just for the nomination. These are the albums in the Americana category: The List from Rosanne Cash, Tin Can Trust from Los Lobos, Country Music from Willie Nelson, Band Of Joy from Robert Plant, and Mavis Staples You Are Not Alone. Other nominees, in various categories, are: Ray LaMontange & The Pariah Dogs, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Neil Young, The SteelDrivers, The Infamous Stringdusters, Punch Brothers, Darrell Scott, Marty Stuart, Patty Griffin, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Patti Loveless, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Guy Clark, Richard Thompson, The Crazy Heart soundtrack, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Ryan Bingham, Chip Taylor's Yonkers NY record for packaging, and the short form Johnny Cash video "Ain't No Grave."

Of all the above mentioned artists, we had the good fortune to record The Stringdusters with their GRAMMY nominated song "Magic #9." It's been recognized in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance. Though we've shared it with you before, we didn't think you'd mind if we post it on GRAMMY day as a talisman of good luck to all our Americana brethren. Be sure to watch the awards show tonight, which will include a special tribute to acoustic music featuring Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, and Mumford & Sons. Hell yeah! And good luck, break a leg, everyone! Here are The Infamous Stringdusters with "Magic #9" from their album Things That Fly.

- Jessie Scott

Jason Eady "This Old Guitar and Me"

I was on the road Wednesday afternoon, driving up from Bozeman, Montana to Big Sky for a gig with John Bohlinger, the band leader from Nashville Star, and Claudia Williams from the band Montana Rose. We are so deep in the Rocky Mountains that we are being swallowed by the pines. The audio accompaniment is the new Robbie Robertson album, How To Become Clairvoyant, and here is a hot tip - track 8, "Madame X," is a perfect tune to listen to as the sun goes down, as it is bathing us in a peach glow.

I look at The Rockies as old friends now, as this is the third time in the past year that I've visited. The first was Beans and me cruising from Albuquerque to Telluride for the Americana Music Weekend. BTW, the lineup has been announced for this year's event...check their website. The second trip was last month's MusicFest at Steamboat, where we soaked in the sun, snow, food, great music, and abundance of close friends.

Photo Credit: David BybothFrom those Music Fog sessions in Steamboat Springs, we bring you a video from one of the somewhat unsung Texas heroes, Jason Eady, a man that follows the heart and soul of his own muse. He brings all kinds of textures and flavors, delivered with flawless authenticity and musicality. On his next CD, AM Country Heaven, due out in April, he embraces some old school country forms. That has always been part of his subtext. "This Ol' Guitar And Me," will be on the new album, and here's the Music Fog version to act as a tease. Recorded in our Steamboat Grand studio last month during The MusicFest 2011.

- Jessie Scott

Roger Creager "Tangle Me In You"

Sometimes getting things done in the crazy environment of a busy festival is like trying to follow the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Last year, we ran into Roger Creager a bunch of times during MusicFest at Steamboat. But we never were able to 'consummate the relationship,' so to speak...we didn't get a chance to have quality time to film him. For this year's MusicFest 2011 in Steamboat Springs, he was on our short list to capture, so we were leaving no stone unturned.

I usually like to set things up in advance with artists. That works most of the time, in most of the circumstances for Music Fog. I have to say we have great luck scheduling people and having them show up on time. We are so thankful for that. But Steamboat poses its own set of challenges, though they are all good. Everyone there is so happy to see and spend time with one another, it makes it difficult to button down some of the specifics. Friends are asking friends to perform with them, jam, hang, and the spontaneity of that HAS to take precedence.

We really wanted Roger Creager to come play, though. And we were trying to get a message to him. So to get the word out to his camp, I reached out to a trusted source, Abbey at Luckenbach, though she wasn't even in Colorado! The traffic on cell phones was making it hard to reach anyone on their cell phones, as calls were just going directly to voice mail with no ring, and no ability to take the call. Festival Overload Syndrome at work. Texts were still coming in though, and Facebook ALWAYS seems to work, so Abbey sounded the alarm amongst the Creager camp. We tried to schedule the appointment for the afternoon, but that ultimately didn't allow us to block out enough time. So we invited Roger back at the very end of our production day. He arrived with Paul Overstreet, and we proceeded to raise the rafters. Here is one of the songs from that session, "Tangle Me In You." And we dedicate it to Abbey - thanks for the long distance assist!

- Jessie Scott