Many Berklee College of Music alumni are included on the list of nominees for this year's coveted Grammy Awards, presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, February 24, 1999, at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, and will be televised on CBS. Topping the list with three Grammy '98 nominations is Berklee alumna Natalie Maines ('95) whose group, the Dixie Chicks, has been nominated for Best New Artist as well as Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "There's Your Trouble" from the album "Wide Open Spaces," which has also been nominated for Best Country Album. The rock band Aerosmith, which includes alums Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer ('71), have two nominations, including Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, for "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from "Armageddon - The Album," and Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal, for "Pink" from the album "Nine Lives." Weather Report founder Joe Zawinul ('59) is nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Jazz Performance for "Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate."

Berklee Executive Vice President Gary Burton ('62) and Honorary Doctorate recipient Chick Corea ('97) have two nominations, including Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for "Rhumbata" from their album "Native Sense - The New Duets," which was also nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. Pianist Danilo Perez ('88) has a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Performance for Albums Only for "Central Avenue." Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington ('83), who is featured on Herbie Hancock'sGrammy-nominated album "Gershwin's World," also produced Dianne Reeves' "That Day," which was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

Arranger Rob Mounsey ('75) is nominated for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) Award to the Arranger for Aretha Franklin's "Nessun Dorma." Producer Robb Vallier ('93) co-produced "Wailing Souls," which has been nominated for Best Reggae Album. Many Berklee alumnni instrumentalist have contributed to nominated projects, including Norman Ellis Hurt ('81), keyboardist on Erykah Badu's "Tyrone" track from "Live," nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance; and drummer John Roberts ('92), who plays on Janet Jackson's "I Get Lonely" from "Velvet Rope." South African singer/actress Tsidii LeLoka ('97) performed the Tony Award-nominated role of the wise baboon shaman Rafiki in the original Broadway cast of "The Lion King," which is nominated for a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.

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For more information, contact:
Toni Ballard Office of Public Information
Berklee College of Music (617) 747-2247 Fax: (617)
247-8788 tballard@berklee.edu