Avatar Studios Celebrates 21 GRAMMY-Nominated Recordings, Including Best Engineered Album

When the 2003 Grammy nominations were announced recently, the staff at New York’s pre-eminent recording venue Avatar Studios was thrilled to discover that 21 prospective winners had recorded all or part of their nominated tracks and albums at Avatar.

The list of Avatar’s GRAMMY-nominated recordings includes two albums that are up for the prestigious Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical award: Natalie Cole’s Ask A Woman Who Knows (Elliot Scheiner and Al Schmitt, engineers) on Verve Records; and Sheryl Crow’s C’mon, C’mon (Trina Shoemaker and Eric Tew, engineers) on A&M Records.

Among this year’s GRAMMY-nominated artists who used the Avatar facilities are: Sheryl Crow (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Best Rock Album), Natalie Cole and Diana Krall (Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals), Elvis Costello (Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Album), Foxy Brown (Best Female Rap Solo Performance), The John Scofield Band (Best Contemporary Jazz Album), and Herbie Hancock (Best Jazz Instrumental Solo).

“At Avatar, we strive to do everything we can to make the highest quality recordings possible,” comments Kirk Imamura, president of AVATAR. “When the outcome of our labor gets recognized in this manner, especially in these difficult business conditions, it is very rewarding. We are very honored to have contributed in some way to the success of the great artists who record at Avatar.”

Avatar Studios Web Site

More GRAMMY News

More GRAMMY Nominations With Key Audio Credits

2003 GRAMMY Awards Nominees Recorded at Avatar Studios

Category: Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Ask A Woman Who Knows
Elliot Scheiner & Al Schmitt, engineers (Natalie Cole)
[Verve Records]

C’mon, C’mon
Trina Shoemaker & Eric Tew, engineers (Sheryl Crow)
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Soak Up the Sun
Sheryl Crow
Track from: C’mon, C’mon
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Better Than Anything
Natalie Cole & Diana Krall
Track from: Ask A Woman Who Knows (Natalie Cole)
[Verve Records]

It’s So Easy
Sheryl Crow & Don Henley
Track from: C’mon, C’mon (Sheryl Crow)
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Female Rock Vocal Performance

Steve McQueen
Sheryl Crow
Track from: C’mon, C’mon
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance

45
Elvis Costello
Track from: When I Was Cruel
[Island Records]

Category: Best Rock Album

When I Was Cruel
Elvis Costello
[Island Records]

C’mon, C’mon
Sheryl Crow
[A&M Records]

Category: Best Female Rap Solo Performance

Na Na Be Like
Foxy Brown
Track from: Broken Silence
[Def Jam Records]

Category: Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Überjam
The John Scofield Band
[Verve Music Group]

Category: Best Jazz Vocal Album

Ask A Woman Who Knows
Natalie Cole
[Verve Records]

Live In Paris
Diana Krall
[Verve Records]

Category: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

Naima
Michael Brecker, soloist
Track from: Directions In Music (Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove)
[Verve Music Group]

My Ship
Herbie Hancock, soloist
Track from: Directions In Music (Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove)
[Verve Music Group]

Category: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

Triangulo
Michel Camilo
[Telarc Jazz]

The Infinite
Dave Douglas
[Bluebird]

Directions In Music
Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove
[Verve Music Group]

Category: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

What Goes Around
Dave Holland Big Band
[ECM]

Tonight At Noon… Three Or Four Shades Of Love
Mingus Big Band
[Dreyfus Jazz]

Category: Best Rock Gospel Album

The Way I Am
Jennifer Knapp
[Gotee Records]