Solo entry: Gravedigger nominated for Grammy

Solo Dave has won a Grammy nomination in his freshman effort.

"Gravedigger," the first single from Dave Matthews' solo album, Some Devil, earned a nomination as "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance." That means solo Dave will be competing against the likes of such elder rockers David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits– as well as Lenny Kravitz.

In 1997, the Dave Matthews Band won a best performance Grammy for "So Much To Say."

Tori Mazur, WNRN's music director, says she thinks the nomination is "deserved," despite the video being "very dark and depressing."

"As an artist," she says, "he had a message, and the industry acknowledged that what he had to say was relevant."

And though listener requests to WNRN for "Gravedigger" have died down since the second song, "Save Me," was released, Mazur says the song got lots of requests when it first started playing. "People wanted to hear it," she says.

Waldo Jaquith, founder of the VH-1-Award winning fansite nancies.org, says he'd be happy to see Dave win, but he thinks "Gravedigger" is not the finest pick from the solo album.

"It's okay," says Jaquith. "I think there are some really excellent songs and some that I prefer over 'Gravedigger' that would be more Grammy-worthy."

Dave fans aren't getting their hopes too high for a win, either, says Jaquith.

"They get nominated every year," says Jaquith of the frequently passed-over DMB. "I don't know much about the music industry, but I know not to make too much of the Grammies."

"We're excited," said Kim Wendel, in a telephone interview from aboard an Amtrak train Tuesday, December 16. She and two friends were on their way to New York to see "Dave and Friends," the star's current solo tour, the following night at Madison Square Garden. "It sounds like an interesting show," said Wendel. "Emmylou Harris is opening. I read the setlist from his last show– some interesting covers and songs off his new album."

The Grammy Awards will be presented at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 8, broadcast live on CBS at 8pm Eastern time.

Mazur hopes to see a Dave Matthews acceptance speech that night, even though she's also a fan of David Bowie's nominated song "New Killer Star."

"I would like to see him win, absolutely," she says of Dave. "Against Lenny Kravitz? C'mon."

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McCutceheon goes postal

 In other news, perennial Grammy nominee (and five-time Grammy loser) John McCutcheon did not earn a nod from the Academy this year. But he got a sweet holiday present from the U.S. Postal Service. His 1987 version of Woody Guthrie's folk song, "Mail Myself to You," has been airing daily since November 10 as the new holiday jingle for the USPS.

McCutcheon, although he hasn't yet seen the spot, loves the concept.

"I think it's perfect," he says, "that in these days of email and instant messaging, Woody Guthrie and I team up to promote snail mail."

Nominated as a soloist
PHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO

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