Winners! Complete List From the 2010 Grammys - E! Online

Winners! Complete List From the 2010 Grammys - E! Online

January 31, 2010 2:30 PM PST by EOL Staff

Steven Lawton/ Getty Images

Dance Recording: "Poker Face," Lady Gaga

Electronic/Dance Album: The Fame, Lady Gaga

Female Country Vocal Performance: "White Horse," Taylor Swift

Male Country Vocal Performance: "Sweet Thing," Keith Urban

Country Collaboration With Vocals: "I Told You So," Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis

Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Lady Antebellum, "I Run to You"

Country Instrumental Performance: "Producer's Medley," Steve Wariner

New Age Album: Prayer for Compassion, David Darling

Contemporary Jazz Album: 75, Joe Zawinul & the Zawinul Syndicate

Jazz Vocal Album: Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, Kurt Elling

Improvised Jazz Solo: "Dancin' 4 Chicken," Terence Blanchard, soloist

Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: Five Piece Band—Live, Chick Corea and John McLaughlin Five Peace Band

Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Book One, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

Latin Jazz Album: Juntos Para Siempre, Bebo Valdés and Chucho Valdés

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See who's already nabbed these things in our 10 Years of Winners: Grammys gallery.

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A Heart Of Gold - GRAMMY.com

A Heart Of Gold

By Melinda Newman

More GRAMMY Week photos »

While the GRAMMY Awards get the bulk of the attention — as they should — for many folks like me the most fun GRAMMY Week event is the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute. It's a relatively intimate evening — people are much more relaxed than they are at the GRAMMYs, and you're very likely to bump into some of your favorite artists making small talk, such as Elvis Costello stopping by Tony Bennett's table to pay his respects.

MusiCares Person of the Year celebrated turning 20 Friday night by honoring Neil Young in a packed ballroom at the Los Angeles Convention Center with more than 2,000 people in attendance. Proceeds from the evening benefit MusiCares' Emergency Financial Assistance and Addiction Recovery programs.

Jack Black, a convincingly rabid Young fanboy, hilariously hosted the evening despite the fact he noted that he, unlike many of the performers, has "approximately zero GRAMMYs." So committed was he to the MusiCares cause that Black auctioned the shoes off his feet (arch supports not included), and later his tie.

A lineup of nearly 30 artists performed 20 Young songs, all of them rendered with a spirit and reverence for Young and an astonishingly outward lack of nerves considering they were performing before a true music legend. And performing one of his own songs, no less. Yikes! The artists' confidence may have been bolstered by a message from Young posted in the performers' area that read, "Just do what you want to do, don't listen to anyone else." (Black later auctioned off the sign.)

The beauty of the MusiCares tribute lies in the special combinations that arise, such as Stephen Stills and Sheryl Crow (who strapped on her accordion) collaborating on a countrified version of "Long May You Run"; Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Lucinda Williams' otherworldly harmonies filling "Comes A Time"; or John Fogerty, Keith Urban and Booker T.'s scorching rendition of "Rockin' In The Free World." (Man, that's what we're talking about: No one rocks as ferociously as Young, but the boys gave it a great shot. If there is one complaint about an otherwise memorable night, it’s that fiery classics like "Southern Man" and "Hey Hey, My My [Into The Black]" got short shrift.)

Other performers transformed Young's tunes into their own creations, like Ozomatli's horn-laden, bouncy romp on "Mr. Soul"; Wilco's ambitious interpretation of "Broken Arrow"; or Ben Harper's soulful rendition of "Ohio." Tops was the quintet of Elton John, his hero Leon Russell, Neko Case, Sheryl Crow, and T Bone Burnett joining forces for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Helpless," which they somehow turned into an intriguing blend of "Helpless," John’s "Burn Down The Mission" and Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."

Recording Academy and MusiCares President/CEO Neil Portnow introduced the evening's other Neil, who had a short but sweet, and often funny, speech. "I forgot how many songs I'd written," he said. "I just want you to know I'm working on a new album…I don't want to stop. I hope to continue for a very long time."

We hope you do too, Neil.

(To view photos from MusiCares Person of the Year and other GRAMMY Week events, click here.)

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Phoenix Art Museum is the Exclusive Venue for Ansel Adams: Discoveries

Ansel Adams. Grand Tetons and Snake River , 1942. Ansel Adams Archive. 84.92.542. © The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona.

NEW YORK, NY.- Beginning January 31, 2010, Phoenix Art Museum exclusively presents Ansel Adams: Discoveries an unmatched exploration of the beloved photographer’s personal archives. Drawn from the Center for Creative Photography, this never-before-seen exhibition features 130 of Adams ’s most popular images and lesser known works, along with dozens of rare archival documents and materials that offer new insights into the master photographer’s celebrated career and iconic photos.

“What separates Ansel Adams: Discoveries from other Adams exhibitions is the richness of the materials mined from the Center for Creative Photography,” commented Rebecca Senf, Norton Family Curator of Photography, Phoenix Art Museum , and Adams scholar. “Visitors will leave in awe of the dramatic beauty of Adams ’s powerful photographs and with a deeper understanding of his artistic process, his varied production techniques and the charismatic personality behind the camera.”

Adams worked throughout his life to champion photography as an art form, culminating in the creation of the Center for Creative Photography, at the University of Arizona , in 1975. The Tucson institution houses Adams’s private collection of prints and papers, as well as video footage, personal correspondence, photographic equipment, proof prints, alternate views, negatives and portraits of the photographer. Due to a standing collaboration between Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography, the Museum will be the only institution to host this fascinating and rich exhibition.

“The Center for Creative Photography is among the most highly-respected photographic collections in the world and the only one to have such a personal relationship with Adams and his work,” commented James Ballinger, The Sybil Harrington Director, Phoenix Art Museum . “It is the Center’s unsurpassed connection to Adams that distinguishes this exhibition. We are thrilled to host a show of this magnitude as part of our landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography.”

Categorized into six aspects – time, place, medium, subject, theme and role – Ansel Adams: Discoveries highlights Adams ’s early work, his photographs of the American Southwest, his pictures of the National Parks project, his relatively unknown color photography, his architectural views and his teaching career. Exhibition highlights include:

- Works from Adams’ first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras, as well as his first photo album (1916) made following his first visit to Yosemite on family vacation.

- Photographs of New Mexican Indians from the late 1920s and southwestern landscapes, including Canyon de Chelly, San Xavier del Bac and Aspens, New Mexico.

- Adams’s masterpiece Moonrise, Hernandez , New Mexico , 1941, presented alongside the negative, Adams ’s printing notes and an alternate print that demonstrates the dramatic range of interpretations the photographer applied to his famous work.

- A range of images initially made as color film transparencies which replicate the vibrancy and luminosity of Adams ’s originals.

- Course descriptions, film footage, and photographs of participants that help convey the experience of Adams ’s workshops.

- Instructional manuals which demonstrate his dedication to sharing his knowledge of the medium.

“The historic material included in the Center’s archives profoundly enriches our understanding of the artwork allowing us to simultaneously show Adams’s masterpieces alongside unfamiliar works and provide new perspectives of each,” commented Senf.

VH1 Docs Premieres: ‘Soul Train: The Hippest Trip In America’ 02/05/2010

Few television series were as innovative and influential to pop culture as “Soul Train.” Set first in Chicago, “Soul Train” launched on WCIU-TV with local radio and television personality, Don Cornelius on August 17, 1970. After moving the dance show to Los Angeles, “Soul Train” skyrocketed nationally and firmly secured its place in television by becoming the longest running, first-run syndicated series in history. To commemorate the show’s 40th anniversary, VH1 Rock Docs and Soul Train present “Soul Train: The Hippest Trip In America,” a monumental 90-minute documentary celebrating the show’s impact on pop culture, music, dance and fashion. The film will also feature a rare interview with Don Cornelius in which he reveals exclusive details regarding the launch and early days of the legendary series.

Chinese New Year 2010 - Year of the Tiger

The Chinese New Year Festival Starts on February 14th 2010.

Unlike western calendars, the lunar Chinese new year calendar has names that are repeated every 60 years. Within the 'Stem-Branch' system is the shorter cycle of 12 years denoted by animals:

2010 is the Chinese year of the Tiger. In particular, this is the year of Gēng-yín (Metal Tiger). Gēng is the seventh of the ten celestial stems and Yín (Tiger) is the third of the twelve terrestrial branches, thus February 14th 2010 marks the year of the Tiger with its association to bravery.

The fact that the date of Chinese New Year varies within a lunar month is a clue that it's linked to the new moon. A rough, and almost infallible guide, is that the Chinese New Year date falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The winter solstice always falls on December 21st, the next new moon is January 15th, and the second new moon February 14th 2010.

One problem with any lunar calendar system is that some years there are 13 new moons. The Chinese deal with this be slotting in an extra intercalary month. However, the Chinese have been calculating the New Year for a long time, and 2010 and will be lunar year 4708 in the Chinese calendar system.

THE YEAR OF THE TIGER

This is definitely an explosive year. It usually begins with a bang and ends with a whimper. A year earmarked for war, disagreement and disasters of all kinds. But it will also be a big, bold year. Nothing will be done on a small, timid scale. Everything, good and bad, can and will be carried to extremes. Fortunes can be made and lost. If you take a chance, gamble for high stakes, but understand that the odds are stacked against you.

People will do drastic and dramatic things on the spur of the moment. It is not surprising that Watergate and the drama of Nixon's resignation culminated in the hotheaded year of the Tiger. Tempers will flare all around and it will be a trying time for diplomacy. Like the Tiger, we will tend to charge without thinking and end up regretting our rashness.

Friendships, joint ventures and deals requiring mutual trust and cooperation made at this time are brittle and will be easily broken. However, the forceful and vigorous Tiger year can also be used to inject new life and vitality into lost causes, sinking ventures and drab or failing industries. It will likewise be a time for massive change, for the introduction of new and bold, especially highly controversial, ideas.

The fiery heat of the Tiger's year will no doubt touch everyone's life. In spite of its negative aspects, we must realize that it could have a cleansing effect. Just as intense heat is necessary to extract precious metals from their ores, so the Tiger year can bring out the best in us.

Just one brief word of advice for this unpredictable year. "Hang on to your sense of humor and let things sizzle out!"

THE TIGER PERSONALITY

In the East, the Tiger symbolizes power, passion and daring. A rebellious, colorful and unpredictable character, he commands awe and respect from all quarters. This fearless and fiery fighter is revered as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a household: fire, thieves and ghosts.

The Tiger is a fortunate person to have around, provided you are prepared for all the activity that comes along with his dynamic personality. The impulsiveness and vivacity of the Tiger person are contagious. His vigor and love of life are stimulating. He will arouse every sort of emotion in people, except indifference. In short, the captivating Tiger loves being the center of attention.

Restless and reckless by nature, the Tiger is usually impatiently geared for action. However, because of his suspicious nature, he is prone to waver or make hasty decisions. He finds it hard to trust others or to quell his emotions. He must speak his mind when upset. But just as he is quick-tempered, he is equally sincere, affectionate and generous. What's more, he has a marvelous sense of humor.

Every tiger has the humanitarian touch in him. He loves babies, animals, jazz or anything that can catch his imagination and attention for the span of the moment. When he gets involved, his involvement is total. Everything, even breathing, will have to take second place to the object of his adulation. He is never halfhearted about his endeavors, and one can trust the Tiger to give 100 percent of himself or even more if he had it in him to do so.

The more sensual types usually have a fling at the bohemian life in their youth. Some never grow out of it. Adventurous models seeking romance in Paris, budding painters displaying their wares on street corners, amateur bands on the road, one-night-stand pop singers or ambitious actors working on shoestring budgets are all more likely to be Tiger children than flower children. This may be because, aside from being an optimist, the Tiger is just not materialistic or security conscious.

He must have one phase in his life in which he acts out his impulses-play all the fantastic roles he has cut out for himself. A chance to thumb his nose at what he disapproves of. A time to lash out at society and scoff at binding traditions. The Tiger must express himself, find his identity and shape his personality, and if rebellion or open defiance of accepted modes will offer him the opportunity, then that's the road he will take. Could one love him any less for these imperfections, if they can be labeled as such? No, nine times out of ten we find ourselves rooting for him. We may shake our heads at his audacity and gasp at his insane acts of daring, but just the same we never forget to say a silent prayer for him and feel we have experienced a warm personal triumph when we see him succeed.

When the Tiger is dejected he will need cartloads of sincere, undiluted sympathy. Don't rationalize about who is right and who is wrong. Logic does not appeal so much to him. That's beside the point. Don't be stingy about comforting him. He would do twice as much for you if the situation were reversed. He will love to hear your words of wisdom and will hang on to every kind word of advice. But this doesn't mean that he will take it. There is a difference, you know. It never pays to be arbitrary with this fellow.

Better just hold his hand and wait till he talks himself dry, bounces all his feelings off of you and collects all the pieces of his shattered ego. Then, he will kiss you, hug you and let you go off feeling like you have just put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

After he packs you off, well, in all probability he will go out and do exactly what he was planning to do in the first place.

No matter how down and out the Tiger is, no matter to what depths of despair and depression he plunges, don't believe for one moment that he will ever say die! There will always be a tiny spark left somewhere in that unquenchable spirit of his to rekindle the fire and start him living and loving all over again.

A bit too intense to rely on in times of stress, the Tiger is still renowned for his ability to sway the crowd. At his best, he is warm, sensitive and sympathetic. At his worse, he is obstinate, unreasonable and selfish.

The lady Tiger is the most charming and radiant of hostesses. She can combine home and social life with aplomb. Solicitous, vibrant and absolutely disarming, she is a sweet little kitten only because this act gets her good reviews. But don't taunt her, she keeps her claws sharpened just in case she has need of them.

Fashion-conscious, articulate and liberated, the Tigress likes to pamper herself and can spend hours experimenting with new hair styles, makeup and costumes. She is the type who is constantly lamenting that she has nothing to wear. Actually she is at home just as much in blue jeans as with haute couture. Give a ball and she will turn out to stun them every time. She is great with the children, too. She tells lovely stories, mimics and makes fun of herself, flashes her brilliant smile and, most of all, endears them to her forever by bending all the rules in their favor. When she is around, they can have sweets before dinner, double helpings of ice cream and stay up late for their favorite TV program. Strange to say, her children are no more spoiled than others. They learn their lessons well. Perhaps this is because, after she shows she loves them, she makes sure to enforce the law. She makes them mind their manners, and if they perform well, she is extremely generous with rewards. There will be picnics galore, trips to the zoo and the national parks, or boating and fishing expeditions. Now, how can anyone resist that?

Like the Dragon and Rooster, the Tiger native has a super ego. Money, power and fame will mean nothing if his ego is hurt. Thwarted, the Tiger could turn out to be the meanest and pettiest bully you ever came across. He will go to any length to get revenge, even to bringing down the house with him. Little slights will enrage him, but he may let big issues pass without a fuss. Just remember, he hates being ignored!

Paradoxically, his two main shortcomings in life will be his rashness on one hand and indecision on the other. If he can learn to take the middle of the road, the Tiger will be a roaring success.

At heart, the Tiger is a romantic. He is playful yet passionate and sentimental all at the same time, and it will be quite an experience being in love with or married to one. He or she is also inclined to be over-possessive and quarrelsome when jealous.

The first stage of the Tiger's life will probably be the best. In these formulative years, he could be taught to keep a tight rein on the explosive emotions which could be the ruin of him. In his youth and prime, the Tiger will be absorbed in the pursuit of success and the fulfillment of his dreams. His old age could be calm if he could learn to give up the front seat and just relax. However, this will be difficult as he will be plagued by bittersweet regrets about the things he did and did not do.

On the whole, the Tiger's life will be volatile. It will be filled to the brim with laughter, tears, pain, joy, despair and every conceivable emotion in the book. If there is one thing one should never do it is to feel sorry for him. He won't need it, either: he can only love life if he is allowed to live it to the hilt in whatever manner he chooses. The Tiger is the ultimate optimist who will always bounce back for fresh challenges.

The Tiger could make a good life with the Boar. The honest and good-natured Boar, or Pig as he is often called, will complement the Tiger's rash moods and lend him stability and security. The Tiger will also do extremely well with the realistic and practical Dog. The loyal Dog will stick by the Tiger and is capable not only of restraining the Tiger but of reasoning with him as well.

The colorful but nevertheless down-to-earth Horse will also make a prime partner for the Tiger. They will share the same zest for life and love of activity. But the quick and nimble Horse will sense danger before the headstrong Tiger does, and the Tiger will benefit immensely from the Horse's fine reflexes and good sense.

Persons born in the year of the Rat, Sheep, Rooster or another Tiger will have no difficulty getting on with the Tiger. The one thing the Tiger should never do is to challenge the authority of one born in the year of the Ox. This is one serious and uncompromising fellow who will take no nonsense from the Tiger. In a confrontation, the Ox could gore the Tiger to death.

Likewise, the union between a Snake and Tiger is ill-advised. The only thing these two have in common will be their suspicious nature. But the Snake is quiet, cool and deadly with his misgivings, while the Tiger is loud and accusing. They will not find harmony.

Last, but not least, the Monkey will be the most elusive foe of the Tiger. This quick-witted imp never tires of teasing the Tiger, who ends up losing his infamous temper and making a fool of himself. The matchless guile of the Monkey will prove too much for the Tiger and in his dealings with the Monkey, the Tiger could suffer.

Essence of a Woman - Ora's Art

If you love Surrealism, exquisite colors and sensuality, you will be mesmerized.


"Essence of a Woman"

www.orasart.com

Lillian Wong the Chinese Warrior Princess

A spirited dance by a fierce Chinese Warrioress, Lillian Wong. A depiction of the legendary character Hua Mulan, a heroine who joined an all-male army and described in a famous Chinese poem known as the 'Ballad of Mulan'. The character demonstrates all the good qualities of a woman -- kind, independent, thoughtful, humble, forgiving, yet strong and ambitious.

Candidate Search: Miss Asia Arizona 2010

Searching for candidates for the Miss Asia Arizona 2010 Cultural Pageant...

For more information:

Website:
www.missasiaarizona.com
www.myspace.com/missasiaarizona
Email: info@missasiaarizona.com
Phone: 602.509.9019

Photos above: KYUNG K. PARK

(Left to Right)

Miss Asia Arizona Enterprise: Van Nguyen, Vietnamese
Third Princess: Vyvy Duong, Vietnamese
First Princess: Nichole Trombley, Filipina
Miss Asia Arizona 2009: Patherine Phattanathum, Thai
Second Princess: Janet Zhou, Chinese
Fourth Princess: Alexandra Ross, Korean

'Avatar' opens box of speculation on Pandora

Mark Caro Chicago Tribune Jan. 24, 2010 12:00 AM


By Patrick Brown

As long as you're tall and blue and no American military types are trying to blast you out of your homeland, Pandora is a pretty nice place in James Cameron's "Avatar."



Pandora also is a favorite destination for certain music listeners
on the Internet,



and many women have embraced the Danish jewelry line known as Pandora.



Various video games and consoles have appropriated the name, as have the novelists Anne Rice (Pandora as a title-character vampire) and Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom (Pandora as a scary planet introduced in "The Jesus Incident"); musicians Tori Amos
(who has a song called "Pandora's Aquarium"), the Cocteau Twins (who have a song called "Pandora"), the Mexican female trio Pandora, and the Pandoras, an LA female rock band; and an Illinois comic-book company called, yes, Avatar Press that launched its busty-warrior flagship character Pandora in 1996.

It's as if someone opened a box and all these Pandoras came flying out.

Our current cultural Pandora overload is a curious case, with so many endeavors seeking association with a legendary figure most famous for unleashing evil upon the world. Does Pandora jewelry come in a box that, when opened, causes horrible things to happen?

"Definitely not, and that's not what we embody," says Jody Christian, Pandora jewelry's Maryland-based U.S. marketing director. "Really, it's all about the woman."

Certainly the woman is at the center of the Pandora legend, though she's a slippery figure. The name Pandora means "all gifted" or "all gifts," and that's a fine distinction.

"All gifted" generally springs from the portrayal of Pandora as the world's first woman, created by several gods who endowed her with specific gifts. The ancient Greek poet Hesiod provided the first known, and most famous, written accounts of Pandora. In his telling, she's beautifully evil, and the gods' gifts included such negative traits as a deceitful nature and a lying tongue.

Hesiod envisions Pandora as Zeus' punishment of humans after Prometheus gave them the gift of fire. Prometheus, knowing he's in Zeus' doghouse, tells his brother Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from Zeus, but when Zeus offers the lovely Pandora, Epimetheus can't resist.



Soon, the uncontrollably curious Pandora opens the famously forbidden box - actually a jar or earthenware pot - and evil and sickness escape to plague humankind. Only hope remains inside the jar, an ambiguous detail itself: Is it good that humans can hold on to hope or bad that evil has been released into the world while hope remains trapped in that jar?

"I suppose in one sense you could almost say she's a sort of standard femme fatale, not in her own relations but just because she's endowed with all these wonderful qualities, and yet she's going to bring so much disaster," says Kathryn Bosher, a Northwestern University assistant classics professor.

A Northwestern colleague, classics professor Dan Garrison, says the "all gifts" interpretation precedes Hesiod's, with Pandora the implied giver, not receiver.

"Pandora was probably a very old earth goddess, a goddess of nature," he said. "A name like that is implicitly the giver of good things and not the giver of bad things."

The far-from-feminist Hesiod, Garrison continues, likely put a "reverse spin on a very old tradition" and "turns Pandora into a giver of bad things, kind of an Eve figure."

The Eve analogy carries over to "Avatar," as Cameron's press notes refer to the movie's moon setting as "the Garden of Eden with teeth and claws."

At the same time, though, Garrison says Cameron is playing off "the pre-literary tradition" of Pandora as nature goddess.

"The sentimental twist of the movie is that nature is all good, and it's a back-to-nature kind of story," he says.

The jewelry line touts the "all gifted" definition in its promotional materials, but these gifts are all positive.

"To us, Pandora is the embodiment of femininity and romance," Christian says. "Her name is a timeless expression of the desires, hopes and dreams of all women, and this is the true inspiration behind our jewelry designs."

The feminine, romantic nature goddess is not what Tim Westergren had in mind when he founded the Internet music site Pandora in 2000. His service is driven by users' expressing musical preferences, then enjoying customized "stations" generated from their suggestions, so he appreciated the name's "mystery and a little bit of attitude."

"We kind of like the idea of a box, or if it was a jar, a container full of surprises," Westergren says.

"Here you have someone who's insatiably curious and can't help herself."

In other words, this Pandora is not running away from the box.

"Granted, we're not trying to conjure up what actually came out of Pandora's box," he says. "We're about the surprise. We're not about pestilence, famine and death in general."

1/30: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at Scottsdale Arts Center

Greg Allen
Veteran trumpeter Herb Alpert says his current tour offers "something completely different" from the Tijuana Brass.

Trumpeter back on tour, up for Grammy
by Randy Cordova The Arizona Republic Jan. 24, 2010 12:00 AM

At 74, Herb Alpert has pretty much done it all in the music business, both onstage and behind the scenes.

. Trumpeter Alpert back on tour, up for Grammy
. Herb Alpert's personal hit list
. Lani Hall's career Herb Alpert and Lani Hall

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30.
Where: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St.
Admission: $58.
Details: 480-994-2787, scottsdaleperformingarts.org.

In the '60s, the trumpeter formed the Tijuana Brass, which became hugely popular through such breezy instrumentals as "A Taste of Honey" and "The Lonely Bull." The band wasn't just big: It easily filled arenas and headlined network-TV specials, and Alpert became a household name.

He later disbanded the Brass but kept recording. The hits came less frequently, but the smooth "Rise" (1979) and the 1987 Janet Jackson collaboration "Diamonds" kept his name on the charts.

His recordings alone make him a noteworthy figure. But as the "A" in A&M Records (Jerry Moss is the "M"), he also was a music mogul who helped guide some major acts to fame. A generous man, he formed the Herb Alpert Foundation in the '80s to support arts education. In 2007, the musician and his wife, singer Lani Hall, donated $30 million to UCLA, which led to the creation of the Herb Alpert School of Music.


Scott Gries/Getty Images
Herb Alpert, who was honored by the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in 2006, plays Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 in Scottsdale.


Still, he hasn't left music behind. Last year, Alpert and Hall released an engaging collection of standards called "Anything Goes" that is up for a Grammy at next Sunday's awards. The pair is touring to support the disc. Alpert, charming and low-key, called to discuss the show and his contributions to music.

Question: You haven't toured in a while. What's it like back on the road?
Answer: I love playing with my wife, and we've got some excellent musicians behind us. But the packing and the unpacking? That not so much.

Q: How are the crowds?
A: The audiences have been fantastic, which is so great. I was really reluctant to do this in the beginning.

Q: Why?
A: Well, I didn't want people to think this was the Tijuana Brass and I was repeating what I did in the '60s. We do a few bits in tribute of the Tijuana Brass, but this is something completely different.

Q: Have you ever thought of going out and doing the Tijuana Brass hits? Audiences would probably love it.
A: (Laughing) I'm probably just trying to justify my own creativity. The Tijuana Brass was a great run for me. I liked the music I was making in those days. But I'm a little older now. I love jazz, I love improvisation.

Q: Does this confuse your '60s fans?
A: The music is very understandable. We're not doing anything too far out. We've got good songs with good melodies, and they're done in a hopefully original way. That was our pursuit.

Q: Still, do people yell out for "This Guy's in Love With You"?
A: (Laughing) It has not happened yet. Honestly. I have had somebody yell out for me to play "Rise." But for the most part, we're giving them really quality music, and people are accepting it.

Q: That's the neat thing about the album. These are familiar songs presented in a very fresh way, but it's not like they aren't recognizable anymore.
A: That was the goal. Some of these songs and the way we presented them - it is like a totally different way of listening to the lyrics. My wife is very plugged in to wanting to sing a very positive, affirmative lyric. Something like "That Old Black Magic": Slow it down, and that lyric really stands out.

Q: How did you choose the songs?
A: We had a list of about 40 songs, and we just kept whittling down. I'm plugged into the melody. The melody has to be there for me. A terrific lyric with a bad melody is not going to work for me, because I come from an instrumental background. I always wanted the melodies to be memorable.

Q: Who wins out in a musical disagreement: you or Lani?
A: Well, this was a disagreement we had in the early days. It's not all about the lyrics. If you've got a good melody and a great lyric, then we've got a great song. But we're very much in sync with what we're doing and with the reason we wanted to do it.

Q: This album is on Concord Records. Is it weird being on a label where you're not calling the shots?
A: I'm glad I'm out of the music business. It doesn't really exist the way I remember it. It's a totally different way of doing business that I don't relate to. The music industry took a dramatic change when people started listening with their eyes as well as their ears. If you can dance really well on TV and have a beautiful face - that kind of mentality took over. When I auditioned groups for A&M, I listened with my eyes closed.

Q: The Carpenters are a perfect example of being about the sound as opposed to visuals. Visually, they didn't have a lot going on.
A: Exactly. With the Carpenters and Karen Carpenter, it was, "Wow, what a voice!" I closed my eyes listening to them. And it wasn't my cup of tea at all. I didn't go out of my way to listen to that kind of pop, but they had a voice, this extraordinary voice. The music they were making was very real to them. They really felt what they were doing. When that happens with music, it has a great chance of success.

Q: Do you miss that whole aspect of discovering and signing and nurturing acts?
A: No, not at all. I missed it for a few brief moments when we finally signed the agreements to sell A&M, but after that, no. I'm off doing other things. I'm painting, I'm sculpting. I'm still making music.

Q: When you've been playing music as long as you have, do you still have to practice all the time?
A: Oh, man, are you kidding? (Laughing) I practice every day.

Q: When you do it every day, aren't there times you hate it?
A: At times it's been my best friend, and other times it's a dreaded companion. I had a terrible time around 1969, 1970. I was really struggling. With the Tijuana Brass, we would play pretty much like the record, night after night. But it's been a learning experience. Now, I wake up every morning and think, "What am I going to try to accomplish today on the trumpet?"

Q: You've done so much in so many different areas. What do you think your legacy will be?
A: (Laughing) That's a good question. I honestly don't know. . . . I think I'm just trying to be a regular guy who's trying to give back to the community. I've really been blessed beyond my dreams. I made a lot of people happy selling 72 million records. Now I'm trying to do nice things through our foundation

Alice in Wonderland Book Gets Updated

In sync with Tim Burton's forthcoming Alice in Wonderland movie, Harper Collins decided to release an updated version of Lewis Carrol's classic tale with illustrations from Camille Rose Garcia. As Harper Collins’ states, “Think Alice goes Goth, and you′ve got the magic of this special book.” The illustrations were done in watercolor and acrylic and look just about as ghoulish and great as you can get. I love seeing old classic tales get an updated look. Way to go, Harper Collins, for choosing the ever-so-talented Camille Rose Garcia to take the book to a whole new level.

Take a sneak peek of it below:

Camille Rose Garcia was born in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the generic suburbs of Orange County, where she visited Disneyland and went to punk shows with the other disenchanted youth of that era. Her paintings of creepy cartoon children living in wasteland fairy tales are critical commentaries on the failures of capitalist utopias, blending nostalgic pop culture references with a satirical slant on modern society.

Modern Architecture - Ski Slope Luxury Hotel

Designed by Michael Jantzen, the North Slope Ski Hotel gives the term "ski resort" a whole new meaning. The main feature of this eco-friendly luxury hotel is the 400 foot built-in ski slope, which is powered by the wind and sun. Eight large wind turbines are mounted on the top of the hotel, and a large array of flexible photovoltaic solar cells cover the lower portion of the structure.

Aside from the awesome ski slope, the 95-room luxury hotel features an eco-spa and gym with electricity-generating exercise equipment. There are also a number of shopping and dining options, including a bar at the top of the slope. Jantzen hopes that the design will “once again demonstrate how even the most luxurious places on earth can, and should be, built in an earth friendly way.”

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm
of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

by Maya Angelou

Superb Photo Manipulations

Here are just a few examples of some awesome photo manipulations:

Vision by Benjamin Delacour


Android Girl - Original V2 by PeterKoevari


Order vs Chaos by Zach Bush

Urami Bushi - My Grudge Blues

Lyrics | Meiko Kaji - Urami Bushi (My Grudge Blues) lyrics
Meiko Kaji - Urami Bushi

Hana yo Kirei to, Odaterare,
Saite Mitanara, Sugu Chirasareru.
Baka-na, Baka-na,
Baka-na On'na no... Urami-bushi.

Sadame Kanashi to, Ariramete,
Naki-wo Misereba, Mata Nakasareru.
On'na, On'na,
On'na Namida no... Urami-bushi.

Nikui, Kuyashii, Yurusenai.
Kesu ni Kesenai, Wasure-rarenai.
Tsukinu, Tsukinu,
Tsukinu On'na no... Urami-bushi.

Yume yo Miren to, Warawarete,
Samete-misemasu, Mada Same-kirenu.
On'na, on'na,
On'na-gokoro no... Urami-bushi.

Makka-na Bara nya, Toge ga Aru.
Sashitaka-naiga Sasazu'nya-okanu.
Mo'eru, Mo'eru,
Mo'eru On'na-no... Urami-bushi.

Shinde Hanami ga, Sakuja Nashi,
Urami Hito-suji, Ikite-yuku.
On'na, On'na,
On'na Inochi no... Urami-bushi.
-------------------------------------------------

Translation: My Grudge Blues

You're beautiful, you're the flower, he praises you.
But if you bloom, he will get you scattered.
Stupid. So stupid.
I go so stupid singin' my grudge blues.

You can accept your pitiful fate.
But when you cry, he'll make you cry more.
Women, oh women,
It's women's tears that makes my grudge blues.

I hate you. Full of regret, never forgiven.
Try to erase my memory, but cannot forget you.
It never ends, never,
It never ends, 'cause that's my grudge blues.

They say it's a dream, embers of one-sided attachment,
laughing at you.
So you decide to wake up, but fear to be fully awake.
Women, oh women,
Women's soul beats on my grudge blues.

Crimson roses have its sharp thorns.
Don't wanna hurt you, but have to stab you with my thorn.
Burning, it's burning,
It keeps on burning within my grudge blues.

No flower would bloom on my dead body.
So I will live along hanging on my grudge.
Women, oh women,
My woman's life belongs to my grudge blues.

New! 8 Beautiful Brian Viveros Pieces

With a Marlboro dangling from the corner of her mouth, a Brian Viveros woman is hard to miss. Her beauty is undeniable despite her sullen look or half beaten up face. Her mystery will have you guessing, wondering how she could have arrived at this unfortunate place.

Brian will be showing the art you see here on Saturday January 16 from 8:00-11:30 PM at the CoproGallery in Santa Monica. The show, called "Desensitized, will feature the work of both Brian Viveros and Dan Quintana. A mix of art, music, sculpture, and film, the show promises live girls walking paintings that break apart, a vibrating ground and surreal films project on walls inside and outside the gallery. It's a full sensory experience you won't want to miss.

Lady Gaga on Oprah Interview

Lady GaGa performing Monster, Bad Romance, and Speechless Lady Gaga on Oprah Winfley 15 January 2010.

Rebound from your failures by taking lessons from mistakes

by Harvey Mackay

As any successful person will honestly admit, "I've had my share of failures," especially me. But from every failure I have learned two equally valuable lessons: There was at least one reason why I failed, and I can rebound from that failure.

According to Shiv Khera, author of "You Can Win," failures most often occur for one of the following seven reasons:

• Lack of persistence. More people fail not because they lack knowledge or talent, but just because they quit. It is important to remember two words: persistence and resistance. Persist in what must be done and resist what ought not to be done. We all have had setbacks in life. Failing does not mean we are failures!

• Lack of conviction. People who lack conviction take the middle of the road. But what happens in the middle of the road? You get run over. People without conviction go along to get along because they lack confidence and courage. They conform in order to get accepted even when they know that what they are doing is wrong.

• Rationalizing. Winners may analyze but never rationalize. Losers rationalize and have a book full of excuses to tell you why they could not succeed.

• Not learning from past mistakes. Some people live and learn, and some only live. Wise people learn from their mistakes. Failure is a teacher if we have the right attitude. I've always said experience is the name we give to our mistakes.

• Lack of discipline. Anyone who has accomplished anything worthwhile has never done it without discipline. Discipline takes self-control, sacrifice and avoiding distractions and temptations. It means staying focused.

• Poor self-esteem. Poor self-esteem is a lack of self-respect and self-worth. People with low self-esteem are constantly trying to find themselves, rather than creating the person they want to be.

• Fatalistic attitude. A fatalistic attitude prevents people from accepting responsibility for their position in life. They attribute success and failure to luck. They resign themselves to their fate, regardless of their efforts, that whatever has to happen will happen anyway.

The rebound lesson is the more pleasant part of the equation, but it is not without challenges. Here are Professor Mackay's lessons learned from the problems posed above:

• Try new approaches. Persistence is important, but repeating the same actions over and over again, hoping that you'll succeed, probably won't get you any closer to your objective. Look at your previous unsuccessful efforts and decide what to change. Keep making adjustments and midcourse corrections, using your experience as a guide.

• Decide what is important to you. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right and doing well. Let your passion show in even mundane tasks. It's OK to collaborate and cooperate for success, but it's not OK to compromise your values - ever.

• Change your perspective. Don't think of every unsuccessful attempt as a failure. Few people succeed at everything the first time. Most of us attain our goals only through repeated effort. Do your best to learn everything you can about what happened and why.

• Define the problem better. Analyze the situation: what you want to achieve, what your strategy is, why it didn't work and so on. Are you really viewing the problem correctly? If you need money, you have more options than increasing revenue. You could also cut expenses. Think about what you're really trying to do.

• Don't be a perfectionist. You may have an idealized vision of what success will look and feel like. Although that can be motivational, it may not be realistic. Succeeding at one goal won't eliminate all your problems. Be clear on what will satisfy your objectives, and don't obsess about superficial details.

• Don't label yourself. You may have failed, but you're not a failure until you stop trying. Think of yourself as someone still striving toward a goal, and you'll be better able to maintain your patience and perseverance for the long haul.

• Look in the mirror every day and say, "I am in charge." You may not have control over every phase of your life, but you have more control than you realize. You are responsible for your own happiness and success. As I like to say, your attitude determines your altitude!

Mackay's Moral: You can turn "down and out" into "up and at 'em."

Arizona Fine Art Expo kicks off in Scottsdale

Art event lets visitors see creators at work.

Cheryl Evans/The Arizona Republic

Scottsdale artist Marlene Pardi works on a piece at the Arizona Fine Art Expo in Scottsdale. The event features more than 100 artists from across the country working in view of the public. The annual expo began Thursday and runs through March 28. More...

One of my favorite artists...ERTÉ!

Home to

The Russian-born painter Romain de Tirtoff, who called himself Erté after the French pronunciation of his initials, was one of the foremost fashion and stage designers of the early twentieth century. From the sensational silver lamé costume, complete with pearl wings and ebony-plumed cap, that he wore to a ball in 1914, to his magical and elegant designs for the Broadway musical Stardust in 1988, Erté pursued his chosen career with unflagging zest and creativity for almost 80 years. On his death in 1990, he was hailed as the "prince of the music hall" and "a mirror of fashion for 75 years".

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Born in St. Petersburg and destined by his father for a military career, Erté confounded expectation by creating his first successful costume design at the age of five, and was
finally allowed to move to Paris in 1912, in fulfillment of his ambition to become a fashion illustrator. He soon gained a contract with the journal Harper's Bazaar, to which he continued to contribute fashion drawings for 22 years. Erté is perhaps best remembered for the gloriously extravagant costumes and stage sets that he designed for the Folies-Bergère in Paris and George White's Scandals in New York, which exploit to the full his taste for the exotic and romantic, and his appreciation of the sinuous and lyrical human figure. As well as the music-hall, Erté also designed for the opera and the traditional theatre, and spent a brief and not wholly satisfactory period in Hollywood in 1925, at the invitation of Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer.

After a period of relative obscurity in the 1940s and 1950s, Erté's characteristic style found a new and enthusiastic market in the 1960s, and the artist responded to renewed demand by creating a series of colorful lithographic prints and sculpture. This luxuriously illustrated museum contains a rich and representative selection of images, drawn from throughout Erté's long and extraordinary productive career

The death of Erte in April 1990 at the age of ninety-seven brought an end to a career of extraordinary brilliance and success - or rather two careers. The first, which began when the young Russian aristocrat Romain de Tirtoff Arrived in Paris in 1912, extended through a stint in the haut couture house of Poiret and a twenty-two-year association with Harper's bazaar to the beginning of World War II. During that period, Erte Produced 250 covers for Bazaar; innumerable drawings for the magazine's pages; fashion designs for some of the world's most glamorous women; costumer and set designs for Hollywood movies and stage productions ranging from scenes in George White's Scandals and Folies-Bergere to the Paris Opera; and a variety of product designs.

Following a period of comparative eclipse during the war and its aftermath, Erté's second career began when he met London art dealer Eric Estorick in 1967. Impressed by the huge body of superb work in the artist's Paris studio, Estorick was determined to relaunch Erté's career. This effort was crowned with spectacular success in New York and London exhibitions of gouache paintings and drawings. As important as was the sale of pictures, the enthusiastic response of many start of theater and fashion who came to Erté's exhibitions gave the strongest indication that there was still a keen audience for his work. Indeed, it became apparent that the demand for it by not only those able to afford originals but young people of limited means was too large to be satisfied by the existing works. This led to the decision to create multiples - first graphics and, later, bronze sculptures.

As Estorick says in his text, to characterize the success of these programs as a revival is inadequate; it was a sensation. During the twenty-five years of Erté's second career he achieved again the level of fame that he had in an earlier generation, but with an even wider public. Those years saw also the publication of many books on Erté's work, including two large-format books on the graphics, "Erte at Ninety" and "Erte at Ninety-Five", and one on the sculpture "Erte Sculpture".