NASHVILLE, TN (Arista Records) -
Superstar Alan Jackson's critically acclaimed Precious Memories and Like Red on a Rose albums were honored this week as the two discs, both No 1 albums in 2006, garnered a collective four nominations for The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
On Thursday, Precious Memories, Jackson's CMA-nominated Album of the Year, earned a GRAMMY nod for Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album, while Like Red on a Rose was nominated as Best Country Album. Like Red on a Rose also brought recognition for songwriters Robert Lee Castleman and Melanie Castleman, who penned the Best Country Song-nominated title track, while the warmly atmospheric disc was also named in the category of Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, recognizing the work of engineers Brandon Bell, Terry Christian, and Gary Paczosa.
Reflecting on the nominations, Jackson stated, 'It always fees good to be included in some of the best music in the business, especially with my wife and daughters' voices on the Gospel album and the chance to step out a little on Like Red on a Rose.'
Both albums were particular creative and stylistic achievements for Jackson, and each spoke to distinct elements of his music – from his own Gospel-rich roots that inspired him to record Precious Memories as a family gift not originally intended for commercial release, to the Alison Krauss-produced Like Red on a Rose, which married Jackson's vision for a lyrically mature disc with the seductively rich, after-hours warmth of Krauss' production.
On the news of the nominations, Krauss, a 20-time GRAMMY winner, enthused, 'I am thrilled for Alan and this project. He's an incredible talent.'
Keith Stegall, Jackson's longtime producer who helmed Precious Memories, observed, 'I am so honored to have been a part of this … Like my mama always said, 'God works in mysterious ways.''
The Platinum-certified Precious Memories set multiple chart records and drew high praise from, among others, Billboard, which hailed the collection as 'a masterpiece.' Like Red on a Rose arrived to similarly glowing reviews from multiple outlets, including the Associated Press, which praised the album as 'all twilight and velvet,' while Playboy declared it 'a work of heartbreaking soul.'
The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from Los Angeles on February 11 on CBS Television.
