eighth blackbird wins Grammy

"Strange Imaginary Animals," the Cedille album by eighth blackbird, the new-music sextet in residence at the University of Richmond, has won a Grammy Award for best chamber music performance.

Judith Sherman won the classical producer of the year Grammy for "Strange Imaginary Animals" and four other recordings.

The big classical Grammy winner was Joan Tower's "Made in America," recorded for Naxos by Leonard Slatkin and the Nashville Symphony, which won best classical album, best orchestral performance and best classical contemporary composition. In the latter category, Tower won over Jennifer Higdon's "Zaka," included on the eighth blackbird album, and Peter Lieberson's "Neruda Songs," which was the critical favorite for the award.

"Neruda Songs," recorded for Nonesuch by the composer's late wife, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, won best classical vocal performance.

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Sen. Barack Obama won a spoken-word recording Grammy for his reading of his book "The Audacity of Hope." This and a previous Grammy for his recording of his first book, "Dreams from My Father," puts Obama up 2-to-1 over his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who won a Grammy for her reading of "It Takes a Village." Former president Bill Clinton has two Grammys to his credit. (via The New York Times)