It’s no secret that south central Kentucky has produced many great talents over the years, and the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards entries gave nods to three of them with two going on to become honored as official nominees.

Cave City’s jazz great, Beegie Adair made the Official Grammy Ballot for the 2011 Grammy Awards, Best Improv Jazz Solo for “Fly Me To The Moon,” and the Beegie Adair Trio, Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Swingin’ With Sinatra.”  Unfortunately Adair did not make the final cut as an official nominee.  However, both Sam Bush and Byron House did.

Sam Bush has already been honored with three Grammy wins: Album of the Year for Oh Brother, Where At Thou, Pop Instrumental Performance with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, and Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with Emmylou Harris & the Nash Ramblers.  In 2011 he is nominated for a Grammy in the Best Bluegrass Album category for his release Circles Around Me.

Byron House has the dual honor of being part of two albums up for awards.  He performed bass on Circles Around Me and is a nominee for Best Americana Album as part of The Band of Joy for their self titled release.  Band of Joy singer Robert Plant is also a nominee for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance on Silver Rider from the same album.  The Band of Joy includes:  Robert Plant (vocals), Byron House (bass), Buddy Miller (vocals/guitar), Patty Griffin (vocals/guitar), Darrell Scott (vocals and multi-instrumental) and Marco Giovino (drums/vocals).

House was also honored with a Grammy nomination for Country Instrumental Performance in 2005 for his work on Mark O’Connor’s 30-Year Retrospective.  Both Bush and House were part of Jorma Kaukonen’s Blue Country Heat nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album.

The 53rd Grammy Awards will air on February 13th at 8PM.