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Grammy Award Nomination for Guitarist Andre Bush

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“Blueprint Of A Lady" Nnenna Freelon Album Featuring Andre Bush Earns Grammy Nomination

Recording Showcases Fresno/Bay Area Guitarist Andre Bush In Duo Collaboration

Concord Records Album Nominated For 2005 Best Jazz Vocal Album

For musicians who get the call, it's a life-changing moment. Guitarist Andre Bush had just woken up in his Fresno home December 8th when Nick Phillips, a producer at Concord Records, called to inform Andr that the album featuring his performance with jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon was nominated for a GRAMMY.

“'Blueprint of a Lady' was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album," says Andre. “I was completely floored. This was such a fantastic project to work on, it's been really exciting to get a GRAMMY nomination. I've had an adrenaline rush ever since getting that phone call!"

The GRAMMY nomination is the first for Andre Bush, who arranged and performed the song “Only You Will Know" for Nnenna Freelon's sixth Concord Records album, “Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday." Although the album prominently features songs from the Billie Holiday songbook, “Only You Will Know" is one of the only original compositions, and the introspective song ties together the album's other songs in an innovative tribute to Lady Day.

“Only You Will Know" is also the only song on the album featuring a vocal-guitar duo, an intimate setting with which Andre Bush has become an expert. For the past dozen years, Andre has been the musical director and guitarist for singer Jenna Mammina, performing concerts worldwide and recording four albums for Mamma Grace Records culminating with the acclaimed 2003 album, “The Art of the Duo." Andre's guitar work has also complemented the vocal stylings of such musically-diverse singers as Mara Mrquez, Nefertiti Jones, Essence, and Terra Deva.

Nevertheless, Andre Bush is not a guitarist easily pigeon-holed. In addition to “Blueprint of a Lady," Andre is currently celebrating the critical success of his latest instrumental album, “Start from Silence" (Odd Culture Productions), featuring renowned pianist Art Lande with Bruce Williamson, woodwinds; Peter Barshay, bass; and Alan Hall, drums. The album, which fuses jazz with elements of rock, funk, and world music, recently received a 4-star review from jazz critic Scott Yanow, who wrote that “there is always a thoughtful lyricism to Bush's music that makes repeated listenings worthwhile." Andre is also a prominent educator in the California music community and teaches at the Jazzschool, Jazz Camp West, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Fresno City College, where he holds a faculty position. Andre Bush endorses Thomastik-Infeld guitar strings.

With the GRAMMY nomination for “Blueprint of a Lady," Andre Bush, Nnenna Freelon, and all of the musicians and producers associated with the recording have been recognized by the Recording Academy for their musical achievement. Whether “Blueprint of a Lady" wins the GRAMMY Award for 2005 Best Jazz Vocal Album remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: champagne corks will be bouncing off of the Bush household ceilings for quite a while.

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