MICKEY HART OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD WINS ANOTHER WORLD MUSIC GRAMMY

Drummer extraordinaire Mickey Hart shares his thoughts on winning another Grammy Award in the World Music category.

Former Grateful Dead drummer and rhythm connoisseur Mickey Hart took home a 2009 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for his latest album Global Drum Project. This was Hart’s second Grammy Award, the first being in 1991 for his album Planet Drum, which also won the award in the World Music category. Global Drum Project features Hart alongside world reknown percussionists Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo for a fresh interpretation of tranced-out grooves, elegant electronic programming and hypnotic tuned percussion. Produced by Hart and Hussain, the Global Drum Project also features Taufiq Qureshi, brother to Zakir Hussain, on percussion & vocals, Niladari Kumar on sitar, Dilshad Khan on sarangi, and sampled vocals by the late, great Olatunji.

Backstage after recieving The Grammy Award Mickey Hart talked about how good it felt to win The Grammy Award, even though competition in music is an odd thing.

“It feels good you know. It’s a wonderful high. We’re like a work in progress and so is The Grateful Dead. You just keep doing it with everything you have all day all night and you dream it. And eventually, this isn’t really the dream. To win a Grammy is really not the dream. It’s not about The Grammy. Competition is an odd thing when it comes to music so this is like a double edged sword. You keep pitting musician against musician but the people have spoken.”

During the pre Grammy show which wasn’t aired live on CBS, Hart also talked about his joy in performing with The Global Drum Project.

“Thank you very much. The Gods of rhythm are smiling tonight. We did it again with drums. I can’t tell you what it means playing with these people each night and coming off the stage with this feeling. There’s nothing better, I assure you. It’s about the rhythm.”

Mickey Hart and Rhythm Devils are releasing a 2 DVD set which was filmed in Chicago during their fall tour in 2006 and the band features Hart along with Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Mike Gordon (Phish), Steve Kimock, Sikiru and Jen Durkin. Look for Mickey Hart and Bill Kruetzmann to hit the road with The Dead in the Spring of 2009 with tour dates kicking off Aril 12th in North Carolina and extending until May 16th at The Gorge in Quincy, Wa. Hart and Kruetzmann will be joined by original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh with the addition of Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti.