Rock News: Music's high and low notes

NORAH WINS FIVE AT GRAMMYS

Newcomer Norah Jones swept the major categories at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony Sunday, coming away with five statuettes and earning three more for her producer, engineers and songwriter.

Norah Jones's album "Come Away With Me" was named Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, while her record "Don't Know Why" earned Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance. The 23-year-old singer also was named Best New Artist of the Year. Jesse Harris, the man who wrote "Don't Know Why," won a Grammy for Song of the Year, Arif Mardin took home the prize for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical and S. Husky Hoskulds and Jay Newland got one for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

Kim Cattrall and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs presented Eminem with the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album for "The Eminem Show." The award was the controversial rapper's sixth Grammy.

Rap Artist Nelly also picked up two Grammys -- one for Best Male Rap Solo Performance for his song "Hot in Herre." The second award was for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Dilemma," the song he recorded with Kelly Rowland.

India Arie won Grammy for Best R & B Album for "Voyage to India" And Best Urban/Alternative Performance for her song, "Little Things."

Lou Reed and Dave Grohl presented No Doubt with the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal. The group won the honor for their song "Hey Baby."

Best Hard Rock Performance went to Foo Fighters for "All My Life," and Female Rock Vocal Performance went to Sheryl Crow for "Steve McQueen."

Legendary rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel made rumors come true Sunday, reuniting to perform at the Grammy Awards. A reunion had been hinted at all week and to open the show Dustin Hoffman introduced the duo, who performed a slightly slower and seemingly appropriate "The Sounds of Silence." The two have had a somewhat silent, strained relationship and had not performed together for 10 years.

Bruce Springsteen had won three Grammys even before the 45th awards telecast began. In a pre-telecast ceremony, his Sept. 11, 2001, anthem "The Rising" earned him honors for Best Rock Song, Rock Album and Rock Vocal Performance.

For a complete listing of winners go to upi.com.

(Thanks to UPI's Karen Butler in New York)

NO PARADE FOR AEROSMITH

Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steve Tyler canceled plans to play Mardi Gras Kings of Orpheus this week, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They've got a recording contract coming up, and Orpheus released them from their obligation," Orpheus Vice President Ardley Hanemann Jr. told the Times-Picayune. Orpheus had no trouble filling the regal position. Travis Tritt will reign over the Orpheus parade March 3, then perform at the Orpheus ball later that night.

SUPER RIDDIM

"Super Riddim Internacional, Vol. 1" is a monumental new work by the Monterry, Mexico-based El Gran Silencio set for release March 24. Vol. 2 will be released in the fall. The album is a soundtrack to an imaginary world where Mexican breakdancers chill to a new kind of international folkloric lounge music. It's music that would feel equally at home in Los Angeles or Barcelona, and maybe even Morocco or New Dehli. El Gran Silencio combines its Mexican roots with influences from Spain to India. From deep roots in the alternative scene of a town that has been called the Seattle of Latin alternative, El Gran Silencio has traveled a musical path that meanders through rock, hiphop, norteño, cumbia, pagode, ragamuffin, rumba flamenco, and even raga.

BIOHAZARD ROCKS BROOKLYN

Brooklyn's Biohazard has always been a band designed for the road. Touring is the band's most effective method of getting face-to-face with the world's youth; sharing feelings of rage and frustration toward a goal of unity. The band opened a tour over the weekend in Boston on a bill with Hatebreed and will wrap up this leg April 12 at L'Amour in Brooklyn. Drummer Danny Schuler offers: "Expect to see us ripping ourselves wide open and showing everyone what's inside us every night. I don't think many bands have the balls or capacity to be as naked and out there as we are."

Guitarist Billy Graziadei promised, "On this tour, you're going to see four guys from Brooklyn running around on stage, super-psyched and aggressive, delivering their music with a message and power. There are a lot of weak, perpetrating bands out there playing heavy music and pretending that they're hardcore, but with Biohazard, it's the real deal."

NO COKE, PEPSI

Britney Spears is considering a lawsuit against Star magazine over a story that stated she used cocaine, reports E!-Online.

"The only one who's guilty of doing cocaine has to be the source of this story," charged Spears spokeswoman Nathalie Moar. "It makes for good reading, but it's simply not true."

The story claims Spears and three others did lines of cocaine in the VIP bathroom on the Crowbar Club in Miami Nov. 14.

JUVENILE JUSTICE

Rap star Juvenile will be serving up a different brand of locution than his fans are used to after pleading guilty to felony battery charges in Miami. The judge sentenced the New Orleans rapper, whose real name is Terius Gray, to 75 hours of community service. Juvenile, 27, also will donate $5,000 to a Miami children's charity and pay $782 in court costs. The charges stemmed from an incident on March 28, 2001, at a Miami comedy club. Juvenile was involved in a brawl outside the club and accused of hitting a man on the head with a champagne bottle and grabbing a police officer during the fight.