Donna in LA for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Day 2 (MusiCares Person of the Year)

Los Angeles Convention CenterI made it back to the hotel with enough time to change for the MusiCares Person of the Year event. Approximately 30 minutes later, I shared a ride with country music blogger @lameesa over to the Los Angeles Convention Center where the gala would be held in a couple of hours.

We joined @MissMusicNerd who was already there. First thing to do was to get media credentials so that the hardcore security people knew that we had a right to be hovering around the red carpet.

All of the major media outlets were there - from the Associated Press, foreign television crews to specialty magazines. I'd say that there were almost 100 people there to photograph or interview the celebrities on the red carpet.

Nikki YanofskyIt was a congenial group of professionals. A few were trash-talking but it was all good-hearted. I almost forgot that I was with people that would be considered the dreaded paparazzi until the first celebrity made their presence known.

After that, well... I'll just say that I stayed out of everybody's way. :D

I was able to take decent photos of Tony Bennett; Jamie Lee Curtis (actually not a good pic at all); Jimmy Jam; MusiCares Person of the Year Barbra Streisand with her husband, James Brolin and the President of NARAS, Neil Portnow; Herbie Hancock; Elvis Costello and Diana Krall; LeAnn Rimes; and the young lady pictured to the left, 16 year old Canadian jazz vocalist Nikki Yanofsky.

Seal went through the red carpet so quickly that by the time a space opened where I could have taken a nice picture, he was gone.

Stevie Wonder, Prince, Faith Hill, Arturo Sandoval were among the artists that did not walk the red carpet.

Want to see all of the red carpet photos that I managed to take? They are on the Elements of Jazz's Facebook Photo Page.

Herbie HancockBy the time we made it inside for the main event, the formal dinner was almost over. Before the performances were to start, an auction was held to raise money for the MusiCares Foundation. My last tweet about the auction was "They are auctioning a car now at Musicares to raise funds. It went for $65K!"

My cellphone battery died after that. There was nothing that could be done about it. I felt badly that I couldn't take any photos or tweet about the performances.

The performances that stood out to me were: Leona Lewis's rendition of "Somewhere", Seal's version of "Guilty"; the trio of Jeff Beck, LeAnn Rimes and BeBe Winans doing "Come Rain or Come Shine" and Herbie Hancock accompanying Nikki Yanofsky on piano as she sang "On A Clear Day".

Oh! Stevie Wonder, on vocals, piano (and harmonica) with jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval did a soulful version of "People" to close out the tribute part of the evening.

Ms. Streisand ended the evening by performing a medley of some of her well known songs. She also shared with us two songs from her upcoming release that is due out later on this year.

Well, there you have it. My second day in Los Angeles was pretty full but it was filled with moments that I will not soon forget. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

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