Booty shaking New Orleans-based funk band, Papa Grows Funk’s Needle in the Groove, released locally in New Orleans in October 2011 and nationally in January 2012 by Funky Krewe Records, has made it to the final round of voting by the Recording Academy from which the nominees for “Best Regional Roots Album of the Year” category for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards will be chosen.  Co-produced by New Orleans’ musical legends, Allen Toussaint and Tom Drummond, Needle in the Groove is built on the enthusiastic vibe of a long-standing musical tradition that dates back to the hot jazz of legends, Fats Domino and Louis Armstrong, but also captures the party-in-a-bottle groove of their live shows.“We would like to thank the Recording Academy members for their consideration,” says John Gros, the Hammond B3 keyboardist and lead vocalist of Papa Grows Funk. “We love and admire the other bands in this category -- Keith Frank, Rebirth Brass Band, Creole String Beans, and the Lost Bayou Ramblers – and this honor blows us away.”“It was such a pleasure working with musicians with this sort of skill level who are at the top of their game,” says Drummond. “With Allen and I each producing half of the songs, it is a unique project and it is wonderful that Needle in the Groove is up for Grammy consideration. Papa Grows Funk is well-deserving of this kind of recognition.”Recording Academy voters have until Wednesday, October 31, 2012 to complete their ballots. Nominations for all categories will be announced on December 5, 2012. The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on February 10, 2013.