Coral Reefer Mac McAnally is very humbled by his CMA Musician of the Year nomination, an award he’s won the last two years. The Times Daily has an interview with Mac:

“I know we’ve had this conversation before, but I was flattered and felt unworthy to be nominated the first time and now I’ve won two,” McAnally said Friday during a telephone interview from San Francisco where he was preparing for a show with Jimmy Buffett.

The CMA Musician of the Year Award is given to studio musicians in recognition of their work in the past year, particularly with chart-topping songs.

McAnally speculated 2009’s win was the result of his studio work with Kenny Chesney on “Down the Road,” a song McAnally wrote more than 20 years ago. The previous year, he said it was likely because of his work with Buffett and George Strait.

“Once again, I’m awfully grateful to be thought about in any positive light by my peers,” McAnally said.

He normally is busy as a producer, performer and studio musician, but back-to-back CMA awards brought him telephone calls from artists he has not heard from previously.

“Playing music is my favorite thing to do,” he said. “It’s certainly not a bad thing to get called to do some more.”

He said this year’s nomination probably is linked to several things he did during the past year, including co-producing “Buffett Hotel” and work with George Strait as well as up-and-coming country artist and Alabama native Jamey Johnson.

“I’m not without a lot of work in the pile,” McAnally said.

The Under The Big Top Tour rolls into San Francisco tonight as Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band play a show at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

You can listen to the show live on Radio Margaritaville on the web at www.radiomargaritaville.com or on Sirius 31 / XM 55. The pre-show will start around 7:30 pm PT with Jimmy taking the stage shortly after 8 PT (11 ET).

On Tuesday Jimmy heads to Portland, Oregon. He’s then in Irvine on Thursday and wraps up the tour in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Fall leg of the 2010 Under The Big Top Tour kicks off this weekend with a stop at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California (outside of San Francisco) on Saturday.

After Shoreline, Buffett will stay on the West Coast, playing the following shows:

• 10/19/10 – Portland, OR – Rose Garden Arena
• 10/21/10 – Irvine, CA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
• 10/23/10 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Arena

Tickets are still available for these shows at Stubhub.

Already itching for next year’s tour? If history repeats itself, the 2011 tour dates will be announced in January or February.

The new Margaritaville Nashville is hosting a job fair today and tomorrow in downtown Nashville at the Holiday Inn Express:

Jimmy Buffett will headline the Andy Roddick Foundation’s 5th Annual Charity Gala on Saturday, December 4th at the Hilton in Austin, Texas. Buffett is a tennis fan and often goes to the US Open with his son Cameron.

Tables start at $10,000. Here are the levels:

Australian Open Club – $10,000
One table seating 10 guests. VIP area for Jimmy Buffett concert

French Open Club – $20,000
One preferred table seating ten guests. Stage left VIP area for concert

Wimbledon Club – $25,000
One preferred table seating ten guests. Stage right VIP area for concert. Publication of company logo in various places

US Open Club – $50,000
One premiere table seating ten guests. Stage front center for concert. First two tables sold at US Open level receive a meet and greet with Jimmy.

For more information on the gala, call 561-620-9449, email Foundation@AndyRoddick.com, or visit www.andyroddick.com.