BMA - Hours Remain To Cast Votes

Blues fans, and conceivably more so the artists, wait with anticipation for the announcement of the coveted Blues Music Awards. With less than 24 hours remaining to vote in the The Blues Foundation's 31st Blues Music Awards, members are encouraged to vote before Monday, March 1, 2010 at 07:59:59.  Non-current members may sign up and then vote.

What is one more vote?  Often the deciding factor.  Joe Whitmer, in a gentle nudge email reminder to procrastinating members, stated that in the past, categories had been decided by as little as 10 votes.  As The Blues Music Awards are  "Universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists," many feel voting is not only a right, but a responsibility as well.

Those entries with the most votes in each of the following categories will be celebrating in Memphis on May 6.  Tickets are available through the website and are non-refundable.  It is, however, one of the best shows, a blues fan can see.  The true difficulty, is selecting just one in each category.

Acoustic Album of the Year

David Maxwell & Louisiana Red, You Got to Move

Maria Muldaur & her Garden of Joy, Good Time Music for Hard Times

Saffire-the Uppity Blues Women, Havin' The Last Word

Samuel James, For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen

Various Artists, Things About Comin' My Way - A Tribute to the music of the Mississippi Sheiks

Acoustic Artist of the Year

Annie Raines & Paul Rishell

Doug MacLeod

Guy Davis

Louisiana Red

Samuel James

Album of the Year

Duke Robillard's Jumpin' Blues Revue, Stomp! the Blues Tonight

Eddie C. Campbell, Tear This World Up

Joe Louis Walker, Between a Rock and the Blues

Louisiana Red & Little Victor's Juke Joint, Back to the Black Bayou

Various Artists, Chicago Blues A Living History

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

Candye Kane

Magic Slim

Rick Estrin

Super Chikan

Taj Mahal

Tommy Castro

Band of the Year

Duke Robillard's Jumpin' Blues Revue

Nick Moss & the Flip Tops

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats

The Mannish Boys

Tommy Castro Band

Best New Artist Debut

Greg Nagy, Walk That Fine Thin Line

Joanne Shaw Taylor, White Sugar

Marquise Knox, Man Child

Monkey Junk, Tiger in your Tank

The California Honeydrops, Soul Tub!

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year

Candye Kane, Superhero

Joe Louis Walker, Between a Rock and the Blues

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, Twisted

Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, Living in the Light

Tommy Castro, Hard Believer

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year

Bettye LaVette

Candye Kane

Janiva Magness

Ruthie Foster

Shemekia Copeland

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year

Derek Trucks

Joe Louis Walker

John Nemeth

Michael Burks

Tommy Castro

DVD

Delmark Records, It Ain't Over! Delmark Celebrates 55 Years of Blues, Live at Buddy Guy's Legends

Eagle Eye Media, Live at Montreux 1993 (B.B. King)

Jo Films & Roadside Productions, Hot Flash (Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women)

Mojo Rodeo Records, A Night in Woodstock (Paul Rishell and Annie Raines)

Vincent Productions, Down to the Crossroads Vol. 1 (George Thorogood & the Destroyers w/ Eddie Shaw)

Historical Album of the Year

Bear Family Records, Taking Care of Business (1956-1973) (Freddie King)

Chess, Authorized Bootleg (Muddy Waters)

Eagle Records, Essential Montreux (Gary Moore)

Hip-O Select, The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967) (Little Walter)

Landslide Records, Sean's Blues (Sean Costello)

Instrumentalist-Bass

Bill Stuve

Bob Stroger

Larry Taylor

Mookie Brill

Patrick Rynn

Instrumentalist-Drums

Cedric Burnside

Jimi Bott

Kenny Smith

Sam Carr

Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist-Guitar

Derek Trucks

Duke Robillard

Joe Louis Walker

Lurrie Bell

Ronnie Earl

Instrumentalist-Harmonica

Billy Branch

Jason Ricci

Kim Wilson

Mark Hummel

Rick Estrin

Instrumentalist-Horn

Al Basile

Big James Montgomery

Deanna Bogart

Eddie Shaw

Keith Crossan

Instrumentalist-Other

Buckwheat Zydeco (accordion)

Gerry Hundt (mandolin)

Johnny Sansone (accordion)

Otis Taylor (banjo)

Rich Del Grosso (mandolin)

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player

Bruce Katz

David Maxwell

Eden Brent

Henry Butler

Henry Gray

Rock Blues Album of the Year

Derek Trucks Band, Already Free

Jason Ricci & New Blood, Done with the Devil

Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat, Tijuana Bible

Mike Zito, Pearl River

Tinsley Ellis, Speak No Evil

Song of the Year

Cyril Neville & Mike Zito, 'Pearl River' (Pearl River--Mike Zito)

James Johnson , 'Fred's Dollar Store' (Chikadelic--Super Chikan)

Joe Louis Walker, 'I'm Tide' (Between a Rock and the Blues--Joe Louis Walker)

John Hahn & Oliver Wood, 'Never Going Back to Memphis' (Never Going Back--Shemekia Copeland)

Vyasa Dodson, 'At Least I'm Not With You' (At Least I'm Not With You--The Insomniacs)

Soul Blues Album of the Year

Charles Wilson, Troubled Child

Darrell Nulisch, Just for You

Johnny Rawls, Ace Of Spades

Latimore, All About the Rhythm and the Blues

Mighty Sam McClain, Betcha Didn't Know

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year

Barbara Carr

Denise LaSalle

Irma Thomas

Shirley Brown

Sista Monica Parker

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year

Curtis Salgado

Darrell Nulisch

Jackie Payne

Johnny Rawls

Latimore

Traditional Blues Album of the Year

John Primer, All Original

Johnnie Bassett, The Gentleman is Back

Louisiana Red & Little Victor's Juke Joint, Back to the Black Bayou

Super Chikan, Chikadelic

Various Artists, Chicago Blues A Living History

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year

Ann Rabson

Debbie Davies

Fiona Boyes

Shirley Johnson

Zora Young

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year

Duke Robillard

John Primer

Johnnie Bassett

Louisiana Red

Super Chikan

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! (French - "Let The Good Times Roll!")

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to Jazz, Cajun, Zydeco, Brass Bands, Jambalaya, Hurricanes (the drinkable kind) and Bourbon St. I fell in love with New Orleans, Mardi Gras, the music, the food, the atmosphere in 1976 and my Mother’s decision to celebrate the Bi-Centennial with travel by Amtrak. The woman had the audacity to drag me from my friends in High School to go to her Nurses Convention. That week I explored the French Quarter and surrounding areas from top to bottom. It was Carnival, but not Mardi Gras. Fortunately the Nurses were in sessions all day, and I was allegedly swimming and studying.

The first day, I sat in Jackson Square absorbing it all like a sponge. The sights, scents, and sounds were greedily devoured, and even hand feeding the pigeons near the fountain was memorable. I walked the entire area from Canal St. in fascination, my Midwestern perspective quickly expanding. Notable memories include a lady of the night perched upon a swing in a second floor window advertising her wares, A Voodoo shop, Pralines, Beignets and the instant immersion into the diverse and rich regional music. An elderly man on the corner played sax every day, and I dropped a dollar in his hat and sat on the curb to listen, before racing back to the hotel, lest anyone discover I was not swimming and doing my geometry. Everyday that week held a new auditory epiphany, including not all Marching Bands were geeky!

The most magical time, was between dusk and late night and the Quarter seemed to come alive with sound that seeped out of alleys, crowded little doorways, street corners and clubs that were jumping with Blues, Cajun, Zydeco, Jazz, Ragtime, Swing and Gospel. I have been back to New Orleans a few times, but nothing will ever match the first time. It added the spicy aspect to an already eclectic music collection.

I was surprised to hear a push to have Mardi Gras declared a national holiday http://www.motionformardigras.com/ That will provide a good dinner topic discussion as I ease my offspring into a genre not on their iPod this week.

On Fat Tuesday we will cook Jambalaya, bread pudding, and decorate with garish Purple, Green and Gold symbolizing Justice, Faith and Power. We will talk about the intricate process by which the date of the holiday is determined, and the historical context of Mardi Gras. And the music? It is good to expand your children’s horizons, even if they scowl. Lucky for them, amazon.com was out of “Learn to Cajun Dance.”

I did find a courageous author who covered many facets of this music. Although anyone who starts down this path, find's it turns out to be much longer and wider than imagined.

• Rick Koster Louisiana Music: A Journey from R&B to Zydeco, Jazz to Country, Blues to Gospel, Cajun Music to Swamp Pop to Carnival Music and Beyond (Paperback)

I think I will break them in gently with some Buckwheat Zydeco and BeauSoleil.

For a great review go to www.offbeat.com and view it here.

Cajun and Zydeco were included as it’s own category in the 2008 Grammys. Who were these history making nominees? www.zydecoandcajunmusic.org The 2009 entries were equally exciting with best album going to BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet for “Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.”

Fun Listen – Lost Bayou Ramblers

Of course, we live in Chicago and Fat Tuesday is associated with The Polish tradition of Pazcki Day, so we will have those Polish delights enhanced with real lard, sugar, eggs and calories for desert, before closing the night with a discussion on the beginning of Lent. Those darn fattening bismarks, are just like Blues and Roots music, they always leave you wanting more. Here is someone who is a must experience!

Wayne Toups, Mr Zydecajun, can get you moving, as Les Blank's film "J'Etais Au Bal" shows.

I got excited seeing Toup’s tour schedule included a rabbit festival in Iowa. I had the car and pet rabbit nearly packed, a month early, until I realized it was Iowa, LA. March is a good month for a road trip.