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

Experiencing Janiva Magness

It is easy to see how this Contemporary Blues Artist received four nominations for the 2009 Blues Music Awards. Her music speaks to redemption and healing, defined by experience. For those of us in the Midwest, Magness will be in Minneapolis. MN on May 22 and Cedarburg, WI on May 23.

I first heard her song "You Were Never Mine," and it stays with me to this day.



"I think I was born for it...born to it....been my answer....how I fit in the world... I feel like it chose me, not I chose it."



“The tragedies of my life no longer define me.” If you have never checked out her bio, and you are interested in the life behind the lyrics, do yourself a favor and read her it at www.janivamagness.com

Voting Time! Be Informed!

The countdown is on! Only two weeks remain to study the nominees at The Blues Foundation for their 2009 Blues Music Awards. All decisions should be made based upon work done during the eligibility period between 11.01.07 and 10.31.08. Much like any other election, informed voting is always preferable. To that end, we will take a look at six of the categories and their entries.

By the way, not a member? Think of joining at www.blues.org, it gets you a ballot for $25 and a tax write off for charity.


Best New Artist Debut-That individual or band that first achieved widespread recognition during the eligibility period and whose eligible release was available nationally.

• Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm - 2 Man Wrecking Crew
  
• Chris James and Patrick Rynn - Stop and Think About It
  
• Delta Highway - The Devil Had a Woman
  
• Eden Brent - Mississippi Number One
• The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Pay Me No Mind

Band of the Year -That group, recording and/or performing as a unit, which best exemplifies ensemble playing during eligibility period.

• Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
  
• Magic Slim & the Teardrops
• Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
• The Mannish Boys
• Watermelon Slim & the Workers

Rock Blues Album of the Year -That album released to the public during the eligibility period that best portrays the Rock Blues genre, that hybrid that combines elements of Blues, with an emphasis on Blues, but also rock with its heavily-amplified instrumentation and generally driving drum beat.

• Gary Moore - Bad for You Baby
• Jeff Healey - Mess of Blues
• Michael Burks - Iron Man
  
• Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King - Blood Brothers
  
• Sonny Landreth - from the REACH
  
• Walter Trout - The Outsider

Album of the Year -The best Blues album in any style released to the public during the eligibility period. (May be an album nominated in another category).

• Buddy Guy - Skin Deep
  
• Curtis Salgado - Clean Getaway
  
• Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On
  
• Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do
  
• The Mannish Boys - Lowdown Feeling

DVD - The best Blues DVD in any style released to the public during the eligibility period.

• Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings - M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues
• Delmark Records - Little Arthur Duncan Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge
  
• Eagle Eye Media - Albert Collins Live at Montreux 1992
• Eagle Eye Media - Carlos Santana Plays Blues At Montreux 2004
• Stony Plain Records - Ronnie Earl & Broadcasters - Hope Radio Sessions

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year -

• Bobby Rush
• Janiva Magness
  
• Lil' Ed
• Magic Slim
• Watermelon Slim

Next time, we will look at the acoustic, traditional, contemporary and soul blues nominees. If you had the opportunity to vote, would you look them up if you didn't know them? I am always amazed by what is available on myspace, you tube, the musician and fan sites, as well as the record labels. Even if you are not voting, Blues Fans, those listed are well worth your time to get to know.