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| Canadian Blues Label Celebrates 30th Anniversary by Cindy McLeod Canadian based blues/roots record label Stony Plain Records celebrates its 30th anniversary with the release of a special three-record set, including two CDs featuring 35 tracks of Stony Plain artists. "30 Years of Stony Plain" will be released April 4 in Canada, in the United States May 16, and will also be released in the UK and Europe. "30 Years of Stony Plain" includes rare and unreleased tracks from the label's vaults among these gems, including the first time release of a cut by legendary bluesman Robert Nighhawk, as well as unreleased tracks by Jeff Healey & The Jazz Wizards, Billy Boy Arnold and King Biscuit Boy. The package also includes a DVD with never before seen footage of Jay McShann in the studio with Duke Robillard, a clip of label owner Holger Petersen telling how he label was started, and 10 videos by Stony Plain artists. Established in 1976, the independent label has released over 300 albums of blues, classic R&B, folk, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, and other unique music. Stony Plain and its artists have received two Grammy Award nominations, garnered numerous W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations and won several Handy Awards. In Canada, Stony Plain has won several Juno Awards, Canadian Country Music Association Awards, Maple Blues Awards and Western Canada Music Awards. Holger Petersen continues to operate the label, and is also a director of SOCAN, Canada's performing rights society, and continues with his active role in the Canadian Independent Record Production Association. He helped found the Edmonton Folk Music Festival (and was its artistic director for three years), and was a founding member of the Alberta Recording Industries Association. Petersen was honored for his contributions to Canadian arts and culture with an honorary Doctorate from Athabasca University in 2002, and was awarded the highest honor a Canadian can receive, the Order of Canada, in 2003. Petersen also hosts two blues radio programs, CKUA's "Natch'l Blues", aired every week for over 30 years, and his nationally broadcast "Saturday Night Blues", running on CBC Radio for over 15 years. For the last several years, he's also programmed the blues channel on Galaxie, CBC's digital satellite network. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |