|
contents | blues | |||||||||||||
| 2008 Blues Music Awards Nominations The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the first time in their 29-year history in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the Blues. Performers, industry representatives and fans from around the globe will celebrate the best in Blues recording and performance from the previous year on May 8, 2008 at the Grand Casino Event Center in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, just down the road from Memphis, the Awards' home since their 1980 inception. Among those heading the list of the honorees is Mississippi favorite son Bobby Rush who garnered four nominations, including another historical first - nomination as Artist of the Year in both the Acoustic and Soul Blues categories. This singular achievement stems from the nominators' recognition of the two personas exhibited in his 2007 public performances - some shows featuring his long-running soul revue while others found him alone with a guitar and a harmonica in support of his Acoustic Album of the Year nominee Raw. Watermelon Slim & the Workers returned in force, securing six nominations for the second consecutive year on the strength of their Album of Year candidate The Wheel Man. The "Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor returns to form with four nominations, including one for her Album of the Year nominee Old School. The other artists with Album of the Year selections rode them to three nominations apiece, including On the Jimmy Reed Highway by Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan; Bettye LaVette's The Scene of the Crime; Nick Moss & the Flip Tops' Play It 'Til Tomorrow; My Life, My Friends, My Music by Sugar Ray & the Bluetones; and James Blood Ulmer's Bad Blood in the City. Lurrie Bell also was honored with three nominations, including one he shares with his late father Carey in the newly-created DVD category. "At this time of year, releasing the list of nominees is like letting a Blues fan open a gift a little bit early, " according to Jay Sieleman, The Blues Foundation's Executive Director, "and members are able to play with it right away by rushing out to purchase the nominated CDs, accessing the ballot to start marking their choices or purchasing tickets to get the best seats for the show. Looking into next year, we are really excited about the opportunities the 2008 event will offer Blues fans worldwide, the chance to soak up the deep Blues history of the Delta both before and after the Awards show itself. As the State of Mississippi continues to develop its Blues Marker Trail, you know Mississippi will be ready." Online voting begins December 13 for members. Voting, ticket and host hotel information can be found at The Blues Foundation's website - www.blues.org. The Blues Music Awards are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. The presenting sponsor will once again be The Gibson Foundation. In 2008, the State of Mississippi, the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Grand Casino and Resort are also sponsoring the Blues Music Awards. The Blues Music Awards are also sponsored by BMI, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. The Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Charter Members' Dinner will be held the night before on Wednesday, May 7 at the Tunica RiverPark museum situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. The 2008 inductees will be announced early next year. The Blues Music Awards are produced by The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. The Foundation consists of a worldwide network of 165 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships spanning the globe. In addition to the Blues Music Awards, the Foundation also produces the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. It fosters education through its Blues in the Schools programming and supports the medical needs of Blues musicians with its HART Fund. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the worldwide Blues community with answers, contact information and news. For more information, contact: Jay Sieleman, Executive Director, 901.527.2583 xt 12; jay@blues.org; www.blues.org. 2008 Blues Music Awards Nominees Acoustic Album of the Year Bobby Rush - Raw Dave Riley and Bob Corritore - Travelin' the Dirt Road Fruteland Jackson - Tell Me What You Say Jimmy "Duck" Holmes - Done Got Tired Of Tryin' Marie Knight - Let Us Get Together Acoustic Artist of the Year Bobby Rush Doug MacLeod Eric Bibb Fruteland Jackson Guy Davis Mary Flower Album of the Year Bettye LaVette - The Scene of the Crime James Blood Ulmer - Bad Blood in the City Koko Taylor - Old School Nick Moss & the Flip Tops - Play It 'Til Tomorrow Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan - On the Jimmy Reed Highway Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - My Life, My Friends, My Music Watermelon Slim & the Workers - The Wheel Man B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Bettye LaVette Bobby Rush Janiva Magness Tommy Castro Watermelon Slim Band of the Year Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials Magic Slim & the Teardrops Mannish Boys Nick Moss & the Flip Tops Watermelon Slim & the Workers Best New Artist Debut Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy - Cotton Field to Coffee House Gina Sicilia - Allow Me to Confess Insomniacs - Left Coast Blues John Nemeth - Magic Touch The Soul of John Black - The Good Girl Blues Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Bryan Lee - Katrina Was Her Name James Blood Ulmer - Bad Blood in the City Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Tear Chicago Down Tommy Castro - Painkiller Watermelon Slim & the Workers - The Wheel Man Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year Bettye LaVette Candye Kane Debbie Davies Fiona Boyes Teresa James Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year James Blood Ulmer Kim Wilson Ronnie Baker Brooks Tab Benoit Watermelon Slim DVD Carey & Lurrie Bell - Gettin' Up: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends, Rosa's and Lurrrie's Home Kenny Wayne Shepherd - 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads Pinetop Perkins - Born in the Honey Son Seals - A Journey Through the Blues - The Son Seals Story Willie King - Down in the Woods Historical Album of the Year Blind Pig - The Essential Magic Slim - Magic Slim Blue Witch - House Rockin' and Blues Shoutin' - Various Artists Delmark - Kidney Stew Is Fine - Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Delmark - Steady Rollin' Man - Robert Lockwood, Jr. Epic/Legacy - Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down - Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, James Cotton Instrumentalist - Bass Bill Stuve Bob Stroger Calvin "Fuzz" Jones Jeff Turmes Larry Taylor Michael "Mudcat" Ward Instrumentalist - Drums Jimi Bott Richard Innes Robb Stupka Sam Carr Sam Lay Instrumentalist - Guitar Bob Margolin Duke Robillard Kid Ramos Lurrie Bell Nick Moss Instrumentalist - Harmonica Carey Bell James Cotton Kim Wilson Mark Hummel Sugar Blue Sugar Ray Norcia Instrumentalist - Horn Big James Montgomery Calvin Owens Deanna Bogart Doug James Kaz Kazanoff Instrumentalist - Other Gerry Hundt - Mandolin Johnny Sansone - Accordion Otis Taylor - Banjo Robert Randolph - Pedal Steel Sonny Rhodes - Lap Steel Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Ann Rabson Bruce Katz David Maxwell Henry Butler Honey Piazza Song of the Year 'Gonna Buy Me a Mule' - Koko Taylor, Koko Taylor - Old School 'Jimmy Reed Highway' - Omar Kent Dykes & Steve Callif, Omar Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan - On the Jimmy Reed Highway 'Poor Man's Paradise' - Johnny Sasone, Johnny Sansone - Poor Man's Paradise 'The Last Words of A Fool' - Sugar Ray Norcia, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - My Life, My Friends, My Music 'The Wheel Man' - William Homans, Watermelon Slim & the Workers - The Wheel Man Soul Blues Album of the Year Eugene Hideaway Bridges - Eugene Hideaway Bridges Holmes Brothers - State of Grace Mem Shannon - A Night at Tipitina's Root Doctor - Change Our Ways Tad Robinson - A New Point of View Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year Barbara Carr Denise LaSalle Irma Thomas Sharon Jones Sista Monica Parker Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year Bobby Rush Eugene Hideaway Bridges Jackie Payne Mem Shannon Tad Robinson Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year Diunna Greenleaf Koko Taylor Nora Jean Bruso Ruthie Foster Sharrie Williams Traditional Blues Album of the Year Big George Brock - Live at Seventy Five Darrell Nulisch - Goin' Back to Dallas Koko Taylor - Old School Nappy Brown - Long Time Coming Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan - On the Jimmy Reed Highway Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year Bob Margolin Hubert Sumlin Lurrie Bell Magic Slim Nappy Brown Phillip Walker write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |