Loose Blues News

Award Season: Canadian blues recording artists are well represented in the nominations for both the Grammy Awards and the W.C. Handy Awards this year:

NorthernBlues Music received five W.C. Handy Award nominations, including four for Otis Taylor's White African: Blues Album of the Year, Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist Debut. In addition, another of the label's acts, Paul Reddick & The Sidemen, also received a nomination for the best New Artist Debut with their CD, Rattlebag. Founded in 2000, NorthernBlues released its first CDs in March, 2001. Fred Litwin, President of NorthernBlues Music, stated "I'm humbled by the incredible reception to our CDs ^ to have five Handy nominations from our first year of operation is absolutely amazing."

As well, Stony Plain is well represented in the W.C. Handy nominations. Maria Muldaur has been nominated in the Contemporary Blues - Female Artist of the Year category, and plans to attend the ceremonies in early May. Stony Plain's Duke Robillard has also been nominated, in the Blues Instrumental - Guitar category, and Sonny Rhodes is once again nominated for Blues Instrumentalist - Other, for his lap steel playing. The Holmes Brothers (distributed in Canada by Stony Plain) have been nominated for both Blues Band of the Year, and Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, for their latest release, Speaking in Tongues. Stony Plain's Billy Boy Arnold also received recognition for his CD Boogie `n' Shuffle, nominated in the Traditional Blues Album of the Year category.

Electro-Fi artist Snooky Pryor received a W.C. Handy nomination for Blues Instrumentalist - Harmonica.

The Grammy Awards nominations include the first in the 25-year history of Edmonton-based independent record label Stony Plain, for Maria Muldaur's Richland Woman Blues as Best Traditional Blues Album. The label's head, Holger Petersen, was executive producer on the record, which is a tribute to the unique original artists who helped spawn American music. Muldaur interprets songs associated with such legends as Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Fred McDowell, Leadbelly, the Rev. Gary Davis, and Mississippi John Hurt, along with guests such as Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal, and the album also includes an appearance by Calgary guitarist Amos Garrett, who took part in Muldaur's hit recording of Midnight At the Oasis back in 1973. Muldaur said "I received several nominations for Midnight at the Oasis, but this means infinitely more to me. Stony Plain gave me a wonderful opportunity, shared the vision I had, and got the record out into the world."

In full, the Grammy nominations for Best Traditional Blues Album are: Richland Woman Blues by Maria Muldaur & Various Artists (Stony Plain Records); Here And Now by Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm (Ikon Records); Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions by James Blood Ulmer (Label M); Hellhound On My Trail: The Songs Of Robert Johnson - Various Artists (Telarc Blues); Do You Get The Blues? by Jimmie Vaughan (Artemis Records); and Smokin' Joint by Kim Wilson (M.C. Records). For Best Contemporary Blues Album, the Grammy nominations are: Creole Moon by Dr. John (Blue Note Records); Sweet Tea by Buddy Guy (Silvertone Records); Matriarch Of The Blues by Etta James (Private Music); The Door by Keb Mo' (Epic/550 Music/Okeh); and Nothing Personal by Delbert McClinton (New West Records).

As well, Rob Bowman, Toronto musicologist and host of this year's Maple Blues Awards Gala, has yet again been nominated for a Best Liner Notes Grammy, for The Stax Story.

For the East Coast Music Awards, the 2002 Nominees for Blues Artist / Group of the Year are AJ and the Red Hots, Glamour Puss, Hot Toddy, Isaac & Blewett, and the John Cambelljohn Trio.

The 2001 Southside Shuffle (Port Credit Blues and Jazz Festival) has put up a gallery of photo's from this years festival. There is also a downloadable video with highlIghts of the show. Check it out at www.southsideshuffle.com/2001gallery.html

Blues Signing: Andrew Galloway, President of Electro-Fi Records and Artist Management is announcing the signing of keyboard ace Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne to the Electro-Fi label. Kenny's first release will be 88th & Jump Street. Recorded at Alec Fraser's Liquid Studio in Toronto and Baker Street Studio in Vancouver. Kenny has utilized the talents of an all star roster including Jeff Healey, Mel Brown, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Russell Jackson, Chris Whiteley, Maureen Brown and Dave "Hurricane" Hoerl on a swinging collection of top flight original material. Look for a May 28th release date on this red hot disc. Electro-Fi is distributed in Canada by Festival and by City Hall in the U.S.

Valentine's Day Blues: What better night to get out and hear some blues (especially if you're alone). There's lots to choose from: Steve Holt, guitarist for the Buddy Guy Band, will be featured at Blues On Bellair, in Yorkville, on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2002. Suzie Vinnick is at Gate 403, Mose Scarlett is at Hugh's Room and at The Tranzac, Brian Blain celebrates Valentine's Day with special guest and former band-mate Lorraine Ingle of Blue Willow at his Acoustic Blues Thursday show. Brian gave a nod to the Maple Blues Award winners and nominees with an all-MBA lineup of guests in January including Paul Reddick, Michael Pickett and Michael Jerome Browne.

B.B. Back: B.B. King made his annual January appearance in Toronto on January 17, 2002 (in fact, he's played Toronto 3 times in the last year) B.B.'s performance was faultless, fresh and a bluesy pleasure to behold! Paul Reddick + The Sidemen opened the show and made many new fans. Too bad they didn't have a chance to enjoy B.B.'s legendary hospitality and generosity. They had to hit the road right after their set in order to make some U.S. dates. B.B. hung around town long enough to do a little shopping spree in the blues section at Sam the Record Man.

The Paul James Band kept the over-packed audience of Blues fans transfixed all night long at Healey's as Paul celebrated his 50th birthday. Fans of his spanning the last 35 years of his musical life were there to celebrate with him. The music, like B.B's was fresh, inspiring, and lots of fun. Mike McKenna's Blues Band appeared at Healey's the previous night and were awesome as usual. Mike Branton's CD release party held at The Dollar the same night was a huge success, aided by Michael Pickett, guesting on Blues harp.

"Freezing in the East": Amos Garrett made a rare excursion from his home south of Calgary, to perform in Toronto, Hamilton, London and Kingston last month - only because his trout stream was frozen. Garrett has been cited as an influence by Chet Atkins, Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, and a number of other notable guitarists. He performed electric-acoustic evenings on guitar and vocals, backed up by Ken Whiteley on guitar and vocals, and bassist Victor Bateman.

Chris Thomas King, who's just released The Legend of Tommy Johnson on Stony Plain, plays a rare date in Canada on Wednesday February 6 at the Sears Theatre of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, as part of the "Down From the Mountain" tour, which also includes Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Rhonda Vincent, Nancy and Norman Blake and many others. The "O Brother Where Art Thou" sound track continues at Number 1 on U.S. country music charts, with total sales now exceeding 4 million. Meanwhile, Stony Plain recording artist David Wilcox is touring stadiums in Ontario with April Wine and Kim Mitchell.

101.3 FM: Larry Kurtz, the host of Roots n' Blues on community radio station the Voice in Orangeville Ontario, is pleased to announce that a grant from the Trillium Foundation has allowed station upgrades, including computerized digital equipment in addition to a new, much stronger transmitter, as licenced by the CRTC, with a new location on the dial, 101.3 FM, serving areas north west of Toronto.

Festival Season approaches: A new Blues Festival, the First Annual Toronto International BBQ and Blues Festival, is planned for July 12, 13, & 14, 2002, on the lawns of the historic Roundhouse in Toronto. Sponsored by Broil King Barbeques and RD's BBQ & Blues among others, the festival plans to include "authentic U.S. BBQ experts with grilling demonstrations and tastings, adult southern beverages, shows of muscle cars and motorcycles, guitar displays, and great blues talent, both local and international, as well as a midway with traditional carnival fare for the young".

The Collingwood Jazz & Blues Festival is scheduled for August 8, 9 & 10 2002, and will include "Street Music" in the downtown core, in addition to the Saturday all-day concert (12 noon to 11 pm), featuring The Fig Leaf Jazz Band, Cordon Blues Band, Take Three + One featuring Jay Jackson, Kollage featuring Archie Alleyne and Doug , The Mae Cromwell Band, Wayne Buttery and the Groove Project, Curley Bridges, The Jay Douglas Band, The Majestics, and The Downchild Blues Band. The Festival, which has a long-term plan to gradually expand to 7 to10 days in duration, is supported by the town of Collingwood, the Collingwood Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Collingwood merchants association.

Walking Blues: Maple Blue Listserve contributor Michael Oesch writes that "Sometimes it's hard to explain why you decide to do certain things, but I had a re-occurring Dream of Walking, so I've decided that I'm going to walk the East Coast of Canada and back. It's roughly a 6,000 to 7,000 kilometre trip, which will take me 30 to 35 weeks to accomplish, to raise money for the Easter Seal Society. Starting my journey in early April and returning to Toronto by November, I plan on walking out the North Coast of the St. Lawrence to Labrador, across Newfoundland, around Nova Scotia, through New Brunswick and Quebec, and back through Ontario to home in Toronto. I plan on travelling with a light-weight pack and tent (less than 40 lbs.). Some of you know me from hosting the Sunday Blues revival at the Void Lounge in Toronto, and, although I'm leaving Toronto at the end of January to plan my trip, the Sunday Night Revival will continue, as my band 3 Part Tragedy will continue to play in my absence. During my trip, I intend to find my 10 favourite Eastern Canadian Blues songs - songs about the Cold, the Cod and the Coal. We are currently looking for sponsorship of this tour and there are plans to do TV and Radio interviews as well as writing articles for magazines". Contact MOesch in the Hamlet of Chaffeys Locks (613) 359-6364.

The 7th Annual Blues Guitar Riff-Off: Joe Hawkins won this annual contest at the Rainbow Bistro in Ottawa this year, receiving prizes including a new Fender Fat Strat and a Traynor TCV40 amp courtesy of Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, and recording time from Fat City Studios, as well as a Friday night booking at The Rainbow. Other finalists included Jeff Hagerman, Roxanne Potvin, Eric Walker, and Montrealer Beau Kavanagh, who were backed by Steve Lund on drums, Chris Swain on bass, and Billy Mitchell on Hammond organ.

East Coast Blues: The annual January Blues Meltdown, an up-beat mix of Blues, Jazz & R&B, took place in Liverpool, New Glasgow, and Glace Bay Nova Scotia, and Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John New Brunswick, featuring ECMA winners and nominated artists.

Dutch Mason plans to join Big Daddy G in Fredericton on February 23 for the "Harvest Mid-Winter Blues Bash," a fundraiser for the Harvest Jazz & Blues Scholarship, to help launch Big Daddy G's new CD Blue Sound - Live at the Harvest, which was recorded live at 2001 Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, and released last month at the Silver Dollar in Toronto. Veteran bluesman Rick Fines and Moncton's Glamour Puss have also recorded live shows at the festival.

Powder Blues (left) take over the Silver Dollar in Toronto on Tuesday, February 12. Under the leadership of guitarist Tom Lavin, these guys are Canadian blues legends and have been on the scene for over two decades, pumping out their readily identifiable sound incorporating swing, blues, rock `n' roll, and rhythm and blues. Their latest CD Swingin' the Blues (Blue Wave Records) was released late last year.

Washington State Blues: Part of the Washington Blues Society's mandate is to seek blues music from other parts of the world, for exposure in American print reviews and radio airplay. Submit CDs or MP3 files to Patrick Lynch, VP, Washington Blues Society, P.O. Box 70604, Seattle, Washington 98107 USA, www.wablues.org, lynchoid@hotmail.com.

Deanna Bogart (right) is a barrellhouse piano player, smokin' sax player and someone who really knows how to put on a show for the folks and she won't be called "The Great Unknown" for much longer. She's back in Toronto at the Silver Dollar on March 2 and will surely be doing some additional dates in the surrounding area.

John Jackson 1924 to 2002: John Jackson, one of the pre-eminent Piedmont-style blues musicians in the country, died January 20 at his home in Fairfax County just outside Washington, D.C., at the age of 77. The native of Rappahannock County died from kidney failure. Charles L. Perdue, a close friend and president of the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, said Jackson had been diagnosed with liver and lung cancer a few weeks ago. The disease had progressed to an advanced stage and there wasn't much doctors could do, Perdue said.

During his long career, Jackson played for presidents and in 68 countries. The seventh son of 14 children, Jackson had just three months' education at the first-grade level, but he earned the admiration of fans from all walks of life around the world. B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt and Pete Seeger are among the performers he has played with and befriended. Ann Rabson of Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women, said "He was an old and dear friend of mine and probably every other blues and folk musician in the United States," Rabson said. "He will be missed a great deal."

Perdue is credited with discovering Jackson, one of the few surviving Piedmont blues masters. Jackson moved to Fairfax in 1950 to work on a dairy farm, then earned a living as a cook, a butler, a chauffeur and a gravedigger before his music career took off. Jackson was playing guitar for some friends at a gas station in Fairfax in 1964 when Perdue pulled in to get some gas. He listened as Jackson taught a song to a mailman he knew. He and Jackson became friends, and Perdue eventually helped launch Jackson's career by introducing him to people in the music business. Perdue, who teaches folklore at the University of Virginia, said Jackson's death is a major loss to the blues community around the world. "He was an incredibly fine musician," Perdue said. (Excerpted from Associated Press). Jackson recently played Harbourfront in Toronto, providing an interview to Steve Gash, and is warmly remembered by those who saw and heard him.

Musicians Take Note: Following the bankruptcy of Sam the Record Man, a lot of Independent artists who had CD's on consignment thought they would never see them again but some musicians have reported a very co-operative attitude at the store and a willingness to return any product that you have left on consignment. Run don't walk to Sam's to claim your product!

Drummers Take Note: Long & McQuade is holding a Drum Clinic with Bruce Philp (a veteran of the Glenn Miller Orchestra) on Saturday, February 9th at 2PM. The address is 925 Bloor St. West.

Confessions of a Blues Name-Dropper

As a fan of live blues, I've had the opportunity of meeting tons of colourful characters: the Good, the Bad—and sometimes the Ugly. I have a soft spot in my heart for all of them.

On those occasions when we cross paths, I'm always amazed at how vibrant, adaptable, and interesting they've remained over the decades (thank God they're all still alive!).

I'm totally convinced that most of them wouldn't resent having their names divulged in print. They're that type of fine people.

Those of the fairer sex who have enchanted me over the years include Short Fat Fannie, Bony Moronie, Dizzy Miss Lizzie, Be-Bop-A-Lulu, Maybelline, and Polk Salad Annie. I seem to remember bumping into a chick called Peggy Sue on a semi-frequent basis. That is until she got married. Since then I've totally lost contact with her.

The wildest babes in town could always shake up a dance floor. One's name was Corinna, but she had a hearing problem. You had to call her name twice before she'd respond. Her tiny sister still cuts a rug with the best of them and is called Reet Petite. Then there was the lovely Sweet Georgia Brown. As I recall, Jim Dandy often came to her rescue.

I've also known lots of guys who remain the embodiment of cool. Whenever they'd strap on a telecaster, they'd really get down to business and lay down a smokin' guitar boogie beat with the best of them. Names that come to mind include Johnny B. Goode, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Mack, Jo Jo Gunne, and Roll `Em Pete.

I've also met several fine couples who've been together for what seems like forever. Today, their names flow together so seamlessly that they almost seem as one. The four who endure are Betty and Dupree, Frankie and Johnny, Jack and Diane, and Sue and Pat.

Please don't whisper the following to a soul. The longest running illicit love affair around reminds me of Me and Mrs. Jones. It involves that middle-aged nymphomaniac Mrs. Robinson, and her beau Mr. Lee, a chap who teaches at a local high school and is said to have broken the heart of more than one co-ed during his 40-year career. Now promise to keep this hush-hush and strictly on the QT. I hear she's about to dump him, meaning pretty soon Mr. Lee could be called Mr. Pitiful.

I've also locked horns with some stone mean dudes over the years. They all have anti-social personalities, lack any semblance of self-restraint, and have real problems with the booze. You may have met them on a few occasions yourselves. They possess brutish nicknames, such as Bad Bad Leroy Brown and Big Bad John. There's also that notorious transvestite, A Boy Named Sue (Keep a safe distance from all of them, and they won't hurt you).

But even these bullies have the horse sense to stay away that gin mill that lurks behind the wall of an abandoned hulk in the bowels of the Eastern harbour. The place is populated with crazies like Automatic Slim, Razor Totin' Jim, Butcher Knife Totin' Fanny, Fast Talkin' Annie, Abyssinian Ned, and Shakin' Boxcar Joe.

Now the simple matter is this: By attending most of the venues featured in Maple Blues magazine, you too are certain to come in contact with some of these very interesting and ageless characters. They'll also provide you with a lifetime of fond memories.

The BluesBook is Going On-Line!

We are planning an updated web-based version of the BluesBook Directory. Performing artists (solo or bands), managers, agents, venues, festivals, producers, publications, radio stations, specialty retailers, teachers, schools, audio technicians, photographers, should send their contact info to info@torontobluessociety.com.

Please include name, full mailing address, telephone, fax, web site and e-mail. Performers can include a brief description of their music, and if CDS or videos are available (titles are not necessary) Type "BLUESBOOK LISTING" in the subject line.