The 6th Annual Maple Blues Awards Winners (2002)
Quick Links: [WINNERS' LIST] [PRESS RELEASE]
Also: see story in February 2003 issue of MapleBlues here.
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| L to R: Al Lerman, Pat Carey, Chris Murphy, Colin James | Holger Petersen of CBC's Saturday Night Blues and Stony Plain Records |
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| L to R: TBS president Derek Andrews, NorthernBlues' Fret Litwin | Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records |
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| Maple Blues Band with Colin James | L to R: Jack de Keyzer, Gary Kendall, Al Lerman, Pat Carey |
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| Michael Fonfara | Sue Foley |
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| Michael Jerome Brown | Fathead's John Mays |
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| David Gogo | Sue Foley |
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Photos by Bill King |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 28, 2003
Guitarist/singer Sue Foley
shows "Where the Action Is" at
sixth annual Maple Blues Awards
It was, to quote the title of Sue Foley's latest album, Where the Action Is.
Canada's blues community honoured its best musicians at the sixth annual
Maple Blues Awards, held in Toronto last night (Monday, January 27), and
hosted by Colin James.
Singer, songwriter and guitar-slinger Foley was the major
winner - and
for the third year in a row - as Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist
of the Year. Foley also won honours as Electric Act of the Year,
Songwriter
of the Year, as well as for Recording of the Year, for Where the Action Is,
released on the U.S. Shanachie label.
And if that wasn't enough, Colin Linden - who
produced the album - was
chosen Producer of the Year; he won the award two years ago for his work on
her previous CD, Love Comin' Down. More icing on Sue's cake came from a
member of her band, Halifax native Tom Bona, who was voted Drummer of the
Year - also for the second year in a row.
Ottawa's Foley, who honed her blues chops for many years in Austin,
Texas,
now divides her time between the road - she tours constantly - and her home
in Perth outside Ottawa.
(NOTE: Sue Foley has also been nominated for a W. C. Handy Award in the
United States, in the Contemporary Blues: Female Artist of the Year
category. The awards are being held in Memphis on May 22, 2003).
Instrumentalists and singers win awards
David Gogo, from Nanaimo B.C., one of the toughest players on the road in
Canada, was voted Guitarist of the Year, while another West Coast guitar
player,
Harry Manx from Saltspring Island, was chosen Acoustic Act of the Year.
Other instrumental awards went to two members of the veteran Downchild Blues
Band, horn player Pat Carey and bassist Gary Kendall.
Bandleader and solo artist Michael
Pickett won as Harmonica Player
of the Year, and Vancouver's Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne won
Piano/Keyboard
Player of the Year. John Mays, veteran singer with Toronto's hard-working
band Fathead, was chosen Male Singer of the Year for the second year in a
row.
New Artist of the Year honours went to David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians,
with the leader also winning the $1,000 "Rising Star" bursary,
presented by
Galaxie, the CBC's Continuous Music Network.
International Artist of the Year - for the second time
- was Duke
Robillard, founder of the American band Roomful of Blues, and now signed
worldwide to the Canadian label Stony Plain, for which he has also produced
and played on recordings by a wide variety of American and Canadian artists.
SPECIAL HONOURS
Two additional special awards - one voted for by Toronto Blues Society
members, the other by its directors - were also presented. The TBS members
gave its prestigious Blues With a Feeling Award to Chuck Jackson, who has
been frontman, singer and harmonica player with the Downchild Blues Band for
more than 12 years. Jackson also founded and directs Port Credit's annual
Southside Blues Festival
The Blues Booster of the Year award
went to Andrew Galloway, who
founded the Toronto-based blues record label Electro-Fi, which is building a
major catalogue of recordings by both Canadian and American artists.
The gala event, held at the Phoenix Concert
Theatre in Toronto, is
organized by the Toronto Blues Society; winners are chosen by votes from its
600-odd members, in conjunction with members of blues organizations in
Montreal, Ottawa, Windsor and Thunder Bay as well as the Manitoba Blues
Society, the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society in B.C., CBC Radio's Saturday
Night Blues, and the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in New Brunswick.
Maple Blues Award winners are as follows, in presentation order:
Acoustic Act of the Year: Harry Manx
Electric Act of the Year: Sue Foley
New Artist of the Year: David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians
International Artist of the Year: Duke Robillard
Drummer of the Year: Tom Bona
Bassist of the Year: Gary Kendall
Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year: Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
Horn Player of the Year: Pat Carey
Harmonica Player of the Year: Michael Pickett
Guitarist of the Year: David Gogo
Male Vocalist of the Year: John Mays
Female Vocalist of the Year: Sue Foley
Recording of the Year: Where the Action Is (Sue Foley)
Producer of the Year: Colin Linden
SOCAN Songwriter of the Year: Sue Foley
Entertainer of the Year: Sue Foley
Blues With a Feeling Award: Chuck Jackson
Blues Booster of the Year: Andrew Galloway
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Richard Flohil (416) 351-1323 FAX: (416) 351-1095
E-Mail: rflohil@sympatico.ca
Dan Kershaw, Toronto Blues Society (416) 538-3885 FAX (416) 538-6559
E-mail: info@torontobluessociety.com
Entertainer of
the Year
Sue Foley
Electric Act
of the Year
Sue Foley
Acoustic Act
of the Year
Harry Manx
Male Vocalist
of the Year
John Mays (Fathead)
Female
Vocalist of the Year
Sue Foley
New Artist of
the Year
David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians
International
Artist of the Year
Duke Robillard
Guitarist of
the Year
David Gogo
Harmonica
Player of the Year
Michael Pickett
Piano/Keyboard
Player of the Year
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
Horn Player of
the Year
Pat Carey (Downchild)
Drummer of the
Year
Tom Bona (Sue Foley; Raoul & The Big Time)
Bass Player of
the Year
Gary Kendall (Downchild)
SOCAN Songwriter of
the Year
Sue Foley
Recording of
the Year
Sue Foley: Where The Action Is (Koch)
Producer of
the Year
Colin Linden for Sue Foley: Where The Action Is
Blues With a
Feeling Award
(Toronto Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award)
Chuck Jackson
Blues
Booster of the Year
Andrew Galloway