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Doug Riley (right), one of the most respected and influential musicians on the Toronto (and national) music scene will be remembered at a Memorial Concert on November 18th (4pm) at Convocation Hall. Doug passed away at the age of 62 returning from a gig in Calgary. Featured in the concert will be Michael Burgess, David Clayton Thomas, Motherlode, Dr. Music, Famous People Players, Planet Earth, and many celebrated jazz artists - -including Phil Dwyer, Mike Murley, Ted Quinlan, Guido Basso, Don Thompson and many many others. During this concert, Debbie Flemming's "Song For the Doctor" will be performed. A CD will be available for sale and all proceeds, as well as Concert ticket sales will benefit the Doug Riley Scholarship Fund, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto

Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards 2007 Announce Nominees: The 9th annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards announce the 2007 nominees in 24 categories, representing the top Aboriginal artists and music industry professionals in Canada today.

Leading the nominations, with five each, are Donny Parenteau from Saskatchewan and Shane Yellowbird from Alberta -- both country music artists. Also out front are Digging Roots (ON), Sandy Scofield (BC), Little Hawk (MB), Arvel Bird (ON), and Joe Byrne & Eye of Charm (ON), with nominations in three categories each.

Best Blues Album nominees are: The Breeze Band - “The Breeze Band” (Ontario), Slidin’ Clyde Roulette Band - “Lets Take a Ride” (Manitoba) and Priscilla’s Revenge - “Built for Speed” (North West Territories)

Other Blues-friendly nominees: Jani Lauzon’s album “Mixed Blessings” is nominated for Best Female Traditional/Cultural Roots Album, Derek Miller - The Dirty Looks (Ontario) for Best Rock Album, “Digging Roots” - “Wake Up and Rise” (Ontario) for Best Song Single, Raven Kanatakta & Rob Norton for “Digging Roots”, Seeds (Ontario) for Best Album Cover Design, Digging Roots -- Seeds “Brighter” & “Rebel” for Best Song Writer.

The winners will be announced at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards on Friday November 30, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Tickets for the awards show are $35 in advance and $40 at the door, available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca, 416-872-1111, or the local Ticketmaster number in cities across Canada.

The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMAs) are part of the Canadian Aboriginal Festival & Pow Wow taking place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto November 30 -- December 2, 2007. Info is online at www.canab.com.

The 37th annual JUNO Awards: April 4 - 6, 2008, Calgary, Alberta. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) began accepting submissions for the 2008 JUNO Awards, Canada’s Music Awards, on October 1st, 2007. The deadlines are:

• October 1 - 24, 2007 (Early Bird Deadline)
• October 25 - November 14, 2007 (Final Deadline)
• January 7, 2008 (Sales-based categories only)

The 2008 Juno Awards will air on CTV, on Sunday April 6, 2008 from Calgary, Alberta. For details on JUNO Awards nominations, submission procedures, fees and deadlines, please visit www.junoawards.ca.

The Son Roberts Band: is releasing a Special Single to commemorate Remembrance Day. The single, “Vimy Ridge is Calling”, draws attention to the loss of life that Canadians sustained during World War One at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Moreover, the song shines light on the broader issue of how wars continue to exact a horrible toll on Canadian men and women to this day.

“The Battle of Vimy Ridge got sold to Canadians as a great nation-defining victory. But for many who studied its aftermath, it was just another waste of lives in pursuit of some other country’s agenda. This Remembrance Day, we should remember how to avoid war and follow our own path in the world.” says band namesake Son Roberts

“Vimy Ridge Is Calling” will be available as a CD single or a downloadable MP3 on the band's website at www.sonroberts.ca.

Poor Charlie Re-released: Charlie Robertson (left, aka Poor Charlie) has remastered his early recording “Special Rider” at Cedar Tree Studios and it is now available on CD. His current CD “Live at the Boathouse” includes tunes from Julian Fauth, Dave Mowat, Shannon Lyon & Beverlie Robertson. Both are available from Brandy Creek Music & oldblues@golden.net

Larry Garner: (right) had triple by-pass surgery last week. He came through the surgery with flying colors and is at home recuperating. He is still pretty weak but hopes to be back on the road playing soon. He is answering e-mails and would love to hear from his fans. Here is his contact information: Larry Garner, 4655 Maribel Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70812 (swampjack@aol.com)

International Blues Challenge: For the 24th year, Blues musicians from around the world will compete for cash, prizes, and industry recognition as The Blues Foundation presents the International Blues Challenge (IBC) beginning January 31 and continuing February 1-2, 2008 in Memphis, TN. The world’s largest gathering of Blues acts represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its affiliated organizations for the Blues band and Blues solo/duo most deserving of taking their act to the international stage. In 2007, over 90 bands and 60 solo/duo acts from 34 states and 8 countries competed. Even greater participation is expected in 2008, as musicians and fans fill the clubs up and down Beale Street beginning at 5:00 pm for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday and at the Band finals (1:00 pm) and the Solo/Duo finals (7:30 pm) at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday. The 2008 IBC semifinals will be Thursday January 31 and Friday February 1 and the finals will be Saturday February Beginning October 1, look for host hotel information, as well as tickets, merchandise and the first peak at the schedule of events. For more information go to www.blues.org/ibc.

Philadelphia Jerry Ricks: (left) International Blues Musician “Philadelphia” Jerrry Ricks, who got his start while working in Philadelphia’s Second Fret Folk house in the late 1950s and early 60s, was diagnosed with a brain tumor while performing in Croatia. The tumor was removed on September 6, 2007, and while everyone is hopeful that a full recovery is in the works, his lack of health insurance and inability to perform has left Jerry and Nancy his life partner in a desperate financial situation with mounting medical bills and expenses. Jerry’s friends and admirers from his Second Fret days, the Philadelphia Blues Machine, the Pocono Blues Festival, and the Philadelphia Folksong Society, have joined together to help remedy the situation with a benefit concert designed to help generate as much financial support as possible. If you cannot attend, you can still help by sending contributions to The “Philadelphia” Jerry Ricks Assistance Fund Bank of America 100 Federal Street Boston, Ma 02110. For more information go to http://mountainofblues.com/main.shtml

The Blues Foundation was selected to receive a Stanford Financial Excellence in the Arts Award which honors local arts organizations that manage their money efficiently and effectively. It has been called a left-brain award for right-brain organizations. The Award comes with a $15,000 financial prize.

As a wealth management firm, Stanford understands the importance of fiscal management and being good stewards of one’s resources. That’s a skill arts groups increasingly must demonstrate to win funding from foundations, corporations and individuals. The initiative provides grants to recognize and reward arts organizations that demonstrate exemplary management of their finances.

The ongoing program, which was first developed by Stanford in Memphis, Tenn., is the only one of its kind in the country. By rewarding fiscal responsibility, it encourages and develops arts organizations’ ability to manage their finances in order to mirror healthy, for-profit corporations, making for a better bottom-line for the nonprofits.

Stanford joined with ArtsMemphis to comb through financial information and budget statements submitted to the arts organization to select the award winners.

From child prodigy, novelty act at age five to a true blues veteran, Lucky Peterson (left) plays at the Silver Dollar Room on Saturday, Dec 1st at 9:30 pm.

The 2008 Blues Music Awards: will be held in Tunica, Mississippi on Thursday May 8. The Charter Members’ Dinner and Blues Hall of Fame induction will take place at the Tunica Riverpark on Wednesday, May 7. More information will be posted on the website (www.blues.org) as it becomes available. The immediate focus is on the International Blues Challenge. In recent years, the nominees, the voting, the tickets and the host hotel information has generally been posted all at once around December 1. Please note that Blues Music Awards special hotel rates are not in effect at this time. For more information, go to www.blues.org

Saharan Electric Blues The Blues Radio Series (first 4 eposides) hosted by Keb’ Mo are now available on The Blues Foundation’s website www.blues.org/blues/radioshow.php. The series will be permanently located here. The series was produced by the Experience Music Project and Ben Manilla Productions for the presenting station WGBH in Boston with major support coming from Volkswagen. This 13-part series was created as part of the Year of the Blues and provides a wonderful history of the Blues with both music and incredible narrative and interviews.

Saharan Electric Blues: (right) Already legendary to the youth of the Sahara, Tinariwen, Tuareg nomads-turned-rock-performers, bring mythical desert rock to the Mod Club on Tuesday, November 20th, at 9:00 pm. - as part of the Small World Festival. The Small World Festival is renowned for bringing global music to Toronto Dozens of international artists have made their Canadian debut under the Small World Festival banner. For more information go to www.smallworldmusic.com

- Brian Blain & Wm. Perry

Tate's Vintage Gallery

Here is another in our ongoing series of revealing portraits of relatively obscure artists who dared to be different written by Blues aficionado and reporter Gary Tate. Gary welcomes your comments at gmtgt@yahoo.com.

Ray Sharpe: Roadhouse classic “Linda Lu” is a staple of the genre, but its creator’s identity is shrouded in near-anonymity. Fort Worth native Sharpe has the distinction of being one of the first blacks inducted into the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame, yet his only brush with national fame occurred in 1959, courtesy of “Linda Lu”.

If you detect a familiar vibe, it’s because “Linda Lu” was produced by the legendary Lee Hazlewood, known as the facilitator behind all those ultra-twangy instrumentals by Duane Eddy. With a pedigree like that, it’s no wonder “Linda Lu” sounded so cool.

Sharpe’s recording career was quite fleeting. He did score a regional hit with the stuttering “Gonna Let It Go This Time”, and interestingly, his last session in 1966 (“Help Me”) was produced by King Curtis. It featured a then-unknown guitarist by the name of Jimi Hendrix.

Others acts have recorded Ray’s material: including Neil Young, Ricky Shelton, and J.B. Hutto. Coincidentally, Sharpe’s approach had a huge impact on the Bobby Fuller Four. His friend, the late Rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson recorded Sharpe’s “Monkey’s Uncle”, helping re-launch Dawson’s 1980’s comeback. Legend has it these two wild Texans once pondered forming a duo under the name Oreo Cookies (Dawson being white).

Based on this recent message board posting, those madcap antics of this inimitable performer haven’t diminished with the passage of time: “Totally INSANE performance by Ray Sharpe—explosive, out of the box Texas blues action---a la Guitar Watson.”

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Tate's Vintage Gallery

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