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Colin James was the big winner at the first annual Maple Blues Awards which were held at the Montreal Bistro on Monday, February 2, 1998. Colin won a total of five awards, Recording of the Year (for National Steel), Acoustic Act of the Year, Guitar Player of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. Colin’s sweep can be attributed to his very visible return to his blues roots. Many festival attendees across Canada saw Colin perform his acoustic show this summer, accompanied on stage by Colin Linden, who took the Maple Blues Award for Producer of the Year for his work on National Steel. The multi-talented Linden, who won the first Blues/Gospel JUNO award, was also nominated for Songwriter of the Year.

Another Colin James’ associate, saxman Johnny Ferreira stepped out front last year, to great effect. Ferreira put out his first solo recording, Crazy ‘Bout a Saxophone, and kept the jitterbuggers jiving on a cross country tour. Johnny was voted Horn Player of the Year in recognition of his fine blowin’ style.

Another west coast bluesman is this year’s Blues With A Feeling Award winner. Long John Baldry is orginally from Great Britain and paid his dues on the Toronto blues scene for a few years as well. Baldry, a true blues pioneer, was already an established performer when a young singer named Rod Stewart joined his band. Collectors of blues trivia will be fascinated to know that Elton John (whose real name is the dweebish-sounding Reginald Dwight) picked his stage moniker in honour of Mr. Baldry.

Zooming over the Rockies into prairie country, we end up in Edmonton, home of a previous BWAF winner, Holger Petersen. Holger won the Media Person of the Year award, for his role as host of CBC Radio’s Saturday Night Blues, Canada’s national blues radio show. No doubt our western voters also had Holger’s Natch’l Blues on Alberta public radio station CKUA in mind - it’s been on the air for well over two decades!

Speaking of decades, the MBA for Keyboard/Piano Player of the Year can proudly claim to have had the blues for five of ‘em. Vann “Piano Man” Walls was house pianist for Atlantic Records, where he worked with Joe Turner, Ruth Brown and The Drifters. Last year he released the highly acclaimed In the Evening, backed by fellow Montrealers, Stephen Barry Band.

Another senior artist who received justly deserved recognition was B.B.King, recipient of the International Artist of the Year award. As those who have seen him play in recent years know, the King is living proof that blues players improve with age.

Our winners of the Stony Plain New Artist of the Year award are looking forward to growing with the blues. The Chatham-based Robin Bank$ Blues Band first turned heads as winners of the Toronto Blues Society 1996 New Talent Search. Since then Robin has appeared in the Toronto Blues Society Women’s Blues Revue, and in our collaboration with du Maurier Jazz Festival, guesting with Fathead.

Speaking of those Fathead boys, they have added Electric Act of the Year to their list of titles (they took the Jazz Report Blues Group of the Year last year). With their second CD Blues Weather to be released in March, and tours to both coasts in the formative stages, this smokin’ combo can expect their reputation to keep on its well deserved incline.

Other Toronto talents that took awards home include several who can rightly claim to be among Canada’s finest instrumentalists. Carlos del Junco’s award for Wilson Music Services Harmonica Player of the Year will the third such trophy to grace his mantelpiece (if he has one). Carlos is two time Hohner World Harmonica Champion, and also a recipient of the Jazz Report Award for Blues Artist of the Year.

The Bassist of the Year has been a familiar face to blues fans in Toronto for over two decades. Gary Kendall, host for many years of the popular Saturday afternoon matinee at the Black Swan, can now be seen on stage with the Downchild Blues Band (his second time round with this Canadian institution), as well as with the Unknown Maracas. Gary was the 1993 Blues With A Feeling Award recipient.

Wells Custom Drums Drummer of the Year Maureen Brown is also a mainstay of the Toronto blues scene. The lady with the feather boa-draped drums is a winner of the Southern Comfort New Talent Search, and a veteran of many editions of the Women’s Blues Revue. Her recently released debut CD Be Close is helping cement her reputation as one of Canada’s most respected performers.

Another frequent Women’s Blues Revue participant was voted Female Vocalist of the Year. Rita Chiarelli burst onto the Toronto scene in 1987. As winner of Q107’s Homegrown Contest her first recording was released on Stony Plain, who also put out Rita’s second JUNO-nominated recording, Just Gettin’ Started. Her last release What A Night - Live was recorded in Germany, where Rita has a substantial following.

The SOCAN Songwriter of the Year was awarded to Chris Whiteley, who like so many of this year’s winners, has played an integral role in the Canadian blues scene. Along with brother Ken, Chris was part of the Original Sloth Band back in the 1970s. Two recent recordings showcase his award-winning songwriting - his Second Look and The Whiteley Brothers Sixteen Shades of Blues.

Those are this year’s Maple Blues Awards recipients, but all the nominees are deserving of congratulations - in many categories only a few votes put the winners ahead. Looking at the list of nominees confirms a fact we blues lovers want the world to know - that Canada is blessed with a wealth of talented performers who have made a lifelong commitment to the blues.

Ladies and gentlemen, we thank you.

- Barbara Isherwood