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WESTERN BLUES TAKE THE LEAD
RESULTS OF THE TENTH ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

Western Canada has much to sing about when it comes to the blues. Out of the sixteen Canadian blues music awards presented at this year's tenth annual Maple Blues Awards, Western Canadian artists led with eight awards, followed by six for Ontario artists and two for those from the East Coast. The following are the winners of the 2006 Maple Blues Awards, which were presented in a gala celebration at Toronto's Mod Club on January 15th, 2007.

EIGHT AWARDS FOR WESTERN CANADA

The big winner at this year's ceremony was Saskatchewan-born Suzie Vinnick, who received three Maple Blues Awards. She won Female Vocalist of the Year and Bass Player of the Year, while Songwriter of the Year went to both Vinnick and Rick Fines for their 2006 release "Nothing Halfway".

Vancouver actor and musician Jim Byrnes, host of the gala event, received two awards: Male Vocalist of the Year and Recording of the Year, for his album "House of Refuge", released on Black Hen Records and produced by Vancouver's Steve Dawson.

Electric Act of the Year went to seasoned bluesman Colin James, who has sold over 8 million albums worldwide, won 6 Juno awards and has released 10 albums in nearly 20 years of making music.

New Artist of the Year went to ingenue Ndidi Onukwulu, who had a busy summer in 2006, performing the Canadian festival circuit. Originally from the British Columbia, Ndidi is now living in Toronto.

Vancouver's piano blues and boogie-woogie player, Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne, won Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year. 2006 was a great year for Kenny who also won a Juno for best blues album of the year.

WINNING HIGHLIGHTS

Musical Renaissance man Colin Linden was honoured with the Blues with a Feeling Award for Lifetime Achievement. With numerous Maple Blues Awards and Juno awards already behind him, Colin continues to build an exciting career as a guitarist, vocalist and composer. He is in major demand by artists wanting him to produce, write for, and/or play on their records (he has played on 300 and produced 60 albums), yet somehow finds time to both pursue a prolific solo career and play a key role in Canadian roots-rock "supergroup", Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

Other Ontario award winners included the Downchild Blues Band, who were presented with Entertainer of the Year. The enduring veterans were last year's big winners, celebrating 37 years in the biz.

Guitarist of the Year went to Ottawa's Sue Foley, who strengthens her position as the artist having won the record amount of awards over the 10 year history of this event.

Harmonica Player of the Year went to Carlos del Junco, who, in the midst of great competition, continues to dominate in this category.

Chris Whiteley, the singer, composer, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist and session musician who specializes in blues, jazz and roots music, won Horn Player of the Year. In 2006, Chris and Diana Braithwaite released "Morning Sun", inspired by such greats as Memphis Minnie, Tampa Red, Lonnie Johnson, Bessie Smith, Big Bill Broonzy, and the famous "Bluebird" record sound.

Nova Scotia native Geoff Arsenault (Ray Bonneville, Morgan Davis, Carlos Del Junco) took home Drummer of the Year.

The New Brunswick-based trio Hot Toddy teamed up with duo Isaac & Blewett to win Acoustic Act of the Year for their collaborative work, which began with their 2005 recording, "Live at the Black Box".

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

American performer, producer, and gold recording artist Keb' Mo' won International Artist of the Year. Keb' Mo' of the Epic Records/Sony Music roster is also nominated for a Grammy in the category of Contemporary Blues Album, 2007.

BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR

The Blues Booster of the Year award, a special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues industry, was awarded to filmaker Mako Funasaka. Funasaka received the award in recognition of his documentation of the blues in Canada and beyond, included in his television series Talkin' Blues, which is broadcast across Canada and the U.S.

BUILDING A HISTORY - THE MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

The Maple Blues Awards is Canada's national blues awards program, organized by the Toronto Blues Society with the support and participation of blues societies across Canada. Its goal is to promote blues music nationally, and to recognize outstanding achievement in the field. The nominees are selected by a national panel of distinguished blues DJs and journalists, and the winners are selected by on-line voting by blues fans across Canada.

The awards gala in Toronto features numerous musical performances and is the conclusion of the three-day national Blues Summit, a gathering of blues industry professionals from across the country. The event provides an opportunity for the blues community to network and to attend professional development seminars, working meetings, and showcase concerts.

MAPLE BLUES AWARDS 2006/2007

Entertainer of the Year
Downchild Blues Band

Electric Act of the Year
Colin James

Acoustic Act of the Year
Hot Toddy/Isaac & Blewitt

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jim Byrnes

Female Vocalist of the Year
Suzie Vinnick

New Artist/Group of the Year
Ndidi Onukwulu

Recording of the Year
Artist: Jim Byrnes
Producer: Steve Dawson

B.B. King International Artist of the Year
Keb' Mo'

Guitarist of the Year
Sue Foley

Harmonica Player of the Year
Carlos del Junco

Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne

Horn Player of the Year
Chris Whiteley

Drummer of the Year
Geoff Arsenault

Bass Player of the Year
Suzie Vinnick

Songwriter of the Year
Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick


For more information, please contact:

Toronto Blues Society 416.538.3885 info@torontobluessociety.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VANCOUVER ACTOR AND BLUESMAN JIM BYRNES TO HOST MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

What: The Maple Blues Awards
Where: The Mod Club Theatre, 722 College St., Toronto
When: Monday January 15, 2007, 8PM
Website: www.torontobluessociety.com
Tickets: www.ticketpro.ca

The tenth annual Maple Blues Awards, Canada's national award programme that promotes and recognizes outstanding achievement in blues music, has announced their nominees for 2006. Jim Byrnes leads nominations while veterans Mel Brown and Chris Whiteley received multiple nods alongside youthful blues women Suzie Vinnick and Ndidi Onukwulu.

Vancouver's Byrnes, who will host and perform at the Gala, is nominated in four categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Songwriter, and Record of the Year for his latest album "House of Refuge". 2007 will be a busy year for the multitalented Juno Award winner who will feature in the movies
"Highlander: The Source" and "Heart of a Dragon".

Byrnes is one of many Western artists recognized in a very strong showing by the region that also includes multiple nominees Harry Manx and Kenny Blues Boss Wayne. Other multiple nominees include the East coast's John Campbelljohn, Quebec's Dawn Tyler Watson, and Ontario's Harrison Kennedy, Mel Brown and Sue Foley.

This year, the Blues Booster award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian Blues industry will be given to filmmaker Mako Funasaka in recognition of his success in documenting the Blues in Canada through his network-broadcast Talkin' Blues series.

The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the votes of Canadian blues fans. Voting is online from November 13 until December 16 2006 at www.mapleblues.ca.

The winners will be announced at a spectacular gala presentation at the Mod Club Theatre (722 College St. West, Toronto) on Monday, January 15, 2007.

2006 MAPLE BLUES NOMINEES

Entertainer of the Year
Jim Byrnes
Downchild Blues Band
Jack de Keyzer
Dawn Tyler Watson
Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne

Electric Act of the Year
Mel Brown
John Campbelljohn
Colin James
Garrett Mason
The Perpetrators

Acoustic Act of the Year
Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick
Hot Toddy/Isaac & Blewitt
Harrison Kennedy
Harry Manx
Tim Williams

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jim Byrnes
David Clayton-Thomas
Donald Ray Johnson
Harrison Kennedy
John Mays

Female Vocalist of the Year
Rita Chiarelli
Ndidi Onukwulu
Roxanne Potvin
Suzie Vinnick
Dawn Tyler Watson

New Artist/Group of the Year
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
DiggingRoots
Treasa Levasseur
Ndidi Onukwulu
Ricky Paquette
Trouble & Strife

Recording of the Year
Blues - A Beautiful Thing (Electro-Fi)
Artist: Mel Brown
Producer: Mel Brown & Andrew Galloway
House Of Refuge (Black Hen)
Artist: Jim Byrnes
Producer: Steve Dawson
Kissing In 29 Days (NorthernBlues)
Artist: JW-Jones Blues Band
Producer: JW-Jones
Morning Sun (Electro-Fi)
Artist: Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley
Producer: Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley
No, I Never (Jericho Beach)
Artist: Ndidi Onukwulu
Producer: Sam Goldberg

B.B. King International Artist of the Year
Solomon Burke
James Hunter
Bettye Lavette
Keb' Mo'
Watermelon Slim

Guitarist of the Year
Kevin Breit
Mel Brown
John Campbelljohn
Sue Foley
Bill Johnson

Harmonica Player of the Year
David Hoerl
Carlos del Junco
Al Lerman
Paul Reddick
David Rotundo

Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Lance Anderson
Richard Bell
Julian Fauth
Graham Guest
Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne

Horn Player of the Year
Pat Carey
Mike Clark
Johnny Ferreira
Chris Murphy
Chris Whiteley

Drummer of the Year
Geoff Arsenault
Bucky Berger
Al Cross
Mike Sloski
Bob Vespaziani

Bass Player of the Year
Alec Fraser
Russell Jackson
Gary Kendall
Omar Tunnoch
Suzie Vinnick

Songwriter of the Year
Ray Bonneville
Jim Byrnes
Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick
Harry Manx
Chris Whiteley

Blues With a Feeling (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Alec Fraser
Amos Garrett
Tom Lavin
Colin Linden
Big Dave McLean
Ellen McIlwaine
Joe Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Ken Whiteley
Terry Wilkins


The Maple Blues Awards Gala is the culmination of Blues Summit III, an industry conference bringing together blues festivals, societies, labels, musicians and fans. Blues Summit III will take place from January 13-15 at the Delta Chelsea Hotel (33 Gerard St. West) in downtown Toronto. More information can be found at www.torontobluessociety.com.

What: The Maple Blues Awards
Where: The Mod Club Theatre, 722 College St., Toronto
When: Monday January 15, 2007, 8PM
Website: www.torontobluessociety.com
Tickets: www.ticketpro.ca

The Maple Blues Awards are supported by FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Canadian Music Fund, GALAXIE - CBC's Continuous Music Network, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, KMP Designs Inc., Cordova Bay, Stony Plain Records, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, Sam the Record Man, Steve's Music Store/Pearl Drums, Lee Oskar Harmonicas, Fusion 3 Distribution/Justin Time Records, CBC Radio 99.1, Saturday Night Blues, and St. John's Music/Yamaha Music Canada.


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For more information, photos, interviews, please contact:

Jennifer Claveau or Beverly Kreller
SPEAK Music
www.speak-music.com
www.myspace.com/spkmusic
905.989.1905 / 416.922.3620

Toronto Blues Society
416.538.3885
info@torontobluessociety.com

Coast to Coast Maple Blues Awards, and Recognition of Toronto’s Downchild Blues Band, Paul Reddick
 

January 17th, 2006: Blues musicians from across Canada were honoured at the 9th annual Maple Blues Awards held in Toronto on January 16. 
 

The thirty-seven year veteran Downchild Blues Band can now additionally celebrate for receiving three major Maple Blues Awards - Recording of the Year for their release ‘Come On In’, and both Electric Act and Entertainer of the Year for 2005.
 

The Downchild rhythm section was also honoured - drummer Mike Fitzpatrick, as well as bassist Gary Kendall, who also directed the dynamic 8-piece Maple Blues Band at the entertaining award show which was recorded and broadcast by CIUT-FM.
 

Toronto’s Paul Reddick took home honours in 2 categories - Songwriter of the Year, of which he has been a previous recipient, as well as Male Vocalist.   Reddick’s recording ‘Villanelle’ also won yet another Producer of the Year award for Juno and Grammy Award winning blues legend Colin Linden, who also hosted the gala event for wall-to wall crowd at the Phoenix Concert Theatre.
 

Halifax’s Garrett Mason, who provided an electrifying performance as one of the a special musical guests, won the New Artist of the Year Award, a companion for the Juno Award he also received in the past year.  Son of Canadian blues legend Dutch Mason, this second-generation bluesman continues to make an impression worthy of his lineage.   
 

Canada’s west coast was represented by B.C.’s Harry Manx, who was honoured for Acoustic Act of the Year, and Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne, for the Keyboard Player award.  Both have previously been multiply awarded in these categories. 

The warm gathering of the blues community was enthusiastic for the choice of Montreal  chanteuse Dawn Tyler Watson for Female Vocalist of the Year. 

Other Toronto winners included veteran blues performers and previous award recipients Jack de Keyzer for Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist Chris Whiteley for Horn Player, and Carlos del Junco for Harmonica Player of the Year, his third consecutive win. 

Danny Marks, a guitarist and broadcaster with a long history in Toronto, was honoured with the prestigious Blues With A Feeling award, the Toronto Blues Society’s lifetime achievement award for contribution to blues music in Canada. 

The Blues Booster award, a special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry, was awarded to Richard Flohil, for his more than 40 years as a promoter, publicist, journalist, and music-industry fixture. 

The International Artist of the Year award went to the best-known blues artist of all, the unstoppable B.B. King, still touring internationally at 80 years of age. 

The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s national programme to promote and recognize outstanding achievement in blues music.  The nominees were chosen by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and the winners were selected by the on-line votes of over 2,000 Canadian blues fans. 

The Maple Blues Awards are generously supported by FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Canadian Music Fund, the SOCAN Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Ministry of Culture, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, Cordova Bay Entertainment Group, SOCAN, Galaxie - CBC’s Continuous Music Network, Long & McQuade, Universal Music Canada/Sam the Record Man, Stony Plain Records, Steve’s Music Store, Pearl Drums, Lee Oskar Harmonicas, Fusion 3 Distribution / Justin Time Records, CBC Radio & Saturday Night Blues, St. John’s Music, Yamaha Music Canada, Live Tour Artists, and KMP Designs Inc.

2005 Maple Blues Award Winners:

Recording of the Year: Downchild Blues Band: Come On In (Downchild Music)

Producer of the Year: Colin Linden, for Paul Reddick: Villanelle (NorthernBlues)

Entertainer of the Year: Downchild Blues Band

Electric Act of the Year: Downchild Blues Band

Acoustic Act of the Year: Harry Manx

New Artist/Group of the Year: Garrett Mason

Songwriter of the Year: Paul Reddick

Male Vocalist of the Year: Paul Reddick

Female Vocalist of the Year: Dawn Tyler Watson

Guitarist of the Year: Jack de Keyzer

Harmonica Player of the Year: Carlos del Junco

Keyboard/Piano Player of the Year: Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne

Horn Player of the Year: Chris Whiteley

Drummer of the Year: Mike Fitzpatrick

Bass Player of the Year: Gary Kendall

Blues Booster of the Year: Richard Flohil

Blues with a Feeling Award: Danny Marks

International Artist of the Year: B.B. King

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For more information, photos, interviews, please contact: 

Toronto Blues Society
(416) 538-3885
info@torontobluesociety.com

Colin Linden to Host Maple Blues Awards at the Phoenix Concert Theatre

VETERAN MUSIC PROMOTER RICHARD FLOHIL TO BE HONOURED WITH BLUES BOOSTER AWARD

What: Canada’s national blues award programme
Where:  Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto
When: Voting - November 14 to December 14, 2005 online at www.mapleblues.ca
              Gala – Monday January 16, 2006
Website: www.torontobluessociety.com 

Juno and Grammy Award-winning blues legend Colin Linden will host the Ninth Annual Maple Blues Awards at the Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto) on January 16. As a blues composer, recording artist, and producer, Linden has worked as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer with some of Canadian blues’ brightest lights including Bruce Cockburn, Sue Foley, Paul Reddick, roots icons Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and most recently Roxanne Potvin. Linden is again nominated in the Producer of the Year and the Blues With a Feeling categories in recognition of a lifetime of achievements in the blues. 

In addition to hosting the gala, Linden will appear with the Maple Blues Band as one of four special musical guests. Reflecting the regional diversity of the nominees, the other performers are Halifax’s Garrett Mason, Vancouver’s David “Hurricane” Hoerl, and Ottawa’s Roxanne Potvin. 

Garrett Mason, son of legendary East Coast bluesman Dutch Mason, exploded onto the blues scene earlier this year and leads all Maple Blues Awards nominees with nods in six categories including Recording of the Year, Electic Act of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Guitarist of the Year for his debut album I’m Just a Man, which also won this year’s Juno for Best Blues Album. At the young age of 22 Garrett Mason is poised to be one of the brightest stars on the Canadian blues scene. 

Stepping out of the prolific Ottawa blues scene comes 24 year-old blues purist Roxanne Potvin. Last year Potvin earned her first Maple Blues Award nomination for New Artist of the Year, likely based on the strength of her first CD, 2003’s Careless Loving.  In September 2005, Potvin entered the studio with Linden to begin recording her sophomore album. Potvin has established herself as one of the most promising talents carrying the blues tradition and is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year. 

David Hoerl is “Canada’s Top Harp Blower” according to West Coast Blues Review (1995) and Real Blues Magazine (1996-2004). A founding members of Vancouver’s The Twisters, he has recorded three CDs, the latest, "The Twisters- Live at Harvest Fest", released in 2003. A veteran of the Canadian blues scene, David received his fourth Maple Blues Awards nomination as Harmonica Player of the Year this year. 

In recognition of another lifetime full of achievements, the Blues Booster Award for outstanding contribution to the blues will be presented to promoter, publicist, journalist, editor and music-industry fixture Richard Flohil. Over a span of over 40 years in the business, Richard has presented such artists as Sleepy John Estes, B.B. King, Miles Davis, and Muddy Waters and has been associated with blues, jazz, and folk festivals over the years as a programmer, consultant and host/MC. 

The Maple Blues Awards, Canada's national award programme that promotes and recognizes outstanding achievement in blues music, has announced their nominees for 2005. The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the votes of Canadian blues fans. Voting is online from November 14 until December 14, 2005 at www.mapleblues.ca. 

The full list of nominees is available at www.mapleblues.ca/nominees.aspx. The winners will be announced at a spectacular gala presentation at the Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto) on Monday, January 16, 2006.  Tickets are available through Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.ca, 1-866-908-9090) 

The Maple Blues Awards are supported by FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Canadian Music Fund, GALAXIE - CBC's Continuous Music Network, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and KMP Designs Inc. 

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For more information, photos, interviews, please contact: 

Toronto Blues Society
(416) 538-3885
info@torontobluessociety.com

YOUTH LEADS THE WAY AT 2005 MBAs!

NOVA SCOTIA’S GARRETT MASON LEADS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR

NINTH ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS 

What:   Canada’s national blues award programme
Where:  Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto
When:   Voting – November 14^th until December 14^th, 2005
            Gala – Monday January 16, 2006
Website: www.torontobluessociety.com

The Maple Blues Awards, Canada's national award programme that promotes and recognizes outstanding achievement in blues music, has announced their nominees for 2005. The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the votes of Canadian blues fans. Voting is online from November 14th until December 14th 2005 at www.mapleblues.ca.   

The winners will be announced at a spectacular gala presentation at the Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street, Toronto) on Monday, January 16, 2006.  Tickets are available through Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.ca, 1-866-908-9090) 

This year's nominations are dominated by a new generation of musicians, proving beyond a doubt that Canadian blues has a bright future.  Second-generation bluesman Garrett Mason, son of Canadian blues legend Dutch Mason, has made an impression worthy of his lineage, and leads all nominees this year with nods in six categories.  Close on Garrett's heels are Toronto's Paul Reddick and debut recording artist Julian Fauth with five nominations each.  Ottawa is represented by three nominated young artists: Roxanne Potvin, Southside Steve Marriner, and 13 year-old Elyssa Mahoney. 

Veterans of the Canadian blues scene who laid the foundation for these younger artists aren't outdone, however.  Chris Whiteley received four nominations while Downchild Blues Band, who are celebrating their 35th year, have even more reasons to party after being recognized in three major categories.  Four Downchild musicians also received individual nominations.  Jack de Keyzer received three nominations to further sweeten his 25th year in the business. 

The nominations reflect a blues scene that is alive across the country. In many categories, musicians from Ontario are nominated alongside artists from Quebec, the Prairies, the Maritimes, or the West Coast. In the hotly contested Electric Act of the Year category, Toronto acts Downchild and Jack de Keyzer received recognition opposite Halifax-native Garrett Mason, Winnipeg band The Perpetrators, and Vancouver blues-rocker David Gogo. Up for Entertainer of the Year, Kitchener's Mel Brown is in good company with Vancouver's Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne. Acoustic Act of the Year nominees include New Brunswick's Hot Toddy, BC’s Harry Manx, and Hamilton's Harrison Kennedy. Nowhere is the regional diversity more apparent than in the Female Vocalist of the Year category in which New Brunswick's Theresa Malenfant, Dawn Tyler Watson from Quebec, Ottawa's Roxanne Potvin, Toronto's Shakura S'Aida, and the ever-popular Saskatoon-born Suzie Vinnick all received nods. 

The Maple Blues Awards are supported by FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Canadian Music Fund, GALAXIE - CBC's  Continuous Music Network, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and KMP Designs Inc. Click here to see the list of this year's nominees.

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 For more information, photos, interviews, please contact:

 Toronto Blues Society
(416) 538-3885
info@torontobluesociety.com