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THE BLUES FOUNDATION
ANNOUNCES NOMINATION FOR THE 2007 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS
Online Voting Opens for Blues Foundation
Members
Memphis, TN (December 12, 2006) – In a year that has already witnessed
the passing of past Blues Music Awards recipients Ruth Brown, Jessie Mae
Hemphill, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Sam Myers and Snooky Pryor, the nominee
list for The Blues Foundation’s 2007 Blues Music Awards offers a mix of
the genre’s pillars and prospects, and just about everything in between.
The 2007 Blues Music Awards ballot features timeless nominees like
harpist Charlie Musselwhite, who garnered five nominations on the
strength of his Delta Hardware release; drum legends and perennial fan
favorites, Sam Carr, Sam Lay and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith; and “old
school” names Big George Brock and Guitar Shorty, who have experienced a
rejuvenation in recent years. The ballot includes triple nominees Lil’
Ed & the Blues Imperials, Janiva Magness and Michael Powers, as well as
Nick Moss and his band the Flip Tops, with four nominations. Other
artists with three nods represent a range of Blues stylings: from the
Piedmont style of Cephas & Wiggins’ Shoulder to Shoulder to the Delta
shadings of Guy Davis’ Skunkmello to the soul of Irma Thomas’
post-Katrina After the Rain.
But the most
amazing story of 2007 is the six nominations racked up by Watermelon
Slim as an individual and with his band the Workers. It is almost
impossible to amass more than six nominations in a single year, but
their NorthernBlues Records’ self-titled release struck a chord with the
nominators as this former truck driver with a Masters degree in history,
and his band, picked up song, album, band and entertainer nods, among
the 25 album, artist and instrumentalist categories.
Online voting
is underway and will continue through February. The winners will be
announced at The Blues Music Awards on May 10, 2007, at the Cook
Convention Center in downtown Memphis. Ticket sales begin December 13.
Voting, ticket and host hotel information can be found at
www.blues.org.
“It is hard
to get too specific about the nominees without appearing to be playing
favorites, but every Blues fan should be excited about this year’s
nominees. In recent years, we have seen an increasing variety of
musicians nominated from year to year, which we believe is good for the
genre,” noted Jay Sieleman, The Blues Foundation’s Executive Director.
“The awards show, with performances by most of these nominees, will no
doubt be fantastic again so go online to vote and then purchase your
tickets early,” he added.
Performers,
industry representatives and fans from around the world arrive in
Memphis, the Home of the Blues, to celebrate the best in Blues recording
and performance from the previous year. The Blues Music Awards are
universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. The
presenting sponsors are Gibson Guitars and Baldwin Pianos. Significant
sponsorship is also provided by the Blues Revue, BMI, FedEx, Greater
Memphis Arts Council, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sierra
Nevada Brewery and Stanford Financial Group.
The Blues
Music Awards are produced by The Blues Foundation, a non-profit
organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues
excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this
uniquely American art form. The Blues Foundation consists of a worldwide
network of 150 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships
in thirty countries. In addition to the Blues Music Awards, The Blues
Foundation also produces the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the
International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards.
For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto
www.blues.org.
2007 Blues Music Awards
Presenting Sponsor: Gibson Guitar and Baldwin Piano
Acoustic
Album of the Year
John Long - Lost & Found
Bob Brozman - Blues Reflex
Guy Davis - Skunkmello
Rory Block - The Lady and Mr. Johnson
Cephas & Wiggins - Shoulder to Shoulder
Acoustic
Artist of the Year
Cephas & Wiggins
David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Paul Oscher
Rory Block
Guy Davis
Album of
the Year
Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware
Watermelon Slim & the Workers – Watermelon Slim & the Workers
Irma Thomas - After the Rain
Janiva Magness - Do I Move You?
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops - Live at Chan's
B.B. King
Entertainer of the Year
Bobby Rush
Bettye LaVette
Tab Benoit
Watermelon Slim
Lil' Ed
Band of
the Year
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Mannish Boys
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
Watermelon Slim & the Workers
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Best New
Artist Debut
James Hunter - People Gonna Talk
The Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Put it in the Alley
Eric Lindell - Change in the Weather
Slick Ballinger - Mississippi Soul
Dave Gross - Take the Gamble
Comeback
Album of the Year
Andy Fairweather Low - Sweet Soulful Music
Chicago Bob Nelson - Flyin' Too High
Dion - Bronx in Blue
Jeremy Spencer - Precious Little
Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Janiva Magness - Do I Move You?
Michael Powers - Prodigal Son
Guitar Shorty - We the People
Fiona Boyes - Lucky 13
John Mooney - Big Ol’ Fiya
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Marcia Ball
EG Kight
Barbara Blue
Janiva Magness
Shemekia Copeland
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Kim Wilson
Tab Benoit
Guitar Shorty
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Michael Powers
Historical
Album of the Year
Junior Wells - Live at Theresa's 1975 (Delmark)
Hollywood Fats - Larger Than Life (Delta Groove)
Otis Rush - All Your Love I Miss Loving - Live at the Wise Fools Pub
Chicago (Delmark)
Freddie King - Live at the Electric Ballroom 1974 (Shout! Factory)
John Lee Hooker – Hooker (Shout! Factory)
Instrumentalist-Bass
Bob Stroger
Larry Taylor
Mookie Brill
Bill Stuve
Calvin “Fuzz” Jones
Instrumentalist-Drums
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Sam Carr
Sam Lay
Jimi Bott
Richard Innes
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Duke Robillard
Kid Ramos
Lurrie Bell
Nick Moss
Guitar Shorty
Hubert Sumlin
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
Billy Branch
Big George Brock
James Harman
Mitch Kashmar
Instrumentalist-Horn
Deanna Bogart
Kaz Kazanoff
Calvin Owens
Eddie Shaw
Doug James
Greg Piccolo
Instrumentalist-Other
Robert Randolph - Steel Guitar
Rich Del Grosso - Mandolin
Otis Taylor - Banjo
Sonny Rhodes - Steel Guitar
Guy Davis - Banjo
Pinetop
Perkins Piano Player of the Year
Mitch Woods
Marcia Ball
Floyd Dixon
Henry Butler
Dr. John
Honey Piazza
Song of
the Year
“Icicles in My Meat Loaf” - Ed Williams (Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials –
Rattleshake)
“Hard Times” - William Homans (Watermelon Slim & the Workers -
Watermelon Slim & the Workers)
“Church is Out” - Charlie Musselwhite (Charlie Musselwhite - Delta
Hardware)
“Baptized in Dirty Water” - Chris Thomas King (Chris Thomas King – Rise)
“Prodigal Son” - Michael Murchison (Michael Powers - Prodigal Son)
Soul Blues
Album of the Year
Frankie Lee - Standing at the Crossroads
Irma Thomas - After the Rain
Jackie Payne & Steve Edmonson Band - Master of the Game
Johnny Rawls - Heart & Soul
Calvin Owens Blues Orchestra - I Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog No More
James Hunter - People Gonna Talk
Trudy Lynn - I'm Still Here
Soul
Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Bettye LaVette
Irma Thomas
Trudy Lynn
Mavis Staples
Sugar Pie DeSanto
Soul
Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush
Frankie Lee
Mighty Sam McClain
Solomon Burke
Jackie Payne
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen – Live in Dallas
Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops - Live at Chan’s
Big George Brock - Round Two
Watermelon Slim & the Workers - Watermelon Slim & the Workers
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Zora Young
Diunna Greenleaf
Etta James
Nora Jean Bruso
Ruth Brown
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
Charlie Musselwhite
Robert Lockwood, Jr.
Big George Brock
Hubert Sumlin
Watermelon Slim
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