Well, it is time again to congratulate the W.C. Handy Award nominees. Of
course, we all have our favorites, but it would sure be nice to see Luther
Allison sweep the award ceremonies again as a final tribute to the late
great blues giant.
Luther was one of the greatest and most unheralded bluesmen on the scene.
With his triumphant return from France to join the Alligator family and
release three major CDs with his long time collaborator, James Solberg and
his band. Luther was bound and determined to spread his joyful music to the
world. He did that and much more.
James Solberg Band is up for best blues band again this year, they won
last year and will have a great chance of repeating their win based on
the strength of their performance on Luther Allison's CD "Reckless" and
Solberg's solo material.
Carey Bell and R.L. Burnside will battle it out for best male traditional
blues artist, and Carey's CD "Good Luck Man" on Alligator is up for best
traditional blues album along with some worthy competition.
Alvin Youngblood Hart, Keb' Mo' and Philadelphia Jerry Ricks are worlds apart
in their portrayal of acoustic blues but I think with Jerry's CD being up for
comeback blues album of the year, he is in a good position to walk away with
a Handy Award, at least one.
Super Chikan gets my vote for best new blues artist. And I think Sam
Carr should win Best Blues Drummer. Frank Frost, Sam Carr, and Big Jack
Johnson are competing for Best Traditional Blues Album and Best Comeback
Album with their Jelly Roll Kings album "Off Yonder Wall". They are
true delta blues legends that are very talented and yet so humble that
they would probably vote for someone else.
The extraordinary talents of the recently deceased Jimmy Rogers will surely
win him the award postumously, for the best reissue blues album of the year,
"Jimmy Rogers: The Complete Chess Recordings".
I am sure that homage will be paid to Junior Wells, another blues legend
that just passed. Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, were the original blues
brothers and Junior was a major influence on all who followed in his
flamboyant footsteps.
Again, congratulations to all of the Handy Award nominees and thanks for the
pleasure that you have given us over the past year. Good luck to all.
Winners will be announced April 30, 1998 during ceremonies at the Orpheum
Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee.
For more information, contact The Blues Foundation at 901-527-2583, or
by email
bluesinfo@blues.org.
19th ANNUAL W.C. HANDY AWARDS - Nominees
1. Blues Entertainer of the Year:
Luther Allison
Ruth Brown
B. B. King
Rod Piazza
Bobby Rush
2. Blues Band of the Year:
B.B. King Orchestra
Joe Louis Walker & The Bosstalkers
Luther Allison & the James Solberg Band
Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
Roomful of Blues
The Holmes Brothers
3. Contemporary Blues-Male Artist of the Year:
Luther Allison
Charlie Musselwhite
Rod Piazza
Joe Louis Walker
Smokey Wilson
4. Contemporary Blues-Female Artist of the Year:
Marcia Ball
Deborah Coleman
Debbie Davies
Sista Monica
Koko Taylor
Toni Lynn Washington
5. Soul/Blues-Male Artist of the Year:
Johnny Adams
Mighty Sam McClain
Little Milton
Bobby Rush
Jonnie Taylor
6. Soul/Blues-Female Artist of the Year:
Ruth Brown
Denise LaSalle
Ann Peebles
Irma Thomas
Lavelle White
7. Traditional Blues-Male Artist of the Year:
Carey Bell
R. L. Burnside
David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Corey Harris
Snooky Pryor
8. Traditional Blues-Female Artist of the Year:
Rory Block
Tracy Nelson
Ann Rabson
Annie Raines
Shelia Wilcoxson
9. Acoustic Blues-Artist of the Year:
Corey Harris
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Keb' Mo'
Kelly Joe Phelps
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks
10. Best New Blues Artist:
Chico Banks
Chris Beard
Super Chikan
Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones
Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones
11. Blues Instrumentalist-Guitar:
Luther Allison
Ronnie Earl
Anson Funderburgh
Big Jack Johnson
Duke Robillard
Joe Louis Walker
12. Blues Instrumentalist-Harmonica:
Carey Bell
James Cotton
Sam Myers
Charlie Musselwhite
Rod Piazza
13. Blues Instrumentalist-Keyboards:
Marcia Ball
Pinetop Perkins
Charles Brown
Honey Piazza
Floyd Dixon
Johnnie Johnson
David Maxwell
14. Blues Instrumentalist-Bass:
Sister Sarah Brown
Aaron Burton
Johnny B. Gayden
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones
Willie Kent
15. Blues Instrumentalist-Drums:
Ray "Killer" Allison
Jimi Bott
Sam Carr
Sam Lay
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
16. Blues Instrumentalist-Other:
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - violin
Kaz Kazanof - saxophone
Sonny Rhodes - lapsteel guitar
Roomful of Blues - horn section
Eddie Shaw - saxophone
17. Contemporary Blues Album of the Year:
Luther Allison: Reckless-Alligator
Long John Hunter: Swinging From The Rafters-Alligator
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers: Tough & TenderTone-Cool
Joe Louis Walker: Great Guitars-Verve
Smokey Wilson: The Man From Mars-Bullseye
18. Soul/Blues Album of the Year:
Johnny Adams: One Foot in the Blues-Rounder
Ruth Brown: R + B = Ruth Brown-Bullseye
Solomon Burke: The Definition of Soul-Pointblank
King Ernest: King of Hearts-Evidence
Bobby Rush: Lovin' A Big Fat Woman-Waldoxy
Mighty Joe Young: Mighty Man-Blind Pig
The Holmes Brothers: Promised Land-Rounder
19. Traditional Blues Album of the Year:
Carey Bell: Good Luck Man-Alligator
Corey Harris: Fish Ain't Bitin'-Alligator
Jellyroll Kings: Off Yonder Wall-Fat Possum
Snooky Pryor: Mind Your Own Business-Antone's
Ann Rabson: Music Makin' Mama-Alligator
20. Comeback Blues Album of the Year:
Jimmy Burns: Leavin' Here Walkin'-Delmark
King Ernest: King of Hearts-Evidence
Eddie King: Another Cow Is Dead-Roesch
Jelly Roll Kings: Off Yonder Wall-Fat Possum
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks: Deep In The Well-Rooster
Freddie Roulette: Back In Chicago-Hi Horse
21. Acoustic Blues Album of the Year:
Ann Rabson: Music Makin' Mama-Alligator
Corey Harris: Fish Ain't Bitin'-Alligator
John Mooney: Dealin' With The Devil-Ruf Records
Kelly Joe Phelps: Roll Away The Stone-Burnside
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks: Deep In The Well-Rooster
22. Reissue Blues Album of the Year:
R.L. Burnside: Acoustic Stories-MC Records
James Harman: Extra Napkins-Cannonball Records
Jessie Mae Hemphill: Feelin' Good-High Water
Mississippi Fred McDowell: The First Recordings-Rounder Records
Jimmy Rogers: The Complete Chess Recordings-MCA / Chess Records
23. Blues Song of the Year:
Song Title - Composer (Artist/Album Title)
-"Don't Take My Blues" Eddie Clearwater-Bullseye (Eddie Clearwater / Mean
Case Of The Blues)
-"Leavin' Here Walkin'" Jimmy Burns-Delmark (Jimmy Burns / Leavin' Here
Walkin')
-"Low Down Dirty Blues" Joe Louis Walker-Verve (Joe Louis Walker / Great
Guitars)
-"Living In The House Of The Blues" Luther Allison-Alligator (Jerry Lynn
Williams Reckless)
-"The Man From Mars" Smokey Wilson-Bullseye (Smokey Wilson / The Man From
Mars)
Email me leon@deltaboogie.com
My review site
Delta Pickens
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