Snider Takes Two Premier Player Awards

" The warmth and sincerity that was in the room was amazing. "

Staff Report

Todd Snider and Kevin Paige, two longtime regulars on the Memphis music scene, walked off with the top awards at the annual Premier Player Awards, which took place April 10 at the New Daisy Theatre on Beale Street.

Snider won two awards, male vocalist and songwriter. Paige was honored with the band of the year award. Bobby "Blue" Bland received the Governor's Award, the highest award a local chapter can present. B.B. King made a special appearance to honor Bland.

Joyce Cobb took home the female vocalist award, her first Premier Player award since 1988. Jim Dickinson was awarded the top producer honor for the fifth time and second year in a row. Danny Jones was named top engineer for the third time.

Individual player honors were awarded to: Jim Spake of the Midtown Horns and the DDT Big Band, woodwinds; Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns, brass; Tommy Burroughs of the River Bluff Clan, strings, for the second year in a row; five-time winner Steve Potts, drums; four-time winner Tony Thomas, keyboards; two-time winner Lily Afshar, guitar; and first-time winner Paul Taylor of DDT, bass.

Performers at the awards show included the Kevin Paige Band; Cobb playing with Herman Green and the Green Machine; Afshar; the Garrison Starr band; Reba Russell; Big Ass Truck; the DDT Big Band; and the River Bluff Clan. The night closed with a stellar jam session from the Bar-Kays.

"It was a great night," said Jon Hornyak, executive director of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. "To honor Bobby Bland like that, where it really meant something to him. Having B.B. King come in. The warmth and sincerity that was in the room was amazing."

Bland returned to the New Daisy the next night to record a live album and film the show for videotape. The packed house was treated to one of the classiest performances to grace the venerable New Daisy.

Backed by a small army of players, Bland was in excellent form. He performed several classics and thrilled the crowd with his stellar vocals. The ease with which he controlled the stage and the proceedings was amazing. You could tell Bland was still rolling from the night before, when a note was dedicated to him on Beale Street and he was honored by NARAS.

No word on when the record will be ready for release, but be prepared for a scorcher. It was that kind of night.