By Norm Shaw
For the second year in a row, Luther Allison heads up the list of nominees for the 18th annual W.C. Handy Awards with five nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Band of the Year and Record of the Year.
Allison also received nominations for Guitarist of the Year and Contemporary Male Artist of the Year.
Other multiple nominees include: B.B. King, Coco Montoya and William Clarke with three nominations each; and R.L. Burnside, Bobby Rush, Keb' Mo', Joe Louis Walker, Rod Piazza, Ronnie Earl and Big Jack Johnson with two each. Harmonica player Clarke died late last year after a performance in California.
The Handy Awards, which take place May 1 at the Orpheum Theatre, kick-off a weekend of blues events presented by the Blues Foundation. Tickets for the Handy Awards are $13.50, $18.50 and $50 for the Golden Circle, which includes the Post-Show Jam Session. The other Handy events include:
The Blues Symposium, which takes place May 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 for both days. The symposium includes industry panels and discussions.
The Keeping the Blues Alive Awards Banquet, which is May 2 at the Peabody Hotel. Tickets to the banquet honoring non-performers in the blues industry are $35 and include dinner.
Moonlight on the Mississippi, a late-night cruise on the Memphis Showboat featuring live music. Tickets are $16.
The Blues Brunch, also aboard the Memphis Showboat. The cruise leaves at 10 a.m. May 4 and returns at 1 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include a breakfast buffet.
The nominees for Handy Awards are:
Blues Entertainer of the Year:
Luther Allison; Charles Brown; R.L. Burnside; B.B. King; Taj Mahal; Coco Montoya; Bobby Rush
Blues Band of the Year:
B.B. King Orchestra; Luther Allison & the James Solberg Band; Slim & the Teardrops; Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers; Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters; Roomful of Blues
Contemporary Blues-Male Artist of the Year:
Luther Allison; Big Jack Johnson; Keb' Mo'; Coco Montoya; Joe Louis Walker
Contemporary Blues-Female Artist of the Year:
Marcia Ball; Debbie Davies; Etta James; Koko Taylor; Toni Lynn Washington
Soul/Blues-Male Artist of the Year:
Johnny Adams; Bobby Bland; Solomon Burke; Mighty Sam McClain; Little Milton
Soul/Blues-Female Artist of the Year:
Denise LaSalle; Ann Peebles; Francine Reed; Irma Thomas; Lavelle White
Traditional Blues-Male Artist of the Year:
R.L. Burnside; James Cotton; David "Honeyboy" Edwards; Frank Frost & Sam Carr; Alvin Youngblood Hart
Traditional Blues-Female Artist of the Year:
Rory Block; Bonnie Lee; Annie Raines; Saffire, the Uppity Blues Women; Katie Webster
Acoustic Blues-Artist of the Year:
John Hammond; Corey Harris; Alvin Youngblood Hart; Keb' Mo'; Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
Best New Blues Artist:
Alvin Youngblood Hart; Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods; Clarence Spady; Carl Weathersby; Rusty Zinn
Blues Instrumentalist-Guitar:
Luther Allison; Ronnie Earl; Anson Funderburgh; Matt Guitar Murphy; Joe Louis Walker
Blues Instrumentalist-Harmonica:
William Clarke; James Cotton; Charlie Musselwhite; Rod Piazza; Kim Wilson
Blues Instrumentalist-Keyboards:
Marcia Ball; Charles Brown; Floyd Dixon; Pinetop Perkins; Honey Piazza
Blues Instrumentalist-Bass:
Sister Sarah Brown; Aron Burton; Johnny B. Gayden; Willie Kent; Bob Stroger
Blues Instrumentalist-Drums:
Ray "Killer" Allison; Sam Carr; Sam Lay; George Raines; Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Blues Instrumentalist-Other:
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - violin; C. J. Chenier - accordian; Porky Cohen - trombone; Kaz Kazanof - saxophone; Sonny Rhodes - lapsteel guitar; Roomful of Blues - horn section
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year:
Luther Allison : Where Have You Been: Live in Montreux; William Clarke: The Hard Way; Long John Hunter: Border Town Legend; Coco Montoya: Ya Think I'd Know Better; Son Seals: Live: Spontaneous Combustion
Soul/Blues Album of the Year:
Johnny Adams: One Foot in the Blues; W.C. Clark: Texas Soul; Tutu Jones: Blue Texas Soul; Mighty Sam McClain: Sledgehammer Soul & Downhome Blues; Johnny Taylor: Good Love
Traditional Blues Album of the Year:
James Cotton: Deep in the Blues; Alvin Youngblood Hart: Big Mama's Door; John Primer: The Real Deal; Paul Rishell & Annie Raines: I Want You to Know; Junior Wells: Come on in this House
Comeback Blues Album of the Year:
Little Sammy Davis: I Ain't Lyin'; Floyd Dixon: Wake Up and Live; Johnnie Jenkins: Blessed Blues; Paul Oscher: Knockin' on the Devil's Door; Brewer Phillips: Homebrew
Acoustic Blues Album of the Year:
Cephas & Wiggins: Cool Down; James Cotton: Deep in the Blues; Harmonica Fats & Bernie Pearl: Blow, Fat Daddy, Blow; Alvin Youngblood Hart: Big Mama's Door; Paul Rishell & Annie Raines: I Want You to Know
Reissue Blues Album of the Year:
Bobby Bland: That Did It! The Duke Recordings Vol. 3; Slim Harpo: The Scratch; Mississippi John Hurt: Avalon Blues, The Complete 1928 OKeh Recordings; B.B. King: How Blue Can You Get: Classic Live Performances 1964 to 1994; Freddie King: Live at the Electric Ballroom, 1974
Blues Song of the Year: Song Title - Composer (Artist/Album Title)
"Been There Done That" - Marvin & Donna Taylor (Francine Reed/Can't Make it on My Own); "Fishing Blues" - William Clarke (William Clark/The Hard Way); "One Foot in the Blues" - Dan Penn, Jonnie Barnett & Carson Whitsett (Johnny Adams/One Foot in the Blues); "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" - Bobby Rush (Bobby Rush/One Monkey Don't Stop No Show); "We Got to Stop This Killin'" - Big Jack Johnson (Big Jack Johnson/We Got to Stop This Killin')
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