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MIDWEST BLUES BEAT |
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MONTHLY BLUES MUSIC COLUMN AND THE ENVELOPE…PLEASE?
Instead of opening up blues valentines this year, I’m going to
shout about the 45th Annual
GRAMMY Awards, which The National
Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will hold on February 23rd at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
This year’s awards will honor recordings released between
October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2002, the traditional Grammy
Eligibility Year.
Last issue, I offered up my favorite blues CDs of 2002 in our
annual holiday double-shot of Midwest BEAT.
This month, I’m going to celebrate the upcoming Grammy awards
by gazing into my crystal ball. While
I like the Grammy Awards just fine, I am also looking forward to the
list of the W.C. Handy Awards,
the blues’ annual night out sponsored by the Blues Foundation in
Memphis, Tennessee, every May.
The Grammys, though, are music’s big night out.
Each year, I pick up the paper on the morning after, to read the
fine print about the blues nominees.
This year’s slate of nominees is impressive, and I’m glad
that some of the elder statesmen of the blues are being recognized.
In the “Best Traditional Blues Album Category,” we’ve got quite a
selection ranging from R. L.
Burnside’s live CD, Burnside on Burnside (Fat
Possum) and James Cotton
with the
35th Anniversary Jam Of The James Cotton Blues Band (Telarc Blues) to Alvin
Youngblood Hart’s smokin’ Down
in the Alley (Memphis
International) and Telarc Blues tribute to
Mississippi Fred McDowell, the aptly titled, Preachin' The Blues: The Music Of Mississippi Fred McDowell.
Rounding out this category is B.B.
King’s Christmas
Celebration of Hope (MCA
Records). Truth be told, I’m
pretty amazed by this year’s line-up.
When it comes to tearing open the winning envelope, I’ll hedge
my bets: the hardware goes to either R.L. Burnside or James Cotton.
“The Best Contemporary
Blues Album” gives the recording community an opportunity to mix
the old with the new. This
year’s menu is very tasty, ranging from Solomon
Burke’s comeback, Don’t Give Up on Me (Fat
Possum Records/Anti), Blues Queen
Etta James & The Roots Band’s solid Burnin’ Down The House
(Private Music), and Delbert
McClinton’s killer disc,
Room Tto Breathe (New West
Records). Rounding out
today’s blues is Charlie
Musselwhite’s latest, One
Night In America (Telarc
Blues) and the hard charging 51
Phantom from the North Mississippi Allstars (Tone-Cool
Records). Hmmmmm….very
tough one to call…but I think I’ll roll the dice for Charlie
Musselwhite’s fine blues record.
As I scanned the lists of nominees on www.grammy.org,
I noticed that two great blueswomen are up in the “Best Female Rock Vocal Performance” category –– Susan
Tedeschi’s “Alone” from Wait
For Me (Tone Cool/Artemis) and Bonnie
Raitt’s “Gnawing On It”
from her excellent Silver Lining release (Capitol).
I’d be remiss in not recognizing B.B.
King a second time, as he’s also up for another award:
“Best Pop Instrumental Performance” for his tasty take on
“Auld Lang Syne” on the Christmas
Celebration of Hope (MCA
Records).
Heritage is important to the blues.
Without small, independent labels taking significant risks in
bringing old music to new ears, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to
discover or rediscover the work of some of the blues’ early masters.
This year, Revenant Records’ Screamin'
And Hollerin' The Blues: The Worlds Of Charley Patton is up for
three awards: “Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package,” “Best Album
Notes,” and “Best
Historical Album.”
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for album notes writer
David Evans and art director Susan
Archie and hope that their exhaustive, first-class work gets wider
recognition.
While this year’s slate of Grammy nominees is very impressive,
there are several acts that didn’t make the cut at the recording
academy. I’m talking
about the amazing comeback record of Jody
Williams –– The Return of a Legend (Evidence).
Jody’s picked up his fire-engine red Gibson again and the blues
world is the richer for it.
Also, please take a listen to Otis
Taylor, one of my favorite young bluesmen.
I’ve seen him live twice in the last six months, and whether
he’s alone or with his band, his stories, songs and guitar tone are
all right-on. Bass player Kenny
Passarelli’s puts some great bottom behind Otis and guitarist Eddie
Turner is helping Otis redefine the blues.
Pick up his latest, Respect
The Dead (Northern Blues):
it’ll teach you more about history than any history textbook.
When it comes to Otis
Taylor’s music and stories, I’m much more of a fan than a critic.
Check him out at: www.otistaylor.com.
Did you know that 2003 is the “Year
of the Blues”? Well
it’s true! Stay tuned…
‘cause next month, we’ll celebrate in style and learn who (and
what’s) behind this being designated as “Year of the Blues.” Until next month, let’s play the blues.
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