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Honouring The Best

Published December 1, 1997 in Features
Maple Blues Awards Logo

The Toronto Blues Society has initiated the MapleBlues Awards to take the place of and include the Blues With A Feeling Award that we’ve been presenting since our inception. The Awards will cover 18 categories and all Charter members will receive a ballot. The Awards will be presented at The Montreal Bistro at a Gala Celebration on February 2nd. The first category on the ballot is Recording of the Year. The Final Five, receiving the most votes from our nominating committee, and in alphabetical order, are:

Rita Chiarelli What A Night Live! Stony Plain/Warner
Recorded in Germany on one of her regular European tours, this, her third CD, captures Rita’s live show to perfection.

Downchild Lucky 13 Downchild Music
The latest album is as the title says. All but four of them are now on the little discs and they show an amazing consistency for Canada’s Blues Band over all those years.

Sue Foley Walk In The Sun Antone’s/Discovery/Warner
Foley’s fourth, recorded in Texas, for Clifford Antone’s label. Antone’s is now distributed by Discovery Records of Santa Monica CA which in turn is distributed here by Warner. A circuitous route for an Ottawa blues singer perhaps, but her singing and songwriting, along with her always world class guitar playing, show that Clifford’s faith was not misplaced.

Colin James National Steel WEA
Colin James’ mostly acoustic collaboration with Colin Linden debuted at Soul `n’ Blues this year. This is, I believe, the first acoustic blues album ever released by a Canadian major label!

Vann “Piano Man” Walls and The Stephen Barry Band In The Evening disques BROS Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award winner Walls has been performing for some years now in Montreal and elsewhere with the Stephen Barry Band and it shows on this CD.

This list would be an excellent place to start or complete your gift buying for this Christmas. To help further, we asked some people who listen to blues CD’s all year long-your favourite radio personalities. We supply five choices, in alphabetical order, with comments:


Ian Angus, host of CKLN-FM’s Let The Good Times Roll, Wednesdays 8-10pm(88.5):


Mem Shannon Mem Shannon’s 2nd Blues Album Hannibal/Rykodisk):

No sophomore slump for this former New Orleans cab driver. The songs and musicianship are even stronger than on his well received first outing.

Ruth Brown R+B=Ruth Brown Bullseye Blues/Rounder/Denon: Her best and bluesiest CD since the Grammy-winning “Blues on Broadway.” Strong vocals with lots of the witty and mildly-risque dialogue she does so well.

Jimmy Burns Leaving Here Walking Delmark/Festival: Jimmy Burns isn’t well-known outside of Chicago, but he ought to be, and this CD could make it possible. By far my favorite Chicago blues recording of 1997.

Ann Rabson Music Makin’ Mama Alligator/Warner: What can I say? If you like blues and boogie piano, if you like blues by strong women, you’ll love Ann Rabson’s solo debut. Especially recommended for Saffire fans.

`Philadelphia’ Jerry Ricks Deep in the Well Rooster Blues/Rounder/Denon:

In recent years, there has been a revival of acoustic blues, played by young black performers. Ricks is a little older than some — he learned to play guitar from masters like Mississippi John Hurt and Brownie McGhee — but his CD is one of the best.

That’s my top five. But this has also been a bumper year for Canadian blues recordings.

Some suggestions ….

Robin Banks Blues Band: Permanent Record (Acequis/Page)

Maureen Brown: Be Close (Ind)

Vann “Piano Man” Walls: In the Evening (Disques Bros)

David Clayton Thomas: Blue Plate Special (Stony Plain)

Colin James: National Steel (WEA)

The Twisters: Fulla Hot Air (Independent)


Eddy B, host of CIUT-FM’s Eddy’s Place, Thursdays, 8-10pm(89.5)


`Philadelphia’ Jerry Ricks Deep In The Well Rooster Blues/Rounder/Denon One of the finest contemporary guitar players on the scene today. A good buy for traditional blues lovers.

Various Artists The Mercury Blues `N’ Rhythm Story Mercury Chronicles This eight.CD box set is one of the finest to come out in recent years. It covers 1947-1955, my favourite period of blues and R&B, going from the straight ahead blues of Big Bill Broonzy to the jump blues of Jimmy Witherspoon.

Toni Lynn Washington It’s My Turn Now Tone Cool/Rounder/Denon Her second release, she’s one of the hottest ladies around today-great uptown blues!

Memphis Minnie Queen Of The Blues Sony/Columbia A must-buy for pre-war blues collectors, Memphis Minnie was one of the finest singer/songwriters/guitar pickers of any period.

Studebaker John & The Hawks Time Will Tell Blind Pig/Stony Plain/Warner Under-recognized by many, this man knows how to rock the blues. He does it all-slide, picking, harp, singing & songwriting.


Kevin Doyle, host of CKMS-FM’s Voodoo Healing Saturdays 6-7pm(U. Of Waterloo) (100.3)


R. L. Burnside Sound Machine Groove High Water/HMG

R. L. Burnside Mr. Wizard Fat Possum/Epitaph

Chris Whitely Living With The Law Sony

John Lee Hooker The Healer Chameleon

Howling Wolf His Best MCA Chess


Steve Gash, host of CFMU-FM’s Blues du Jour Fridays 12:30-2pm(McMaster U.)(93.3)


Jay McShann Hootie’s Jumpin’ Blues Blues Stony Plain/Warner

A great album for jazz and blues fans

Various Artists American Folk Blues Festival Sampler Evidence

A good place to find a number of top blues performers in top form.

Ronnie Earl Colour Of Love Verve

An album that will introduce a lot of blues fans to jazz

Bessie Smith Essential Bessie Smith Sony Roots `n’ Blues

It’s what it says it is-essential

Various Artists Absolute Blues Vol. 1 & 2 Stony Plain/Warner

For either or both, a great mix of great American and Canadian performers.


Karen McCaffery, host of CHRW-FM’s Chicken Soup Boogie, Wednesdays 10-12pm (U. Of Western Ontario)(94.7)


Georgette Fry Georgette Live CBC Variety

The Montreal Gospel Jubilation Choir Hamba Ekhaya Justin Time

Rita Chiarelli What A Night Live Stony Plain/Warner

Ruth Brown R+B=Ruth Brown Bullseye Blues/Rounder/Denon

B.B. King Deuces Wild MCA/Universal


Chris Murphy, co-host of CHRW-FM’s The Blues Never Die, Wednesdays 8-10pm (U. Of Western Ontario)(94.7):


Kenny Neal Deluxe Edition Alligator/Warner: Kenny is a great songwriter and this disc features some of the best compositions from his first five albums. Kenny lived in Toronto for a while in the 1980’s and performed with the Downchild Blues Band.

Delbert McClinton One of the Fortunate Few Rising Tide: Nobody does Texas Roadhouse Blues better than Delbert. This is his best release in a while and all ten songs are winners.

Taj Mahal Senor Blues Private Music: This is a great disc featuring a big R&B Band on most cuts. All of the Taj Mahal releases in the 1990’s are very good.

Plas Johnson The Best of the King of the Sax Wolf : This disc features 25 instrumentals recorded in the 1950’s. Plas Johnson has appeared on recordings by everybody from T-Bone Walker to B B King but he’s perhaps best known as the tenor saxophonist on the original version of the Pink Panther theme written by Henry Mancini.

Downchild Blues Band Lucky 13 Downchild Music/Festival: This is the recording that will win the JUNO this year.


John Valenteyn, host of CJRT-FM’s The Blues Hours, Saturdays 3-5pm(91.1):


Carl Weathersby Looking Out My Window Evidence: After a long apprenticeship with the Sons of The Blues and a couple of tours with family friend Albert King, Weathersby is more than ready for the solo spotlight. It’s in the dominance from the stage that the similarity to Albert is most striking.

Mississippi Fred McDowell The First Recordings Rounder Portaits/Denon: The Lomax recordings that launched a career. Many versions of these recordings are or were previously available and Fred recorded some of them again (& again) but this collection is brilliant.

Eddie King Another Cow’s Dead Roesch: A career album. If this ex-Koko Taylor Band guitarman never records again, he will always be remembered for this one.

Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers Tough and Tender Tone Cool/Rounder/Denon: The California harp man with a fabulous live show finally makes a studio album that reflects the band’s talents.

Etta James Her Best MCA Chess

In the beautifully re-mastered Chess Records 50th Anniversary Series; there may be other tracks you might have chosen from this part of her career but that would be quibbling.


Vince Vitacco, host of CHRY-FM’s Everyday I Have The Blues Mondays 9-11pm (York U.)(105.5):


Duke Robillard Dangerous Place Pointblank.

Great arrangements and dangerous guitar.

R.J. Mischo and The Teddy Morgan Blues Band Ready To Go Atomic Theory/Denon.

Stompin’ blues—this one will get you to go fer sure.

Various Artists Blind Pig Records 20th Anniversary Collection Blind Pig/Stony Plain/Warner

Roy Rogers, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Shines, Snooky Pryor Roosevelt Sykes

and 31 more bands and artists! wow!!!!

Various Artists Bullseye blues’ New Blues Hits Bullseye Blues/Rounder/Denon

—a great compilation.

Junior Wells Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends TelarcBlues/Polygram

lotsa fun, energetic performances and of course, excellent harp playing.

– John Valenteyn

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