News

Our re-elected Female Vocalist Of The Year brought along a new album to the Awards evening. Electric Love is a two-disc set that gives us her current live set with most of that album with her smoking regular band, which includes the amazing Ricky Paquette on lead guitar – you won’t miss those other guitarists.

This month’s recommended listening by Brad Wheeler, music writer for the Globe and Mail. Twitter: @bwheelerglobe

The Toronto Blues Society is co-presenting an all-star Blues Showcase as part of Winterfolk on Friday, February 16 at the Black Swan (upstairs) with Al Lerman, Kim Doolittle, Julian Fauth and David Essig. The showcase is followed by a performance by Jack de Keyzer and there is a lot more blues throughout the week-end. Winterfolk is an all-ages, mid-winter, weatherproof event, where you’ll find the best of urban, blues, rock, jazz, country, folk and roots music, emulating a multi-stage rural summer festival. TICKETS www.winterfolk.com.

Maple Blues Awards Winners

The Blues Foundation in partnership with broadcast partner Ditty TV will announce the 39th Blues Music Awards nominees LIVE from Memphis on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Bobby Rush, Kenny Neal, and John Nemeth will emcee the announcements beginning at 10am CST. You can watch the announcements in real time on any of Ditty TVs multiple platforms as well as via Facebook Live on The Blues Foundation Facebook page. Tickets to the BMAs will go on sale in conjunction with this BMA Nominee broadcast so you can visit blues.org to purchase your tickets online and get the direct link to the broadcast.

This month’s recommended listening by John Valenteyn, host of John Valenteyn’s Blues on ciut.fm, 89.5 and CD reviewer for Maple Blues.

Wes Mackey is a Vancouver bluesman, now 75 years old, with roots that go back to South Carolina. He worked as a sideman in blues bands in the US before ending up in Vancouver, where he eventually re-started his solo career. He has often performed as a one-man band but for some of his recordings he assembled the best Vancouver players.

This is a Halifax horn band: two saxes & trumpet carry the load. MBA winner Shirley Jackson leads on tenor & vocals, Dawn Hatfield on baritone and Dave Harrison on trumpet. There are two guitarists: Tom Crilley & Marc Doucet, with Jef Wirchenko on double bass and Ainslie Jardine on drums. Ms. Jackson wrote most of the songs and did the horn arrangements, showcased most admirably on the opening rousing instrumental “Back Porch Swing” which indeed swings like crazy.

Ottawa’s Al Wood is the vocalist, songwriter, harp player and guitarist and The Woodsmen are Lindsay Pugh on lead guitar, Frank Deresti on bass and Simon Meilleur on drums. Together they’ve released four CDs now and made it to the semi-finals at the 2011 IBCs in Memphis. They wanted to do a live off the floor album of new songs and they’ve done very well indeed – nothing mattters more than talent & experience for this task.

Vincent Beaulne is the lead singer and guitarist for the Montreal group Blues Delight. So that’s one way to interpret the CD title. We can also look at it as making a statement through his songs. They are highly original, personal compositions performed with just his various guitars but on many he’s added some very attractive instrumentation.