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This month’s recommended listening by Greg Torrington, programmer of Stingray’s blues channels.

Winter Blues: Toronto roots music fans have enjoyed the annual appearance of Winterfolk and last year, a new February festival appeared on the scene, the “Be Kind” festival. Both were based out of the Tranzac last year but this time they’ll be online, like everybody else. Winterfolk is happening February 19 & 20 and has plenty of blues content: Donne Roberts, Ken Whiteley, Jack de Keyzer, Suzie Vinnick, Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley and Julian Taylor among other blues-friendly roots artists.

Angelique Francis along with Matt Sobb co-host the Ottawa edition of the (virtual) Maple Blues Awards on February 8 on the TBS Facebook & YouTube channel.

Nowhere Left To Go is the latest offering of ten new original songs from Layla Zoe. Now residing in the Netherlands, this album shows a much deeper, more reflective side, of this fiercely independent artist.

At 35, Selwyn Birchwood is hardly the ‘typical’ blues artist. Yet, being pegged a maverick has little to do with his age. His musical epiphany came at age 13 upon first hearing Hendrix and, tracing the artist’s love for the blues, a chance to see Buddy Guy live sealed the deal for this young guitarist. He not only realized what he wanted to do but was also fortunate to study under Sonny Rhodes’ tutelage – on the road of hard knocks.

Voodoo Blues is a showcase for the intense, electrifying vocals of Irish singer and guitar player Gráinne Duffy, who wrote all the songs on this album with her rhythm guitarist, Paul Sherry. Her blues-infused rock packs a potent punch. She was voted best female vocalist in 2014 and best artist in 2015 by Blues Matters, a U.K. publication. Her artistry has been honed with a degree in music, and she has four previous albums under her belt.

Having earned the moniker, “Canada’s Swamp Blues Queen,” Edmonton’s Kat Danser lives up to the title with yet another golden album. One Eye Open, Danser’s sixth release, continues her collaboration with guitarist/producer Steve Dawson, releasing the album on his Black Hen Music label, with distribution handled by True North Records.

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

The annual Blues Booster Award determined by the TBS Board of Directors has been renamed in honour of John Valenteyn the late co-founder of the organization. John’s untimely passing in October continues to reverberate in the community as he left a huge legacy. As you can see in this publication we have recruited a pool or scribes to cover off his monthly “John’s Picks” review column, a group that includes Richard Flohil, Sandra Tooze, Eric Thom, Terry Parson and others including the recipient of the the booster, Cindy McLeod.

The Toronto Blues Society board of directors is pleased to announce Calgary’s Cindy McLeod as the winner of the
newly renamed John Valenteyn Blues Booster of the Year award, a very special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry.