Blues Jury Duty: The Canadian Blues Music Awards need a jury pool to select from so that there is diverse representation from across the country. The bigger the jury pool, the stronger the process. That means you can play a role by signing up to their jury pool. Worried about a conflict? There are plenty of categories so take the first step and enter your name. And please share with anyone you think would be a great juror. They are looking for people with expertise, diversity and National representation. If you feel knowledgeable about the current blues scene in Canada, please consider becoming part of the jury pool by visiting https://canadianbluesmusicawards.awardstage.com

More Awards: Erin McCallum has announced the latest recipient of her “Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction” to Colin Linden, who has been showing up regularly in his home town though he’s plenty pre-occupied in Nashville. In addition to his individual career accomplishments, Linden’s work as a producer and accompanying musician has contributed to countless other projects, performances, and endeavours that leave a lasting impact on the Blues/Roots music industry as a whole. In being named a “Blues Legend”, Colin Linden was entitled to name up to two eligible artists to be acknowledged with the “Blues Legacy” distinction. Linden has selected Richard Bell and Robbie Robertson to be recognized with the “Blues Legacy” distinction, as part of the ever-growing list of musicians whose musical contributions have made an impact on the Canadian Blues Music Collective. To learn more about this awards program and about these musicians go to www.thesoundcafe.com

A New single from Julian Taylor: Former TBS board member Julian Taylor has released a new single, “Don’t Let ‘Em (Get Inside Your Head),” a strong, new statement of resistance and resilience in the face of a world gone crazy. A languid, bluesy riff anchors the song, later echoed by a rootsy banjo, and diverted into reggae rhythms in the second verse, and echoing rock vocals in the chorus. “I will be there to the bitter end,” Taylor sings, alongside producer Jim James, and you feel his conviction. The 5x JUNO-Award and Polaris Music Prize–nominated artist Taylor returns with the soulful new song that brings together alt-country grit and blues rock urgency with one of modern music’s most distinctive voices: Jim James of My Morning Jacket. The single will be out on all major platforms. Recorded at Gold Standard alongside Aaron Goldstein, David Engle, Tony Rabalo and Anna Ruddick, the track carries both raw spontaneity and emotional weight. What began years ago as an electronic-leaning demo that Taylor and Engle wrote for film/TV sync, has evolved into a fully organic, groove-driven anthem that feels as natural as it is powerful. www.juliantaylormusic.ca

Venue Updates: The old Silver Dollar Room on Spadina, which seems to have been languishing since it got a big facelift, is finally doing live music on a regular basis. The new owner seems to have abandoned the idea of an upscale version of that blues destination and is now on a mission to present a lot of different genres with live music every night for little or no cover. There’s bluegrass, Americana, swing-dance and a jazz night every Monday (let’s hope there will be a blues night down the line). The original sign is still out front (because it was a condition set by the city’s heritage office) but the new owners couldn’t use the name so it’s called Dina’s Tavern, because the name is still owned by Dave Yarmus, who ran the place for 20 years and has now opened another room on Queen Street west which is called, of course, the Silver Dollar Room. The Queen St. venue also serves as the (new) Comfort Zone, which used to be the after-hours basement room at the Dollar and for the moment seems to be more active with DJs and a late-night crowd than the main room. The elegant El Mocambo also seems to coming to the realization that an upscale room with prestige acts at big ticket prices is not that viable. A recent evening at the Elmo presented a who’s who of Toronto indie artists celebrating the artwork of August Knight and we can only hope it will get more activity, blues and otherwise, because it is a great sounding room. And this just in: The Duke, Toronto’s second oldest bar, has a new owner and here’s hoping it can include some blues in it’s future programming. You have to tip your hat to anyone who would buy a live music venue in these days but it bodes well for the future of live music in Toronto

Podcasting the Blues: Hamilton radio host Ken Wallis is seeking support for his radio show BluesSource Canada. “I’ve been spinning the Blues for over 13 years now and I’m asking for help. My radio show is now available as an on-demand podcast on Mixcoud, and I need followers. Please, please go to mixcloud.com, create a free account (no spam comes from this), search for BluesSource Canada, and follow. While you’re there, listen to some great blues tunes!” Nobody supports blues music in Canada more than Ken so we encourage our members to show him our support.