Tag: Blues Foundation

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Blues Hall of Fame Museum Unveils Interactive Hologram of Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal appears in holographic form. (Photo: Courtesy Blues Foundation)

The Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame Museum has unveiled a brand-new interactive hologram of blues musician Taj Mahal, making it the first museum in Tennessee and second in the United States to have a full-body hologram, says Blues Foundation CEO and president Kimberly Horton.

Horton says when she found out about Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame’s hologram of philanthropist Ernie Boch Jr., whose personal collection of guitars were on display at the museum at the time, she knew she “had to have one for Memphis.”

The Blues Foundation’s first hologram features Blues Hall of Famer Taj Mahal. “It’s him. Like he’s actually sitting in there, actually sitting in the [holographic] box,” Horton says. “You could actually have a full conversation.”

That means that guests can ask whatever question comes to mind, and the hologram, which has been trained with AI, will generate a response as Mahal himself would answer. “We had Taj Mahal sit still for 12 hours one day and just asked him all these questions, about 250 questions, and filmed him while he was doing that,” Horton explains. “So this is his voice. And these are his mannerisms. These are his hand movements.”

From the beginning, Horton says she knew Mahal would be a part of the debut of the permanent exhibition, which will spotlight other artists in the future. “He’s just great,” she says. “When it comes to music, he’s multi-Grammy-winning. He has touched every genre of the industry. He’s got his hand in everything. Taj will be 82 this month, so it was imperative that he was the first person that was in the hologram.”

After all, Horton says, “If you want to preserve something or preserve history, then what better way to do it?”

The Blues Hall of Fame Museum is located at 421 South Main Street. Admission is $10/adults, $8/students, and free for kids 12 and under. There is an additional charge of $10 to interact with the hologram. Museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Blues Music Awards: Kingfish is King

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram performing at the Blues Music Awards on May 9th (Photo: Christopher Caldwell)

Last week’s 45th Blues Music Awards (BMAs) featured many familiar faces in the spotlight, but none so familiar as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, from just down the road apiece in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

He came away with a win in the “Album of the Year” category for his Live In London record, which was also named the best Contemporary Blues Album. The BMAs also recognized Ingram as this year’s best Instrumentalist – Guitar and the best Contemporary Blues Male Artist.

Ingram, featured prominently in the Memphis Flyer‘s 2022 survey of the regional blues scene, has become somewhat of a ringer at the BMAs, having first won in all four of the above categories in 2020, then garnering awards in every subsequent year since.

His talent and success are partly a testament to the power of educational programs like those he attended at Clarksdale’s Delta Blues Museum as a young man. As he told the Flyer in 2022, “My instructors were actual bluesmen, Bill ‘Howl-n-Mad’ Perry and Richard ‘Daddy Rich’ Crisman. They were my teachers and my mentors of the blues, from the time when I played bass through when I got into guitar. And when they found out I had a little voice, they even pushed me to sing. There were even times when we would do readings. It was a full-on educational class, for sure. And it still goes on today.”

Another local favorite who won big was living legend Bobby Rush, who was not only named the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year but also snagged the best Soul Blues Album award for his All My Love for You. And transplanted Memphian John Németh, fresh off a riveting performance with the Bo-Keys at this year’s RiverBeat Music Festival, also excelled in the soul blues category, winning the Soul Blues Male Artist award.

Other top titles went to Keb’ Mo’ (Acoustic Blues Artist), Danielle Nicole (Contemporary Blues Female Artist), and the Nick Moss Band (Band of the Year). “What Kind Of Fool,” written by Ruthie Foster, Hadden Sayers & Scottie Miller, was named Song of the Year, and The Right Man by D.K. Harrell was named the Best Emerging Artist Album. Like Ingram and Rush, Foster, Mike Zito, and John Primer also garnered multiple awards.

Visit the Blues Foundation‘s dedicated web page for a complete list of this year’s winners.

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Piper & the Hard Times Top International Blues Challenge

Al "Piper" Green as featured on the self-titled EP by Piper & the Hard Times

The Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge (IBC) famously lives up to its name, drawing scores of ace blues artists to Memphis every year from around the world. Indeed, it was only two years ago that the winners of the Best Band prize were The Wacky Jugs from France. But if that proved that the blues have no nationality, this year’s tournament brought it all back home, as Nashville’s Piper & the Hard Times won in that same category last week. The event forged ahead through inclement weather in venues throughout the city and culminated in the final event at the Orpheum on Saturday, January 20th.

As someone who’s often jokingly referred to as “The Other Al Green,” I can sympathize with the band’s leader, Al “Piper” Green, who wisely foregrounds his nickname when fronting his band. But don’t let mere monikers distract you from this talent, who grew up closer to Memphis than Nashville, in Bolivar, Tennessee. In his youth, he sang in a gospel choir even as he absorbed soul, pop and rock influences from the radio. Ultimately, his biggest influence came from his own family — his uncle. “Every 4th of July he’d come down to visit us from Chicago and he’d be riding in this grand blue Fleetwood Cadillac,” Green recalls on the band’s website. “He’d be decked out and have a bunch of folks with him playing the blues. I wasn’t old enough just then to really get the full impact of what I was seeing, but I knew this guy had style and flair and really represented the essence of the blues. I think that’s where I got a lot of my vocal approach from.”

Piper & the Hard Times receive their award at the International Blues Challenge (Credit: Roger Stephenson)

Green’s been playing around Nashville with the same core group since 2000, and now they’ve grown into a powerhouse ensemble fueled by rock-tinged guitar and horns. And while Nashville is not especially well-known as a blues town, the presence of Piper & the Hard Times is a significant milestone for the revitalized non-profit Nashville Blues and Roots Alliance, which hosted a competition of some twenty bands for the right to represent the city at the IBC.

Beginning last Tuesday, January 16th, the IBC was much more than just a competition, hosting master classes on various blues instruments, workshops for young blues artists, a health fair, and a screening of Augusta Palmer’s film, The Blues Society, among other events. And of course, there were other winners than just the “Best Band” champions.

Here is the full list of winners and runners-up:

BAND DIVISION
Winner: Piper and The Hard Times
2nd Place Band: The Stephen Hull Experience
3rd Place Band: Mandalyn & The Hunters

SOLO/DUO DIVISION
Winner: Joe Waters
2nd Place: Drum & Dye

BEST GUITAR AWARD
Winner: Stephen Hull

MEMPHIS CIGAR BOX GUITAR AWARD (BEST SOLO/DUO GUITARIST)
Winner: Bill Dye

LEE OSKAR HARMONICA AWARD (BEST HARMONICA PLAYER)
Winner: John Paul

BEST SELF-PRODUCED CD
Winner: Sister Lucille – Tell the World

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Cooper-Young Festival Taps Doug MacLeod as Headliner

Doug MacLeod (Credit: Theo Looijmans)

The Cooper-Young Festival, slated for Saturday, September 16th, has named a nationally recognized artist to headline its musical stages this year — though he’s not exactly a household name.

Doug MacLeod doesn’t do arena tours with multiple costume changes, but he’s the real deal, and has been for 40 years. That’s when he made his recording debut on Pee Wee Crayton’s Make Room For Pee Wee, and the guitarist and singer has been celebrated as both a side man and solo performer ever since. And while the award-winning blues man grew up in New York City, it’s only fitting that he now calls Memphis home.

MacLeod’s bio notes that he first studied with a one-eyed country bluesman from Toano, Virginia named Ernest Banks, who also gave him the principles of music and performance that have guided him ever since: “Never play a note you don’t believe” and “Never write or sing about what you don’t know about.”

Unlike many blues artists, MacLeod plays only his own compositions (and he’s written over 300 songs), but his music has also been recorded by many other artists, including Dave Alvin, James Armstrong, Eva Cassidy, Albert Collins, Papa John Creach, Big Lou Johnson, Albert King, Chris Thomas King, Coco Montoya, Billy Lee Riley, Son Seals, Tabby Thomas, and Joe Louis Walker.

Local and international fans of the Blues Music Awards know his name well, and just this May The Blues Foundation announced in its 44th Annual Blues Music Awards that MacLeod was the winner of the 2023 Acoustic Artist Award. Earlier this year, Downbeat also named MacLeod’s 2022 record as an album of the year.

“Doug MacLeod’s A Soul To Claim, like many of his 21 previous albums, makes it clear that he’s an archetype of the top-level blues storyteller: wry, sharp-witted, virile, inclined to poke fun at sentiment,” wrote Frank-John Hadley in Downbeat Magazine. “MacLeod bestows his music with a human intimacy that’s a function of his affable personality and the original material he works with. With natural authority and charisma, he communicates one-on-one with listeners.”

Meanwhile, there will be plenty of other music at this year’s Cooper-Young Festival, as is only fitting for the neighborhood calling itself “Memphis’ largest historically hip neighborhood dating back to 1849.” Here’s the full lineup:

Memphis Grizzlies Stage
12:30 pm             Steve Lockwood and Old Dogs
1:30 pm               Robots Attack
2:30 pm               Switchblade Kid
3:30 pm               Avon Park
4:30 pm               SKIFF

Guaranty Bank Stage
11:15 am             Brian Blake
12:15 pm             Mike Hewlett & The Racket
1:15 pm               Short in the Sleeve
2:15 pm               Raneem Imam
3:15 pm               Rowdy & the Strays
4:15 pm               Max Kaplan & The Magics
5:15 pm               Headliner – Doug MacLeod

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John Németh Wins Big at 44th Annual Blues Music Awards

John Németh at the 44th Annual Blues Music Awards (Credit: Laura Carbone)

There was an extra helping of good will and cheer as Memphian John Németh took home two Blues Music Awards at the Renasant Convention Center last night, one for his harmonica playing, another naming his May Be the Last Time the best Traditional Blues Album of 2022.

The good will began the night before, when a host of artists gathered at Rum Boogie Memphis for a revue that doubled as a BMA showcase and a fundraiser for Németh, who’s struggled with some serious health issues recently. As he noted on social media, “I am honored and grateful to have so many legends gathering in Memphis for my benefit.” In a sign that medical issues have not knocked him out of the game, Németh’s band, the Blue Dreamers, was the Rum Boogie house band that night, and Németh himself performed.

That’s been the case for some time, as he soldiered on last year in his usual bluesman’s itinerary. Just last October, after a performance in Minneapolis, he wrote “I was in serious pain during this show and had to sit during the performance. The vocals and chromatic harmonica are fierce.”

Despite successfully confronting health issues, Németh had an all-around great 2022, musically speaking. In January he thanked “roots music DJs for making my new Love Light Orchestra record the number one air played Soul Blues Album in the US for 2022. If you have not heard it, then please check out Leave The Light On.” That album was nominated for both Album of the Year and Soul Blues Album, but did not win either.

Other regional favorites who nabbed BMA’s included Charlie Musselwhite, whose Mississippi Son won best Acoustic Blues Album; Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who was named best Contemporary Blues Male Artist; and Anthony Geraci, who received the Instrumentalist Pinetop Perkins Piano Player award.

National treasure Buddy Guy was the biggest winner of the night, with his album, The Blues Don’t Lie, picking up the Album of the Year and Contemporary Blues Album awards. The title song, “The Blues Don’t Lie,” written by Tom Hambridge, also won Song of the Year.

Acoustic Blues Album: Charlie Musselwhite – Mississippi Son
Acoustic Blues Artist: Doug MacLeod
Album of the Year: Buddy Guy – The Blues Don’t Lie
B.B. King Entertainer: Tommy Castro
Band of the Year: Tedeschi Trucks Band
Best Emerging Artist Album: Dylan Triplett – Who is He?
Blues Rock Album: Albert Castiglia – I Got Love
Blues Rock Artist: Albert Castiglia
Contemporary Blues Album: Buddy Guy – The Blues Don’t Lie
Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Ruthie Foster
Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Instrumentalist-Bass: Danielle Nicole
Instrumentalist-Drums: Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Instrumentalist-Guitar: Laura Chavez
Instrumentalist-Harmonica: John Németh
Instrumentalist-Horn: Deanna Bogart
Instrumentalist-Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: Anthony Geraci
Instrumentalist-Vocals: Shemekia Copeland
Song of the Year: “The Blues Don’t Lie,” written by Tom Hambridge Soul Blues Album: Sugaray Rayford – In Too Deep
Soul Blues Female Artist: Thornetta Davis
Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album: John Németh – May Be the Last Time
Traditional Blues Female Artist Koko Taylor Award: Sue Foley
Traditional Blues Male Artist: John Primer

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New Blues Foundation Interim CEO Wants to Get “Back to the Basics”

Credit: Blues Foundation

Kimberly Horton was recently named interim president and CEO of The Blues Foundation after the departure of former president and CEO Judith Black.

Horton, originally from Jackson, Mississippi, has served as a manager and agent working with artists like Billy Price, Dexter Allen, Lady A, and more.

The Memphis Flyer spoke with Horton as she prepares to move to Memphis to fill this role. — Kailynn Johnson

Memphis Flyer: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Horton: I’m just me! I’m a native of Jackson, Mississippi. I’m a mom of two — I have a 26-year-old daughter, and a 15-year-old son. I have been working in the music industry since 2008. My daughter is going to be taking over my company, Heathrow Muzik Box, LLC,  since I’ve been appointed interim president and CEO of The Blues Foundation. 

I have a master’s from Belhaven [University] in management and a master’s from Jackson State University in public health, and I’m looking forward to moving to Memphis.

What do you think of the state of blues in Memphis right now? Do you think it’s going strong? Is it weak?

That’s kind of hard to answer, because I think that the blues is always going to be going strong. It’s just having people in place to have it out on Front Street. I think Memphis is definitely a place where the blues, in my opinion, will always be going strong.

Do you think locals still love the blues? What about tourists?

The blues is a part of the culture in Memphis. Not just in Memphis, it’s part of the culture. Especially for the African American race. You know Willie Dixon said it best, “Blues is the root, everything else is the fruit.” So, all of the music that we listen to, whether it’s rap, gospel, R&B, all of that has something to do with the blues in some shape, form, or fashion. So, definitely locally, nationally, internationally, yes, it’s going.

A lot of your knowledge of blues comes from first-hand accounts. Do you think this makes your interest in blues a little more personal?

Oh, yes, definitely. Being able to touch, and listen to, and be in contact with — especially coming up in the South, of course — the blues was the real deal. I didn’t know what I was singing at the age of six. “The Thrill Is Gone” and “Sweet Sixteen,” those were two of  B.B. King’s songs that my dad would play quite often. At the age of six, to be able to actually see him, and meet him was like, “oh my gosh.” Most little kids were ready to see The Jackson 5, I was ready to see B.B. King. So yes, definitely. Even being in close contact with living legends of today as well, I love it. It’s where I’m most comfortable.

So, what do you think about the future of blues in Memphis?

It’s going to keep going. We’re going to make sure that young people know it’s there, and how and why they got the music that they’re listening to, and hopefully bring interest to the younger generation. Growing and thriving.

How do you plan on bringing a new generation of blues in, while also maintaining its already rich history?

The educating part of the blues has dropped off a little bit. [We will be] getting back into blues, and bringing back blues in the schools, exposing the younger generation to exactly what it is, where it came from, how we got where we are. 

[We’ll get] the school enrichment programs back in place and do outreach into the community to make sure young folks know the blues is where you got your rap from. The blues is where you got your everything from. That’s going to be one of the major plans. 

Hopefully, being able to partner with the Recording Academy to do some work with Grammy U, which reaches out to the university capacity for younger folks. Everybody thinks that the blues is sad and drowning, but it’s not. The blues is actually life. So, just getting them re-exposed to where it came from.

Piggybacking off of that, you said you’re looking to work with a new generation of blues artists as well, and bring more diversity in. Why do you think diversity is so important in blues?

I’m saying diversity not just in color but I’m talking about gender as well. We have some wonderful female artists that are blues artists, and a lot of the time they get overlooked because they don’t play a harmonica or a guitar, but they actually sing the blues. So, bringing diversity in that aspect, as well as making sure that our people — my people — know that we still have an obligation to the heritage of the blues.

You kind of touched on it just then, and a little earlier with some of the educational outreach programs that you all plan to do. Are there any other changes that you plan to make at the foundation? Even as interim CEO?

There are, but I’m not at liberty to speak about those at the moment. I want to wait until I actually get into the office full-time. My main change is to get the confidence of the artists back. They’ve lost confidence in the foundation, so I want to gain the artists’ confidence back, to make sure they know that we’re there, we’re here, we’re thriving, and we’re intending on making sure that the awareness is available.

So, what makes you excited about stepping into this role? What are you most excited about?

I’m most excited about working in an area that I love, that I have a true passion about — being able to come in and actually make some positive changes for the foundation. Just getting everything back to the basics — getting back to what it used to be, and better.

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French Combo Tops International Blues Challenge

The Wacky Jugs (Photo courtesy of the Blues Foundation)

They don’t call it the International Blues Challenge for nothing. The far-ranging impact of the blues is never more apparent than when bands descend on the Bluff City for the Blues Foundation‘s annual competition, and that was underscored this year when The Wacky Jugs from France walked away with the honor of best blues band on Monday.

Prior to their final performance, The Wacky Jugs were clearly stoked, as they posted on their Facebook page, per that platform’s translation algorithm, “Hey friends, guess what??? WE’RE IN THE FINAL!!!! …This is crazy!!! We are happy!!! Thanks again to The Blues Foundation for all the support from wherever it comes, you are so marvelous, it also gives us goosebumps! After three nights in the mythical clubs on Beale Street, we have the chance to reach the Orpheum.”

Go to the Orpheum they did, where their sound, inspired by the Memphis Jug Band, won over the judges. Others from far afield were honored as well. Someone should definitely look into Phoenix’s water supply (perhaps it’s fed by the Mississippi?), as two artists from that city claimed three of the top honors. And don’t assume that Memphis Lightning is local: they’re from the Tampa Bay area.

The Mid-South did make a showing, thanks to Soul Nite featuring D.K. Harrell, from Indianola, Mississippi, garnering third place in the band category. Otherwise, the global ubiquity of the blues was on full display. As the late Jim Dickinson often quipped, “World Boogie is coming!” Indeed, it would appear that it’s already here.

And the winners are …

1st Place Band
The Wacky Jugs (France Blues)

2nd Place Band
Cros (Phoenix Blues Society)

3rd Place Band
Soul Nite feat. D.K. Harrell (Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola)

1st Place Solo/Duo
Eric Ramsey (Phoenix Blues Society)

2nd Place Solo/Duo
Jhett Black (San Angelo Blues Society)

Memphis Cigar Box Award
Eric Ramsey (Phoenix Blues Society)

Lee Oskar Harmonica Award
Jhett Black (San Angelo Blues Society)

Gibson Guitarist Award
T.C. Carter

Best Self-Produced CD Award
Borrowed Time, by Memphis Lightning (Suncoast Blues Society)

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The Blues Music Awards Go Live Once More

Triple BMA-winner Tommy Castro (Credit: Andrea Zucker)

The Renasant Convention Center played host to scores of blues musicians and fans Thursday night, as the ceremonies of the 43rd Annual Blues Music Awards (BMAs) took place. Between handing out honors in over two dozen categories, the evening featured performances from many nominees, culminating in a joyous all-star jam by the night’s end.

It was especially welcome after the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies took place online only. Judith Black, president and CEO of the Blues Foundation, recognized the watershed moment in a statement: “What an amazing reunion after nearly three years of separation. It was an awards evening filled with awesome music, wonderful fellowshipping, and exciting honors. It was apparent everywhere you looked that people were thrilled to be back and, I am sure they could tell we were ecstatic to welcome everyone back.”

Tommy Castro snagged three BMAs: the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (which he won previously in 2010 and 2008); the Album of the Year for Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town; and Band of the Year for Tommy Castro & The Painkillers.

Sue Foley at the 2022 BMAs (Credit: Andrea Zucker)

Sue Foley, who we featured in this week’s music column, was one of two double-winners, with her Pinky’s Blues recognized as the year’s best Traditional Blues Album, and Foley herself garnering the Traditional Blues Female Artist – Koko Taylor Award, repeating her 2020 win in that category. Fresh off his Grammy win, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took home Contemporary Blues Male Artist for the third consecutive year. He was also awarded Contemporary Blues Album, which he previously won in 2020.

Also on the local tip, the Best Emerging Artist Album award went to Rodd Bland & The Members Only Band for Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland. Native Memphian Eric Gales won in the category of Instrumentalist – Guitar, and longtime Memphis resident John Nemeth took home the award for Instrumentalist – Vocals.

The complete list of 2022 Blues Music Award winners:
Acoustic Blues Album: Dear America, Eric Bibb
Acoustic Blues Artist: Keb’ Mo’
Album of the Year: A Bluesman Came to Town, Tommy Castro
B.B. King Entertainer: Tommy Castro
Band of the Year: Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Best Emerging Artist Album: Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland, Rodd Bland & the Members Only Band
Blues Rock Album: Resurrection, Mike Zito
Blues Rock Artist: Albert Castiglia
Contemporary Blues Album: 662, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Vanessa Collier
Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Instrumentalist-Bass: Danielle Nicole
Instrumentalist-Drums: Tom Hambridge
Instrumentalist-Guitar: Eric Gales
Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Jason Ricci
Instrumentalist-Horn: Jimmy Carpenter
Instrumentalist Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: Mike Finnigan
Instrumentalist-Vocals: John Nemeth
Song of the Year: “I’d Climb Mountains,” written & performed by Selwyn Birchwood
Soul Blues Album: Long As I Got My Guitar, Zac Harmon
Soul Blues Female Artist: Annika Chambers
Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album: Pinky’s Blues, Sue Foley
Traditional Blues Female Artist Koko Taylor Award: Sue Foley
Traditional Blues Male Artist: Taj Mahal

Meanwhile, the Blues Hall of Fame held this year’s induction ceremony on May 4th. The inductees included pre-war performer and songwriter Lucille Bogan; soul, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll star Little Willie John; renowned songwriter, artist Johnnie Taylor; and legendary songwriter Otis Blackwell.

Classic recordings that the Blues Hall of Fame honored this year were Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “Eyesight to the Blind,” Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Farther Up the Road,” Roy Brown’s “Good Rocking Tonight,” B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” by the Baby Face Leroy Trio, and Bo Diddley’sclassic album, Bo Diddley. This year’s non-performing inductee was Mary Katherine Aldin, who worked as an editor, disc jockey, compiler, and annotator of blues and folk reissue albums. The Classic of Blues Literature entrant was Red River Blues: The Blues Tradition in the Southeast, written by British author Bruce Bastin.

Today, May 6th, the total blues immersion continues with a special reception at the Blues Hall of Fame for award-winning music photographer Jérôme Brunet, and the first volley of a four-day run for the International Blues Challenge.

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Blues Foundation Rescinds Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s BMA Nomination

Kenny Wayne Shepherd (courtesy Prospect PR)

With the rise of white supremacist movements worldwide, the Confederate flag can no longer pass as the nod-and-wink signifier of Southern pride that it once was. That’s what guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd has discovered, as his love of that iconic image, plastered on his guitars and his car, has caused him to lose his 2021 Blues Music Awards (BMA) nomination for Best Blues/Rock Artist.

The Blues Foundation, which hosts and organizes the BMAs, first posted a Statement Against Racism last Monday, which states that the organization “unequivocally condemns all forms and expressions of racism, including all symbols associated with white supremacy and the degradation of people of color. We will hold ourselves as well as all blues musicians, fans, organizations, and members of the music industry accountable for racist actions and encourage concrete commitments to acknowledge and redress the resulting pain.”

Three days later, the organization announced that Shepherd’s nomination had been rescinded, noting in a statement that “The decision to rescind the nomination was based upon continuing revelations of representations of the Confederate flag on Shepherd’s ‘General Lee’ car, guitars and elsewhere.  The Blues Foundation has also asked Ken Shepherd, father of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, to step down as a member of its Board of Directors.  The Blues Foundation states that it is resolute in its commitment to purposefully address racism and contribute to a more equitable blues community.”

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Shepherd had issued an apology, noting that “The foundation says Shepherd has used the Confederate flag on his ‘General Lee’ replica car from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ and on his guitars. Shepherd says in a statement he put the car in permanent storage years ago, and had painted over the Confederate flag some time ago. He does not mention the guitars. Shepherd says he has always opposed racism and oppression.”

As reported by Variety, “The moves followed statements from prominent figures in the blues community who indicated they planned to dissociate themselves from the organization because of the kudos this year for Shepherd, a previous Blues Awards winner. Muddy Waters’ daughter, Mercy Morganfield, had said she was resigning from the board because of the support for Shepherd.”

Morganfield had made a Facebook post about the matter titled “The Way My Daddy Looks At a White Man Winning a Blues Foundation Music Award While Waving A F****g Confederate Flag.” Her post has since been deleted.

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The 39th Annual Blues Music Awards: Winners Both Global & Local

CREDIT: Jeff Fasano

Jeff Fasano

Janiva Magness, Dom Flemons, Bobby Rush, David Porter, Candi Staton, Steve Van Zandt at the BMAs

Everyone was dressed to the nines last night as the 39th Annual Blues Music Awards paid honors to the world’s greatest blues artists. It’s a tradition that would doubtless make W.C. Handy smile, just steps away from where he brought global recognition to the music. Now just over a century after he published “Memphis Blues,” the genre is thriving and always evolving.

Conqueroo

Steven Van Zandt at the BMAs

Master of Ceremonies Steven Van Zandt acknowledged that the power of the blues goes beyond aesthetics. “At a time when our country is more segregated than at any time in the past hundred years, music holds us together and touches all our souls,” he reflected from the podium. Award presenters included Van Zandt, Tony Joe White, Joe Louis Walker, Janiva Magness, Ruthie Foster, Candi Staton, and David Porter. The latter two, presenting together, offered some amusing banter, seemingly making plans to collaborate while onstage.

 
Conqueroo

Tony Joe White at the BMAs

Among the award winners’ acceptance speeches, the most moving appearance was by Rev. Charles Hodges and Archie Turner, accepting the award for Best Soul Blues Album, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm (as David Porter quipped, “Robert must be off somewhere making money”), and reminding us of all that Willie Mitchell and crew have accomplished over the decades. While Memphis native Vaneese Thomas (daughter of Rufus, sister of Carla) lost out to Mavis Staples as Best Soul Blues Female Artist, newcomers and local heroes Southern Avenue snagged Best Emerging Artist Album. Grammy winners Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ won Best Contemporary Blues Album with their TajMo.  Joseph A. Rosen

Keb’ Mo’

Performances were inspired all around. The North Mississippi Allstars lit up the room with their dynamic set, and one could feel the emotions of the room rise as they sang their funky “Prayer for Peace.” At one point, Cody Dickinson played drums and keyboard riffs simultaneously; later, he moved to a synth- or pedal-treated washboard for a psychedelic down-home front-porch finale.

Another galvanizing performance was turned in by Harrison Kennedy, whose a cappella opening number brought the room to a hush, as he kept time on a shaker and moaned out his soul, moving many to give him a standing ovation.

Blues Foundation President and CEO Barbara Newman noted, “We are watching the trends closely, and the blues, as a genre, is definitely on an uptick, with younger musicians being drawn to create and play this style of music and a continually growing following of the music on our social media outlets and beyond.”

Blues Music Award winners
1. Acoustic Album: Break the Chain – Doug MacLeod
2. Acoustic Artist: Taj Mahal
3. Album: TajMo – Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
4. B.B. King Entertainer: Taj Mahal
5. Band: Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
6. Best Emerging Artist Album: Southern Avenue – Southern Avenue
7. Contemporary Blues Album: TajMo – Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
8. Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Samantha Fish
9. Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Keb’ Mo’
10. Historical: A Legend Never Dies, Essential Recordings 1976-1997 – Luther Allison (Ruf Recordings)
11. Instrumentalist-Vocalist: Beth Hart
12. Instrumentalist-Bass: Michael “Mudcat” Ward
13. Instrumentalist-Drums: Tony Braunagel
14. Instrumentalist-Guitar: Ronnie Earl
15. Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Jason Ricci
16. Instrumentalist-Horn: Trombone Shorty
17. Pinetop Perkins Piano Player (Instrumentalist – Piano): Victor Wainwright
18. Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female): Ruthie Foster
19. Rock Blues Album: We’re All In This Together – Walter Trout
20. Rock Blues Artist: Mike Zito
21. Song: “The Blues Ain’t Going Nowhere” written by Rick Estrin and performed by Rick Estrin
22. Soul Blues Album: Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm – Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm
23. Soul Blues Female Artist: Mavis Staples
24. Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado
25. Traditional Blues Album: Right Place, Right Time – Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter
26. Traditional Blues Male Artist: Rick Estrin