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40th Annual Blues Music Awards at Cook Convention Center
ByMemphis Cook Convention Center
Memphis, Tennessee
May 9, 2019
Mississippi writer David L. Cohn, in his 1948 book, Where I was Born and Raised (Houghton, Mifflin), defines the length of the Mississippi Delta thusly:
The Mississippi Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg.
That is as good a description of the Romantic still life that has served as the backdrop for the origin of what is called blues music for the last century and earlier. As such it is one dimensional.
Let's expand this definition into two-dimensions by considering a line originating in Memphis and ending in Vicksburg. As the crow flies, that is about an even 200 miles. Fixing our starting point in Memphis, let's rotate that straight line 360 degrees, forming a circle with Memphis as its center. It is not unreasonable to consider Memphis as the ground zero, the singularity, of American Music. We can consider the circle surrounding the city as its event horizon, everything contained within that circle forever in the orbit of Memphis.
The density of important musical locations within this area is impressive. It is sacrum terram to the history of popular music, all genres having a subatomic nucleus of the blues, that indivisible element present in all of American Music. It is wholly appropriate, if not divinely sanctioned, that the Blues Foundation, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Annual Blues Music Awards have their home in this musical singularity that is Memphis.
The Blues Music Awards celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The awards ceremony is the climax of a three-day event that included exhibits (The Blues According to Arhoolie), a book signing (Tammy L. Turner's Dick WatermanA Life in Blues [University Press of Mississippi, 2019]), and the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which saw induction of Aretha Franklin, Count Basie, Pee Wee Crayton, Booker T. & the MG's, Ida Cox, and Moe Asch.
The Classic of Blues Literature was awarded to Lost Delta Found: Rediscovering the Fisk University Library of congress Coahoma County Study, 1941-1942 by John W. Work, Lewis Wade Jones, and Samuel C. Adams, Jr.; Edited by Robert Gordon and Bruce Nemerov (University of Vanderbilt Press, 2004). The Classic of Blues Recording Album was given to Elmore James: the Sky is Crying (Sphere Sound, 1965). The Classic of Blues Recording Singles included: Muddy Waters, "Rolling Stone" (Chess, 1950); Elmore James, "Shake Your Money Maker" (Fire, 1961); Ray Charles, "I Got A Woman" (Atlantic, 1954); B. B. King, "Everyday I Have The Blues" (RPM, 1954); Bessie Smith, "St. Louis Blues" (Columbia, 1925).
The Awards ceremony was eventful with performances by many of the nominees, most notably: Hadden Sayers, Eric Gales, Rory Block, and Bobby Rush. The master of ceremonies was capably handled by Little Steven Van Zandt with award presentations by Latimore, Maria Muldaur, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. The quality of the Awards show was seamless and pristine while still being downhome. This was an event.
2019 Blues Music Award Nominees and Winners
Acoustic Album
A Woman's Soul, Rory BlockBlack Cowboys, Dom Flemons
Global Griot, Eric Bibb
Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues, Joe Louis Walker/Bruce Katz/Giles Robson
Wish The World Away, Ben Rice
Acoustic Artist
Ben RiceGuy Davis
Hadden Sayers
Harrison Kennedy
Rory Block
Album of the Year
America's Child, Shemekia CopelandThe High Cost Of Low Living, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling
Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues, Joe Louis Walker/Bruce Katz/Giles Robson
Rough Cut, Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager
Why Did You Have To Go, Anthony Geraci
B. B. King Entertainer of the Year
Beth HartBobby Rush
Lil' Ed Williams
Michael Ledbetter
Sugaray Rayford
Band of the Year
Anthony Geraci & The Boston Blues All-StarsLarkin Poe
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Nick Moss Band
Welch-Ledbetter Connection
Best Emerging Artist
Burn Me Alive, Heather NewmanFree, Amanda Fish
Heartland And Soul, Kevin Burt
Tough As Love, Lindsay Beaver
Wish The World Away, Ben Rice
Blues Rock Album
The Big Bad Blues, Billy F GibbonsHigh Desert Heat, Too Slim and the Taildraggers
Live At The '62 Center, Albert Cummings
Poor Until Payday, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Winning Hand, Tinsley Ellis
Blues Rock Artist
Billy F GibbonsEric Gales
J.P. Soars
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Tinsley Ellis
Contemporary Blues Album
America's Child, Shemekia CopelandBelle Of The West, Samantha Fish
Chicago Plays The Stones, The Living History Band
Hold On, Kirk Fletcher
Wild Again, The Proven Ones
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Beth HartDanielle Nicole
Samantha Fish
Shemekia Copeland
Vanessa Collier
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Kenny NealRick Estrin
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Selwyn Birchwood
Toronzo Cannon
InstrumentalistBass
Danielle NicoleMichael "Mudcat" Ward
Patrick Rynn
Scot Sutherland
Willie J. Campbell
InstrumentalistDrums
Cedric BurnsideJimi Bott
June Core
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel
InstrumentalistGuitar
Anson FunderburghChristoffer "Kid" Andersen
Laura Chavez
Monster Mike Welch
Ronnie Earl
InstrumentalistHarmonica
Billy BranchBob Corritore
Dennis Gruenling
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
InstrumentalistHorn
Doug JamesJimmy Carpenter
Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff
Mindi Abair
Nancy Wright
Vanessa Collier
InstrumentalistVocalist
Beth HartDanielle Nicole
Janiva Magness
Michael Ledbetter
Shemekia Copeland
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)
Fiona BoyesLindsay Beaver
Ruthie Foster
Sue Foley Trudy Lynn
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Anthony GeraciBruce Katz
Jim Pugh
Marcia Ball
Mike Finnigan
Song of the Year
"Ain't Got Time For Hate," written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough"Angelina, Angelina," written by Anthony Geraci
"Cognac," written by Buddy Guy, Tom Hambridge, Richard Fleming
"No Mercy In This Land," written by Ben Harper
"The Ice Queen," written by Sue Foley
Soul Blues Album
Back In Business, Frank BeyEvery Soul's A Star, Dave Keller
I'm Still Around, Johnny Rawls
Love Makes A Woman, The Knickerbocker All-Stars
Reckoning, Billy Price
Soul Blues Female Artist
Annika ChambersBarbara Blue
Candi Staton
Thornetta Davis
Whitney Shay
Soul Blues Male Artist
Frank BeyJohnny Rawls
Sugaray Rayford
Wee Willie Walker
William Bell
Traditional Blues Album
The Blues Is Alive And Well, Buddy GuyThe High Cost Of Low Living, Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling
The Luckiest Man, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters
Tribute to Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell & the Bell Dynasty
Why Did You Have To Go, Anthony Geraci
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Anthony GeraciCedric Burnside
James Harman
Lurrie Bell
Nick Moss
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