Roseleaf Records artist: Lisa Mann's Northwestern All-Stars - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Great Women in Blues, by Lisa Mann's Northwestern All-Stars, and it's powerful. Opening with traditional spiritual numbers, Wade In The Water/Swing Low Sweet Chariot really demonstrating the richness of Odabi's voice...wow. Rolling into rocking blues, I Sing The Blues, Odabi holds the crowd in her hands supported by the potent backing of Mann on bass, Jimi Bott on drums, Louis Pain on organ, and flaming guitar work by Ben Rice and Jason Thomas. Very cool. Pops Staples' Why Am I Treated So Bad has a lightly funky arrangement with rich harmonies by Odabi and Mann and crushing double stops against cool lead by Rice and Thomas really gives this track a potent signature. One of my favorites. Rudy Toombs' R&B hit, 5-10-15 Hours is smooth as silk with Odabi swinging the lead and Mann, Rice and Thomas setting the groove. Tasty blues riffs by Thomas and a tight bottom by Bott give this track great traction. Rose Marie McCoy's So Good To My Baby turned driving boogie has a lot of spring and hot solos by Rice on guitar and Pain on keys gives this track that extra something. Wrapping the release is Willie Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle with plenty of swagger with Mann driving the bottom on bass, Rice and Thomas laying in hot riffs and Odabi holding court. The organ efforts of Pain really add a lot of flavor to this track on organ, winding it up for an solid closer. 

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Blues Music Award nominees announced by the Blues Foundation; ceremony is May 11

THE BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 38TH BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES  Awards ceremony to be held May 11, 2017 in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Blues Foundation is pleased to announce the nominations for its annual Blues Music Awards, which the international organization will present on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded blues musicians, The Blues Music Awards upholds its rich cultural tradition by honoring the past year’s superior achievements in blues performance, songwriting, and recording. This annual ceremony represents the premier event for blues professionals, musicians, and fans around the globe.   Sugar Ray Norcia, individually, and collectively with his band, The Bluetones, received the most nominations with seven, including B.B. King Entertainer Award, Best Song, Best Album and Best Band. The total reaches ten with the inclusion of his Bluetones bandmates Monster Mike Welch (Instrumentalist-Guitar), Michael “Mudcat” Ward (Instrumentalist-Bass) and Anthony Geraci (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player). Chicago-based guitarist Toronzo Cannon garnered four nominations and he faces off against Norcia in both the Best Song and Best Album categories. Best Album probably ranks as the most competitive category, with Norcia and Cannon battling Bobby Rush, Kenny Neal, William Bell and the Nick Moss Band, who all have three nominations.   Several nominees will be defending their titles won at last year’s Blues Music Awards. Instrumentalist-Harmonica winner Kim Wilson is one of this year’s nominees, and Cedric Burnside might again claim the Instrumentalist-Drums crown. Shemekia Copeland and Bettye LaVette also return to the categories they won last year (Contemporary Blues Female Artist and Soul Blues Female Artist, respectively), while 2016’s Acoustic Artist winner, Doug MacLeod, is one of this year’s contenders too.    The Awards also honor the next generation of blues performers with the Best Emerging Artist Album category. In fact, two Emerging Artist nominees also are contenders for a second award. Detroit native Thornetta Davis’s “I Gotta Sang the Blues” is up for Best Song, while Terrie Odabi is competing against the likes of Bettye LaVette and Mavis Staples to be named Soul Blues Female Artist.   The complete list of 38th Blues Music Award nominees also can be found at the Blues Foundation’s website — www.blues.org. A ballot will soon be sent to all Blues Foundation members, as they have the privilege of deciding which nominees will actually take home a Blues Music Award in May. Anyone interested in casting a vote to decide this year’s winners may receive a ballot by joining or renewing their membership with The Blues Foundation at any time up to February 28, 2017.  The Blues Music Awards ceremony annually proves to be one of the year’s best shows. Not only does almost every nominee attend, but they also perform, creating a lineup featuring the best of the best in blues all in one evening. More information regarding membership, voting, ticket, and host hotel information can be found at www.blues.org or by calling 901.527.2583.   Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission.  The 38th Blues Music Awards are also sponsored by BMI, GET and I-55 Productions, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sony/Legacy.     The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renowned as THE organization whose mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form.  Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has approximately 4000 individual members and 200 affiliated local blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world.  Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards — make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance for musicians in need, while Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues Scholarships expose new generations to blues music. The recent opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, in Memphis, TN, now adds the opportunity for music lovers of all ages to interact with the music and the history. For more information, log onto www.blues.org. 38th Blues Music Award Nominees Acoustic Album Doug MacLeod - Live in Europe Eric Bibb - The Happiest Man in the World Fiona Boyes - Professin' the Blues Jimmy “Duck” Holmes - Live at Briggs Farm John Long - Stand Your Ground Luther Dickinson - Blues and Ballads (A Folksinger's Songbook) Vol I and II Acoustic Artist Doug MacLeod Eric Bibb Fiona Boyes Jimmy “Duck” Holmes Luther Dickinson Album Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat Kenny Neal - Bloodline Nick Moss Band - From the Root to the Fruit Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Seeing is Believing Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way William Bell – This Is Where I Live           Band Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials Nick Moss Band Sugar Ray and the Bluetones Tedeschi Trucks Band   B.B. King Entertainer Joe Bonamassa John Nemeth Lil’ Ed Williams Sugar Ray Norcia Sugaray Rayford Best Emerging Artist Album Corey Dennison Band - Corey Dennison Guy King - Truth Jonn Del Toro Richardson - Tengo Blues Terrie Odabi - My Blue Soul Thornetta Davis - Honest Woman Contemporary Blues Album Al Basile - Mid Century Modern Kenny Neal - Blood Line Nick Moss Band - From the Root to the Fruit The Record Company - Give It Back To You Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way Contemporary Blues Female Artist Alexis P Suter Ana Popovic Janiva Magness Shemekia Copeland Susan Tedeschi   Contemporary Blues Male Artist Albert Castiglia Kenny Neal Mike Zito Sugaray Rayford Toronzo Cannon Historical Album Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, A Music Man Like Nobody Ever Saw, Bear Family Records B.B. King, More B.B. King: Here’s One You Haven’t Heard, Ace Records Bobby Rush, Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush, Omnivore Recordings Michael Burks, I’m A Bluesman, Iron Man Records Pinetop Perkins & Jimmy Rogers, Genuine Blues Legends, Elrob Records   Instrumentalist-Bass Biscuit Miller Bob Stroger Michael “Mudcat” Ward Patrick Rynn R W Grigsby   Instrumentalist-Drums Cedric Burnside Jimi Bott June Core Tom Hambridge Tony Braunagel Instrumentalist-Guitar Bob Margolin Joe Bonamassa Kid Andersen Monster Mike Welch Ronnie Earl  Instrumentalist-Harmonica Dennis Gruenling Jason Ricci Kim Wilson Mark Hummel Sugar Ray Norcia     Instrumentalist-Horn Al Basile Nancy Wright Sax Gordon Beadle Terry Hanck Vanessa Collier  Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) Annika Chambers Diunna Greenleaf Inetta Visor Shaun Murphy Trudy Lynn Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Anthony Geraci Barrelhouse Chuck Henry Gray Jim Pugh Victor Wainwright Rock Blues Album of the Year Albert Castiglia - Big Dog Mike Zito - Keep Coming Back Moreland & Arbuckle - Promised Land or Bust Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By Walter Trout - Alive in Amsterdam Song “Blues Immigrant” written by Matthew Skoller & Vincent Bucher and performed by Matthew Skoller on Blues Immigrant “I Gotta Sang The Blues” written and performed by Thornetta Davis on Honest Woman “Seeing Is Believing” written by Ray Norcia and performed by Sugar Ray & The Bluetones on Seeing Is Believing “Walk A Mile In My Blues” written by David Duncan, Curtis Salgado & Mike Finigan and performed by Curtis Salgado on The Beautiful Lowdown “Walk it Off” written and performed by Toronzo Cannon on The Chicago Way Soul Blues Album Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat Curtis Salgado - The Beautiful Lowdown Johnny Rawls - Tiger in a Cage Wee Willie Walker - Live! Notodden Blues Festival William Bell - This Is Where I Live         Soul Blues Female Artist Bettye Lavette Lara Price Mavis Staples Terrie Odabi Vaneese Thomas Soul Blues Male Artist Bobby Rush Curtis Salgado Johnny Rawls Wee Willie Walker William Bell Traditional Blues Album Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party at Big Jon's Bob Margolin - My Road Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue - Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Seeing is Believing Traditional Blues Male Artist Bob Margolin John Primer Lil’ Ed Williams Lurrie Bell Sugar Ray Norcia