Award Ceremony
by Texas Jimmy Drounette
If you love the blues, support the blues by becoming a member of the Washington Blues Society. You can find out about the organization on the internet or in their Bluesletter publication distributed to most blues clubs and mailed free to WBS membership.
From up north in Bellingham, The Wild Buffalo House of Music was nominated in the category of Best Blues Club, but the honor went to the New Orleans Cafe. Also from up North, The Mount Baker Blues Festival won Best Blues Event.
Phil Chesnut of WBS won for Best Blues Image. Sue Orfield won the award for Best Blues Horn Player. The Best Blues DJ award went to John Kessler. Rev. Dave Brown took home the award for Keeping The Blues Alive. Cook and Green won in the Best Traditional Act category. Too Slim and the Taildraggers won the Best Washington Blues Recording award for Tales of Sin & Redemption.
Several of the nominees took 2 awards. Alice Stuart took two categories; Best Blues Songwriter and Blues Hall of Fame. Patti Allen won for Best Female Vocalist and Lifetime Achievement Award. Rod Cook received 2 awards, Best Blues Acoustic Guitarist and Best Blues Electric Guitarist.
Another 2 award winner is Henry Cooper. Henry won for Best Blues Slide and he shared a win for Best Blues Band. Ed Vance played in the Henry Cooper Band and also won for Best Pianist/Keyboardist. Another performer/band leader to win two awards was Randy Oxford as Performer of the Year and jointly in the Best New Band category. Paul Green won two awards; Best Male Blues Vocalist and Best Blues Harmonica Player. It was truly a year for doubles!
In the rhythm section; Howard Hooper won Best Blues Bass Player and Chris Leighton won for Best Blues Drummer.
In between presentations the crowd was entertained first by The Henry Cooper Band. By the second song, my question of "do people dance at these ceremonies" was answered. Next the Crossroads band played and the dancers filled the floor. Later, when The Randy Oxford Band played, the floor was packed again.
It was my first awards show here, but it won't be my last!
