2004 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Nominees

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Below are the nominees for the 2004 W.C. Handy Blues Awards, selected by an international voting panel of blues fans and blues society members. The awards will be presented April 29 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis.

ACOUSTIC ALBUM
"Natural Light," Eric Bibb (Earthbeat)
"Last Fair Deal," Rory Block (Telarc Records)
"Chocolate to the Bone," Guy Davis (Red House)
"Blues Singer," Buddy Guy (Silvertone)
"Blues 2.0," Fruteland Jackson (Electro-Fi)
"Big Lonesome Radio," Mark Lemhouse (Yellow Dog Records)

ACOUSTIC ARTIST
Eric Bibb
Rory Block
Guy Davis
John Hammond
Corey Harris
Alvin Youngblood Hart

BEST NEW ARTIST DEBUT
"Sweet Talk," Renee Austin (Blind Pig)
" Doctor Velvet," Nick Curran (Blind Pig)
"Up Your Mind," Ellis Hooks (Evidence)
"Southern Comfort," EG Kight (Blue South Records)
"Big Lonesome Radio," Mark Lemhouse (Yellow Dog Records)

BLUES ALBUM
"Which Way Is Texas?," Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets Featuring Sam Myers (Bullseye Blues)
"Blues Singer," Buddy Guy (Silvertone)
"A Woman Like Me," Bettye Lavette (Blues Express)
"Truth Is Not Fiction," Otis Taylor (Telarc Records)
"Lookin' for Trouble," Kim Wilson (MC Records)

BLUES BAND
Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets w/Sam Myers
Little Charlie and the Nightcats
Magic Slim Band
Bob Margolin's All Star Blues Band
Rod Piazza Band
Roomful of Blues

ENTERTAINER
Solomon Burke
Shemekia Copeland
BB King
Bobby Rush
Kim Wilson

INSTRUMENTALIST--BASS
Johnny B. Gayden
Calvin Jones
Willie Kent
Bob Stroger
Bill Stuve

INSTRUMENTALIST--DRUMS
Jimi Bott
Sam Carr
Sam Lay
Joe Maher
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

INSTRUMENTALIST--GUITAR
Michael Burks
Ronnie Earl
Anson Funderburgh
Duke Robillard
Junior Watson

INSTRUMENTALIST--HARMONICA
James Harmon
Charlie Musselwhite
Rod Piazza
Snooky Pryor
Kim Wilson

INSTRUMENTALIST--HORNS
Gordon Beadle - Saxophone
Mark Kazanoff - Saxophone
Calvin Owens -Trumpet
Roomful of Blues - Horns
Eddy Shaw - Saxophone

INSTRUMENTALIST--KEYBOARDS
Marcia Ball
Henry Butler
Dr. John
Honey Piazza
Jay McShann

INSTRUMENTALIST--OTHER
Gatemouth Brown - Fiddle
Andra Faye (Mandolin/violin)
Robert Randolph - Pedal Steel
Sonny Rhodes - lap steel
Otis Taylor - Banjo

SONG
"Foreclose on the House of Love," Lee Sanders, writer ("So Many Rivers," Marcia Ball)
"Hard Times Won," Barry Levenson/Johnny Dyer, writers ("Hard Times Won," Johnny Dyer)
"I Smell Smoke," Michael Burks, writer ("I Smell Smoke," Michael Burks)
"Lookin' for Trouble!," Kim Wilson, writer ("Lookin' for Trouble!," Kim Wilson)
"Southern Comfort," EG Kight/Tom Horner, writers ("Southern Comfort," EG Kight)

COMEBACK ALBUM
"What You Want," Mickey Champion (Tonedef)
"Free Beer Tomorrow," Jim Dickinson (Artemis Records)
"A Woman Like Me," Bettye Lavette (Blues Express)
" Deacon John's Jump Blues," Deacon John Moore (Vetter Communications)
"Rediscovered," Howard Tate (Private Music)

CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
"So Many Rivers," Marcia Ball (Alligator)
"I Smell Smoke," Michael Burks (Alligator)
Nick Moss & the Fliptops - Count Your Blessings - Blue Bella
"Truth Is Not Fiction," Otis Taylor (Telarc Records)
"Lookin' for Trouble!," Kim Wilson (MC Records)

CONTEMPORARY FEMALE
Marcia Ball
Deborah Coleman
Shemekia Copeland
EG Kight
Janiva Magness

CONTEMPORARY MALE
Buddy Guy
Taj Mahal
Otis Taylor
Joe Louis Walker
Kim Wilson

HISTORICAL ALBUM
"Complete Excello Singles," Slim Harpo (Hip-O)
"The Gospel of the Blues," Sister Rosetta Tharp (MCA/Decca)
"Muddy 'Mississippi' Waters Live," Muddy Waters (Legacy Edition)
"The London Sessions," Howlin' Wolf (MCA/Chess)
"50 Years of Jazz and Blues," Various Artists (Delmark)

SOUL BLUES ABLUM
"Blues at Midnight," Bobby Blue Bland (Malaco Records)
"Let's Roll," Etta James (RCA/Private)
"A Woman Like Me," Bettye Lavette (Blues Express)
"One More Bridge to Cross," Mighty Sam McClain (Mighty Music)
"Rediscovered," Howard Tate (Private Music)

SOUL FEMALE ARTIST
Etta James
Bettye Lavette
E.C. Scott
Toni Lynn Washington
Lavelle White

SOUL MALE ARTIST
Solomon Burke
W.C. Clark
Mighty Sam McClain
Bobby Rush
Howard Tate

TRADITIONAL ALBUM
"Back to the Delta," Jimmy Burns (Delmark)
"Which Way Is Texas?," Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets Featuring Sam Myers (Bullseye Blues)
"All Star Blues Jam," Bob Margolin (Telarc Records)
"Rockin' in the Same Old Boat," Johnny B. Moore (Delmark)
Shout Sister Shout: Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe," Various Artists (MC Records)

TRADITIONAL FEMALE ARTIST
Alberta Adams
Precious Bryant
Mickey Champion
Maria Muldaur
Odetta
Koko Taylor

TRADITIONAL MALE ARTIST
Willie King
Robert Lockwood, Jr.
Magic Slim
Pinetop Perkins
Otis Rush

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This year's inductees in the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame include Bo Diddley, the late Piedmont bluesman Blind Boy Fuller, and pioneering producer J. Mayo Williams.

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Guy, James Win Top Handy Honors

Buddy Guy and Etta James were the big winners at the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, presented last night (April 29) by the non-profit Blues Foundation at the Cannon Center Ballroom in Memphis.

Singer/guitarist Guy was named contemporary blues male artist of the year, and his Silvertone album "Blues Singer" was selected blues album of the year and acoustic blues album of the year. Vocalist James was honored as soul blues female artist of the year; her Private Music release "Let's Roll" scored as soul blues album of the year.

Roomful Of Blues took blues band of the year accolades, and the group's horn section won in the instrumentalist category. B.B. King was dubbed blues entertainer of the year. "Doctor Velvet" by Texas singer/guitarist Nick Curran received the best new artist debut award.

Other longtime Handys favorites collecting honors included pianist Pinetop Perkins (traditional blues male artist of the year) and singer Koko Taylor (traditional blues female artist of the year).

The Handy Awards are based on a poll of blues fans and national blues society members.

2004 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Winners:

Below is the complete list of winners of the 2004 W.C. Handy Blues Awards, presented April 29 at the Cannon Center Ballroom in Memphis.

Contemporary blues male artist of the year: Buddy Guy

Blues album of the year: "Blues Singer," Buddy Guy

Acoustic blues album of the year: "Blues Singer," Buddy Guy

Soul blues female artist of the year: Etta James

Soul blues album of the year: "Let's Roll," Etta James

Blues band of the year: Roomful Of Blues

Blues entertainer of the year: B.B. King

Best new artist: Nick Curran

Traditional blues male artist of the year: Pinetop Perkins

Traditional blues female artist of the year: Koko Taylor

Contemporary blues female artist of the year: Marcia Ball

Soul blues male artist of the year: Solomon Burke

Acoustic blues artist of the year: John Hammond

Blues instrumentalist, guitar: Duke Robillard

Blues instrumentalist, keyboards: Dr. John

Blues instrumentalist, harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite

Blues instrumentalist, bass: Willie Kent

Blues instrumentalist, horns: Roomful Of Blues

Blues instrumentalist, drums: Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Blues instrumentalist, other (fiddle): Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Contemporary blues album of the year: "So Many Rivers," Marcia Ball

Comeback blues album of the year: "A Woman Like Me," Bettye LaVette

Traditional blues album of the year: "Which Way Is Texas?," Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets

Historical blues album of the year: "Muddy 'Mississippi' Waters Live," Muddy Waters

Blues song of the year: "Looking For Trouble," Kim Wilson and Amanda Taylor