News
We at Blues Leaf are all
mourning the loss of one of our family members -
keyboardist, arranger, and musical director Lance Ong. He was a
"Treasure" to all of us who knew him and played with him. He may be
gone but won't be forgotten. May you rest in peace, Lancie.
Joe Morabia and the Blues Leaf Family
Dec. 8, 2009
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
2004 W.C. HANDY AWARD
NOMINEE
FOR "BEST CONTEMPORARY FEMALE BLUES ARTIST" - > JANIVA MAGNESS
!!!
Each year, The Blues Foundation recognizes Blues artists, musicians,
and recordings through the annual presentation of the W.C. Handy
Blues Awards. The Handy Awards are the highest recognition
bestowed on Blues artists in the music industry. The Blues Leaf
family & friends congratulate Janiva on this prestigious
achievement!
CAST YOUR VOTE
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE BLUES FOUNDATION NOW. BY BECOMING A MEMBER
OF THE BLUES FOUNDATION ($25.00 TAX DEDUCTIBLE MEMBERSHIP) YOU GET
MANY PRIVELEDGES TO INCLUDE VOTING RIGHTS FOR THE 25TH ANNUAL W.C.
HANDY AWARDS (SILVER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION) 2004.
CAST YOUR VOTE FOR JANIVA NOW! CAST YOUR VOTE FOR ALL THE GREAT
NOMINEES AND
VOTE NOW.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?
PRESS RELEASE January20,
2004
BLUES SINGER JANIVA MAGNESS NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS W.C. HANDY
AWARD
Sultry blues singer Janiva Magness has been nominated as Best Contemporary
Female Artist of the Year in the 25th annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards
ceremony sponsored by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tenn. This
is the first nomination for Magness, a resident of Los Angeles whose
Janiva Magness Band performs nationally and internationally. The
award will be presented April 29 at the W.C. Handy Awards show in
Memphis. Previous winners of the Best Contemporary Female Artist
Award include Etta James, Koko Taylor and Susan Tedeschi.
"I'm thrilled to be nominated for this award", said Magness.
"This is the kind of award that you hope to be named for some
day, but you don't believe it will actually happen because of all
the obstacles out there. I am truly grateful." The W.C. Handy Awards
are universally regarded as the highest honor given to a blues artist.
Other nominees this year include such noted performers as B.B. King,
Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Etta James and Solomon Burke. Magness joins
an elite group of women in the Best Contemporary Female Artist catagory.
Additional nominees are past winners Marcia Ball, a piano player
from Austin, Texas, and singer Shemekia Copeland of New York as
well as guitarist Deborah Coleman of Portsmouth, Va., and singer
E.G. Kight of Dublin, Ga.
For more than two decades, Magness has been winning praises from
fans, music critics and publications such as Billboard, Downbeat,
Blues Revue, Living Blues and Southland Blues. Born and raised in
Detroit, MI., Magness was captivated at an early age by the blues
and R&B sounds of the region. She developed a singular gritty and
alluring vocal style that has made her a favorite a blues festivals
throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
The release of her fifth CD in 2003, "Use What You Got"
on Blues Leaf Records immediately catapulted Magness into the ranks
of leading blues performers. Songs such as "I'm Lost Without
You" and "I'm Not Ashamed" were an immediate hit
with radio programmers across the country and "Use What You
Got" quickly climbed to the top of blues radio charts.
Each April, the Handy Awards in Memphis attract thousands of blues
artists, record company executives, producers, managers and fans
to celebrate the genre's leading artists. Nominations for Handy
Awards are chosen by music industry experts and the final awards
are voted upon by members of the Blues Foundation. The foundation
is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating
the blues through a worldwide network of more than 100 affiliated
blues societies and individual members in more than 20 countries.
MORE
New Releases
 JON
PARIS - "BLUE PLANET"
Jon Paris has toured and recorded with Johnny Winter, Bo Diddley,
Robert Gordon & Link Wray, Johnnie Johnson and Mick Taylor. He's
backed Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker and Hubert Sumlin. He has recorded
with Bob Dylan, Ron Wood, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, and John Hiatt.
He's jammed with Les Paul, B. B. King, Muddy Waters and John Mayall.
All the while Jon Paris has maintained his own New York City-based
Rock'n'Blues band, performing at clubs and concerts, casinos and
festivals throughout the U.S.A. and across the Atlantic. His compositions
have been covered by the likes of Johnny Winter, and have appeared
in such major motion pictures as The Naked Gun and Scary Movie 3.
"Blue Planet," Jon Paris's latest CD on Blues Leaf, includes more
of his Blues-drenched, rocked-out originals plus his own unique
versions of some great Blues classics. MORE
 THE
ROCKATS "WILD LOVE" The Rockats are an Anglo/American roots
rockin' band. Though they are based out of New York City, they have
toured extensively throughout England, Europe and Japan. Many of
their early New York gigs supported acts as diverse as Tina Turner,
David Bowie and Kiss. They have appeared on American Bandstand with
Dick Clark, and Wolfman Jack's Midnight Special as well as a cameo
appearance in the remake of the 1950's classic "Where the Boys Are
'84". Original songs, penned by the band, have been included on
movie soundtracks like "The Generals Daughter" starring John Travolta.
The current Rockats lineup, according to many, is their best and
most seasoned, featuring original members Dibbs Preston (lead vocal/acoustic
guitar), and Barry Ryan (lead guitar), joined by Rockabilly veterans
John Willoughby (slap bass) and Jeff Dilena (drums). MORE
GENE LUDWIG - "HANDS ON"
Gene Ludwig has been called the country's most passionate exponents
of Jazz Organ. JAZZIZ hailed him as the "finest mainstream
jazz organ player alive." "Hands On" the follow up
to his critically acclaimed “The Groove ORGANization"
teams Gene up with some of Pittsburgh's finest jazz musicians: Gene
Ludwig (Hammond B-3 organ), Eric DeFade (tenor saxophone), Ken Karsh
(guitar), and Tom Wendt on drums. This cd confirms the fact that
Gene Ludwig keeps his "Hands On" his organ! Recorded at
Stargate Studios, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MORE
|
