30th Blues Music Awards DVD
Produced by The Blues Foundation
Have you ever thought about going to the Blues Music Awards in Memphis? Maybe you might want to take a look at this new DVD of the 30th Blues Music Awards ceremonies before you make your decision. This is the third year that The Blues Foundation has released a DVD of their signature event and much like the BMAs the videos have gotten better each consecutive year.
When you place the disc into your player, it’ll give you a handful of choices: Pre-Show, Winners’ Performances and Nominees’ Performances and a Slide-Show by Category. Your player may list these as titles with individual chapters. But be aware that there is a chapter not shown in the menu and that one has some of the not-to-miss performances on the disc. So make a point to go through it all, even if it means watching the same acts more than once. You’re going to want to anyway.
What you get at the Blues Music Awards is not just a fun awards presentation like you see with any such ceremony, but it is once-in-a-lifetime groupings of musicians on stage together that you may have never dreamed possible. And the 30th anniversary of the awards certainly had its share of such matchings. For example, how about Taj Mahal & Maria Muldaur? Or maybe Elvin Bishop & Marcia Ball? But it gets even better in proportions, too. The opening set itself was a monster: Lurrie Bell, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Bob Stroger, Kenny Smith, Deanna Bogart, Kevin Crossan and Terry Hanck. Then you had another that offered Gaye Adegbalola, Jason Ricci, Bob Margolin, Bill Stuve and Jimi Bott. Fantastic individual sets that include the likes of Bettye LaVette, Janiva Magness, Kenny Neal, Watermelon Slim, Bob Brozman and Curtis Salgado. And remember that last chapter I told you about? Don’t just skim over the titles, play through them. Buried in there you will find Eden Brent, Billy Gibson and , oh yeah, how about Curtis Salgado paired up with none other than B.B. King, with the King and Josh Fulero trading some mighty fine licks between them. And there’s still so much more, all filmed in spectacular colors and sound with multiple cameramen.
After you’ve watched this DVD, if you were thinking about going to the BMAs, chances are highly likely you’ll be on the phone or computer booking your flights and hotel rooms right away. The DVD is outstanding, but truth be told, nothing matches to actually being in attendance. This DVD is something that you’re going to find yourself enjoying over and over. You just can’t get enough of great blues and this includes many of the very best!
The 30th Blues Music Awards DVD is available for purchase through The Blues Foundation website. Visit them at www.blues.org. You’ll probably spend a little time checking out all the great information found there as well.
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If you love down-down Southern soulful blues, do yourself a favor and run out and buy the latest disc from Johnny Rawls entitled Memphis Still Got Soul. Rawls consistently releases fantastic recordings, as evidenced this last year with his Blues Music Award recognition for his previous release Ace Of Spades, taking home the prize for Soul Blues Album, while also garnering a nomination for Male Soul Blues Vocalist. And as great as that last album was, I have to say that in my opinion he has far exceeded it with Memphis Still Got Soul. This just may be the finest soul-blues album to come out in some time. It must be heard!
