Ten Alligator Artists Receive Fifteen Blues Music Award Nominations
Tommy Castro received four, including one for the coveted B.B. King Entertainer of The Year Award. Harmonica legend and Blues Hall of Famer Charlie Musselwhite received two nominations. Chicago slide guitar hero Lil' Ed Williams also received a nomination for Entertainer of the Year, and Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials got the nod for Band of the Year. SingerJaniva Magness , pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball, guitarist Michael "Iron Man" Burks and harmonica master Rick Estrin each received one nomination. Newly signed Alligator artists Joe Louis Walker and Curtis Salgado also received one nomination apiece, as did Keith Crossan, saxophonist of The Tommy Castro Band.
Many of the nominated Alligator artists will have releases in 2012, including new albums from Walker, Magness, Salgado, Burks, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and Rick Estrin & The Nightcats.
The 33rd Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 10, 2012 at the Cook Convention Center.
Artists and nominations are as follows:
TOMMY CASTRO:
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Band of the Year - The Tommy Castro Band
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue - Live!!
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
KEITH CROSSAN (of THE TOMMY CASTRO BAND):
Instrumentalist - Horn
LIL' ED WILLIAMS / LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS (New CD set for 2012 release):
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Band of the Year
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE:
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
Instrumentalist - Harmonica
JANIVA MAGNESS (New CD, Stronger For It, set for March 13, 2012 release):
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
MICHAEL "IRON MAN" BURKS (New CD set for 2012 release):
Gibson Guitar Award
RICK ESTRIN (OF RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS) (New CD set for 2012 release):
Instrumentalist - Harmonica
MARCIA BALL:
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
JOE LOUIS WALKER (New CD, Hellfire, set for January 31, 2012 release):
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
CURTIS SALGADO (New CD set for 2012 release):
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
