Curtis Salgado Wins At Blues Music Awards

The thirty-ninth annual Blues Music Awards honoring blues musicians and recordings in 26 categories were held in Memphis, TN, last month. Portland’s own Curtis Salgado was once again awarded the BMA for Soul Vocalist, his ninth BMA award and seventeenth nomination overall. Other local musicians nominated this year were Karen Lovely, Jimi Bott, and The Paul deLay Band. Congratualtions to Curtis and to all the award recipients and nominees.

The night’s biggest winners were Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ for individual awards and for their outstanding collaborative album TajMo, for a total of five awards. Among those Taj Mahal was presented with the prize award of the night, the BB King Entertainer of the Year. Rick Estrin also BMAs took home three himself, including with his band The Nightcats.

Acoustic Album – Break The Chain, Doug MacLeod
Acoustic Artist – Taj Mahal
Album of the Year – TajMo, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year – Taj Mahal
Band of the Year – Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Best Emerging Artist Album – Southern Avenue, Southern Avenue
Contemporary Blues Album – TajMo, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
Contemporary Blues Female Artist – Samantha Fish
Contemporary Blues Male Artist – Keb’ Mo’
Historical Album – Luther Allison – A Legend Never Dies, Essential Recordings 1976-1997 (Ruf Records)
Instrumentalist – Vocals – Beth Hart
Instrumentalist – Bass – Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist) – Ruthie Foster
Instrumentalist – Drums – Tony Braunagel
Instrumentalist – Guitar – Ronnie Earl
Instrumentalist – Harmonica – Jason Ricci
Instrumentalist – Horn – Trombone Shorty
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player (Instrumentalist – Piano) – Victor Wainwright
Rock Blues Album – We’re All In This Together, Walter Trout
Traditional Blues Male Artist – Rick Estrin
Rock Blues Artist – Mike Zito
Song of the Year – “The Blues Ain’t Going Nowhere”, written by Rick Estrin
Soul Blues Album – Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm
Soul Blues Female Artist – Mavis Staples
Soul Blues Male Artist – Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album – Right Place, Right Time, Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter