2010 Blues Music Awards: Acoustic Artist & Album Of The Year

I spent February reviewing and discussing as many of the Blues Music Award-nominated albums, artists, and songs as I did research for my own ballot.  While some of you will think I tipped my hand during that process, I never revealed who was getting my vote in any one category.  With less than a month to go until awards night, I've decided to discuss some of my favorite BMA categories and give you a sneak peak at who I chose.  We begin with the two acoustic categories: Acoustic Album Of The Year and Acoustic Artist Of The Year.

I don't plan to repeat this disclaimer in each of these articles, but this one is the first so I'll go ahead and give you the speech now.  Under ideal circumstances, I would be able to spend unlimited time listening to each nominated album and artist.  That's not practical and it's not what's happened here. 

I got as many of the nominated works as was possible and in instances where it wasn't I did my best to use (legal) internet resources to familiarize myself with the nominees before casting my ballot.

Let's refresh our collective memory on the nominees in the two acoustic categories:

Acoustic Album

• David Maxwell & Louisiana Red - You Got To Move
• Maria Muldaur & Her Garden of Joy - Good Time Music For Hard Times
• Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women - Havin' The Last Word 
• Samuel James - For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen
• Various Artists - Things About Comin' My Way - A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks

 Acoustic Artist

• Annie Raines & Paul Rishell 
• Doug MacLeod 
• Guy Davis 
• Louisiana Red 
• Samuel James

It is easy to hear why Louisiana Red and Samuel James were nominated both as artists as well as for their respective records — the only two artists who can make that claim.  The acoustic categories were once the "Country Blues" categories and as such honor the oldest of traditions within the blues idiom and the albums from these two are captivating exhibitions of that tradition, quickly becoming the frontrunners for my vote as Acoustic Album of The Year.

I spent a lot of time agonizing over these two categories.  My initial plan was to vote for Louisiana Red in both categories.  It's impossible to not be drawn in by him.  I really didn't think any of the other albums would give me that same special feeling, but I was wrong.  Samuel James' record educated me and made me think, smile, and feel.  It may not be the bluesiest record in sound but if thinking, smiling, and feeling aren't at the heart of the idiom, what the hell is the point? 

Article Author: Josh Hathaway

Josh Hathaway began with Blogcritics in August 2004 and served as writer, and editor and founded the music web site BlindedBySound.com. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/blindbysound).

Visit Josh Hathaway's author page — Josh Hathaway's Blog