FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Jake Jacobson, Vice President
Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society
651-771-1958
jakenmel1@comcast.net
WEST BANK LEGENDS TO BE HONORED AT MN BLUES HALL OF FAME CEREMONY
(Minneapolis, MN) Four musicians who have profoundly influenced the
Minneapolis “West Bank” sound since the 1960's, Willie Murphy, “Spider” John
Koerner, Tony “Little Sun” Glover and the late Dave “Snaker” Ray will be among
this year's inductees into the Minnesota Blues Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony
to be held at the Minneapolis Eagles Club (2507 E 25th St) on Sunday October
19th beginning at 5 pm.
Immediately following the Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, Willie Murphy will lead
an all-star band that includes Jimi "Prime Time" Smith, Curt Obeda,
Don "Hye Pockets" Robertson, John Beach, Max Ray, Marbue
Williams, Brad Davies and others. Scottie "Bones" Miller will
also be performing on solo keyboard. Food and beverages will be available
for purchase. There is no cover charge for this event.
Tax-deductible donations to the Greater Twin Cities Blues Society will be
accepted along with "tips" for the band members.
The Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame honors musicians, people and businesses that
have significantly contributed to the promotion and tradition of the Blues
music genre in Minnesota over the past 20 or more years. Awards are given in
five categories: Blues Performer, Non-Performer Supportive of the Blues,
Blues Literature, Blues Recording and Blues Song. Nominations were
accepted from the general public and then voted upon by members of the Greater
Twin Cities Blues Music Society. The 2008 roster of inductees is:
Willie Murphy - “Blues Performer”
It is impossible to classify Willie Murphy as just a “blues” performer.
His musical vocabulary defies and cuts across the simple classifications of
blues, rock, reggae, soul, funk, jazz and rhythm & blues. An
accomplished musician, composer, band leader and social commentator, Willie
Murphy has been performing since the 1960's locally, nationally and
internationally. He piloted what is arguably the funkiest Minneapolis
R&B band of all time, Willie and the Bees, through every dance hall and
dive bar in the upper Midwest in the 70's and 80's. He has continued to
perform and record to the present day both as a solo artist and in various band
configurations including the Angel Headed Hipsters. Whether he is
conveying the pain of losing a lover with his voice, transporting listeners to
the tropics with exotic rhythms on the keyboard, or mesmerizing his audience
with a searing crescendo on his Parker guitar, Willie Murphy always delivers a
soulful, honest performance. Lolly Obeda will present the award to Willie
Murphy.
Koerner, Ray & Glover - “Blues Recording” for
Blues, Rags & Hollers
Recorded at the Woman's Club in Milwaukee, WI on March 24, 1963 and originally
released in June of that year as a translucent red vinyl, 300-copy pressing on
the Audiophile label, Blues, Rags & Hollers arrived at precisely the
moment in the history of American music when “folk” musicians began to turn
their attention to the heritage of Black music in this country. Covering
tunes by Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sleepy John Estes and
others along with their own original compositions, Blues, Rags & Hollers
not only established the beginning of the West Bank “Whomp Bom” blues sound in
Minneapolis but it also helped pave the way for the 60's blues revival in
Minnesota and the nation. Brian Dyke will present the award for "Blues
Recording".
Dave Ray - “Blues Song” for “It's All Right”
Part of the 1963 Koerner, Ray and Glover album Blues, Rags & Hollers,
“It's All Right” features a solo performance by Dave Ray on vocal playing
six-string guitar, bottleneck-style. According to Paul Nelson's 1963
liner notes, “It's All Right” was improvised entirely in the studio. Dave
succumbed to lung cancer on Thanksgiving Day 2002 leaving behind a rich legacy
of recorded music. This early song is an excellent representation of his
skill as both a guitarist and a vocalist interpreting the blues form of
American music. Charles Lawson will present the award to the family of
Dave Ray.
Scott Miller - “Blues Literature” for Rock Keyboard
Published by Hal Leonard Corporation in 2003, Rock Keyboard is an
instructional keyboard book with a “play-along” CD covering many different
styles of rock and blues music. The play-along CD features a live local
band including Scottie Miller, John Iden, Mark O' Day and Paul Mayasich.
Scottie “Bones” Miller has distinguished himself as a performer both on the
local scene and nationally. In 2005 he represented Minnesota at the
International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN and finished among the top five
finalists in the solo/duo competition. In 2006 he toured as the keyboard
player with “Bo Diddley & Friends”; Alvin Youngblood Hart and Ruthie
Foster. His CD Livin' Between The Black ‘n White was nominated as
the Minnesota entry for “Best Self-Produced CD” in 2006 for the Blues
Foundation's “Keeping the Blues Alive” awards. John Hammer will present
the award to Scottie Miller.
Tom Asp - “Non-Performer Supportive of the Blues” for Photography
Tom Asp has been supporting Blues artists and music through photography in
Minnesota for over 20 years and was the first and principle photographer for
the Twin Cities Blues News. Tom's work has been published in Blue
Monday Monthly, Minnesota Monthly Magazine, City Pages,
local newspapers, Blues Review Magazine, Rolling Stone, Guitar
Player Magazine and other publications. Tom's work has been featured
in exhibits at the Blues Saloon, Narrows North, Sativa Blues, The Blues, Muddy
Waters, Black and White, Doc Powell's Restaurant and others as well as on
numerous LP and CD cover and liner photos. Ray Stiles will present the
award to Tom Asp.
The Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization founded in August 2002. Through volunteer efforts we lend support,
pay tribute to and honor our local blues musicians through Profile Events, Road
to Memphis competitions, and the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame. The Blues
Foundation in Memphis awarded the Electric Fetus a 2007 "Keeping the Blues
Alive" Award through our efforts. We have compiled profile booklets of
some of the musicians and we have had historians at Hess-Roise Company document
the Cabooze Bar, KFAI Radio Station and the Electric Fetus retail store. Our
“Blues For Kids” program has introduced young people to the joy of playing a
musical instrument in the hope that it will inspire them to become future
musicians or at least help them to appreciate this musical genre called the
Blues.
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With your help and support we look forward to continued growth and success 'Keeping
the Blues Alive' in Minnesota. Look for us at: www.gtcbms.org
or contact us: (mail) GTCBMS, PO Box 580704, Minneapolis, MN 55458-0704
(e-mail) gtcbms@att.net (phone) 651-407-0845