(January 9, 2012) Toronto, ON -- The Toronto Blues Society is proud to announce the recipient of the Blues Booster of the Year award, a very special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry.

This year, the Blues Booster of the Year Award goes to Liz Sykes, President of the Ottawa Blues Society.

BLUES FESTIVALS IN CANADA

For a complete list of blues festivals (and festivals with blues performers) visit our sister site

BluesFestivalsInCanada.ca

  LIVE BLUES IN CANADA

For a list of live blues gigs across Canada visit our sister site

LiveBluesInCanada.ca

And the blues was everywhere, on the street, in the clubs and on three outdoor stages. What I enjoy about the Shuffle is that the blues runs deep throughout the performances. Many festivals bill themselves as Jazz & Blues but are often lacking on the blues front. The Shuffle calls itself a Blues & Jazz Festival and it lives up to the billing. Now don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate all types of music. I consider it a privilege to experience live music. Being the father of a professional jazz vibraphonist as well as a head banging rock bassist has allowed me to experience a wide spectrum of music. And to realize the love and dedication that all musicians put into their music makes it impossible not to be in awe of what you see and hear on stage. This was more than evident as Mark “Bird” Stafford hosted the junior jam on the Canadian Blues Pavilion stage. Young, budding blues musicians were showcasing their talents on a festival stage and playing alongside some of the best Canadian blues musicians. It must have been quite exciting for them. I look forward to following their careers.

"Big voice, big hair, big physique: the Maritime bluesman is a presence on stage. He’s even got big fingers ... but those digits can sail over his acoustic guitar strings with the speed and grace of a hummingbird." - Ottawa Citizen

There's a phenomenal buzz surrounding Matt Andersen. With his jaw-dropping talent, commanding presence and passionate delivery, Matt enchants audiences from coast to coast ... often to the point of eliciting spontaneous mid-set standing ovations! Hot on the heels of his unprecedented win at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN (the first Canadian to do so since its 1984 inception!), the accolades and awards continue to roll in: Entertainer of the Year and Acoustic Act of the Year at the 2011 Maple Blues Awards, as well as Blues Recording of the Year and Male Solo Recoding of the Year at the 2011 East Coast Music Awards.

  JOHNNY WINTER COMEBACK STORY: The trials of Johnny Winter

After years of substance abuse and bad business deals, blues legend Johnny Winter gets a
new lease on life-and fights to reclaim his lost legacy.

By Sean McDevitt 

It's sometime after midnight on a warm August weekend, and Johnny Winter sits in contemplative silence as the road passes beneath the wheels of his tour bus. Less than an hour ago, he was exiting a Delaware stage, having just completed a simmering 75-minute set that closed out a weekend blues festival in the city of Wilmington, and now is his time to unwind. Music from a 20-gig iPod loaded with more than 4,500 classic blues tunes fills the air, and a pack of Marlboros and Winter's trusty black lighter sit before him, beckoning.

Doc MacLean and Big Dave McLean are pleased to announce their upcoming, National Steel “Bad Boy” Blues Tour schedule. This year’s Tour will consist of some 75 shows over nine Canadian provinces, and will include appearances at select Long and McQuade locations from coast to coast.