On what was an otherwise freezing cold end to a blizzard-filled Summit weekend, Toronto’s Phoenix Club played host to the celebration of Canada’s national blues awards, otherwise known as the MBAs. As the masses huddled and made their acquaintances – happy to shed heavy clothing for the relative warmth of the big room, the night got underway with the first well-rehearsed notes from the always-exciting Maple Blues Band. Regulars Tom Bona, Michael Fonfara, Teddy Leonard and full horn section including Chris Murphy, Chris Whiteley, Pat Carey and Al Lerman coalesced behind bandleader Gary Kendall to kick off an evening of expert musical accompaniment complementing a full schedule of award announcements.

Ably hosted by CBC’s Garvia Bailey, the night was one of sincere excitement as this year’s list of nominees presented a healthy, Canada-wide picture of the robust state of the nation’s blues, regardless of the country’s economic woes. Chosen by blues fans from across the land, everyone in attendance eagerly awaited news on their personal favourites. New full-time presenter, Bailey was visibly buoyed by the musical force behind her, adding flourishes to each element of the program as well as full-on musical interludes showcasing some of our best performers: JW Jones, Treasa Levasseur, Ray Bonneville with Amos Garrett, Harrison Kennedy, The Soujourners and Shakura S’Aida – to the extreme delight of the full house.

By now, the winners’ names have permeated the industry and fan bases, alike. The outcome was, as the evening progressed, a perfect one. The world of blues lost a musical treasure a little less than a year ago this March – and we’re clearly still smarting from the repercussions of the loss. Jeff’s ability to champion his hardships have made him a superhero to most Canadians – even before his standout musical accomplishments in rock, blues and jazz circles transformed him into a household name. The fact that his posthumous release, Mess of Blues, overturned many nominations in his favour seems only a fitting send-off to this one-of-a-kind, bigger-than-life Canadian. Healey won for Entertainer of the Year, Electric Artist of the Year and Guitarist of the Year while Mess of Blues earned Recording of the Year. Each award was gracefully accepted by Jeff’s wife, Cristie, and father, Bud (left) – both delivering heartfelt speeches of deep appreciation.

In addition, three of Jeff’s bandmates scored MBAs as Alec Fraser took home Bassist of the Year, Al Webster received Drummer of the Year honours and Dave Murphy earned Keyboard Player of the Year honours, toasting Jeff from the podium in true Canadian tradition. Both Fraser and Murphy delivered emotional speeches that left the audience scrambling for Kleenex. Mako Funasaka’s moving video tribute to Jeff, edited to a live version of Neil Young’s “Like A Hurricane”, proved that there is no closure from the relationship the country shared with this man, and a standing ovation to this production was fitting. Nominees could hardly feel like they’d been passed over in the context of this room-wide, emotional outpouring.    

Other winners included Harry Manx (Acoustic Artist of the Year), Fathead’s John Mays (Male Vocalist of the Year), Suzie Vinnick (Female Vocalist of the Year) while the New Artist of the Year (and one of the evening’s most interesting categories) was awarded to Kitchener’s Daddy Long Legs, although Alberta's Marshall Lawrence, New Brunswick’s Keith Hallett, Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk and Vancouver’s Sojourners would each benefit from the added exposure. Additional award-winners in their categories included Steve Marriner (Harmonica), Pat Carey (Horn), Paul Reddick (Songwriter) while musicologist and educator, Rob Bowman earned Blues Booster of the Year and Taj Mahal won for International Artist of the Year. One of the evening’s highlights was the fact that the great Amos Garrett was at the Awards, in person, to receive his Blues With A Feeling Award for Lifetime Achievement – an apt prize in lieu of his sizeable accomplishments over the years with artists ranging from Maria Muldaur, Paul Butterfield, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Wonder. As the amicable Albertan took over the mic with his big baritone voice, he joked about the time being right to move into playing jazz as he relished his CPP cheques.

Another measure of the scale of Canadian blues talent being recognized at this event was the found in the caliber of special presenters, including such international luminaries as Jay Sieleman, Executive Director of The Blues Foundation, Jostein Forsberg (Notodden Bluesfest, Norway), Chip Eagle (Publisher, Blues Revue/BluesWax), Jean Guillermo (Festival Blues sur Seine, France) and Jacques Noel (FestiBlues Internationale de Montréal).

Yet the crowning glory of the evening came, as always, from the stage as musical performances ruled the night. It’ll be a long time before anyone forgets the power found within the tiny frame that is Treasa Levasseur, backed by the sensationally soulful Sojourners (who, alone, tore up the stage) in a blistering performance of “Stuck in Soulsville”. Or, the combination of Ray Bonneville and Amos Garrett with a roots-rich performance that highlighted a more mellow yet, nonetheless, no less moving approach. The sultry Shakura S’Aida took sass and style to new heights as she caught fire on-stage, decked out in red leather and fur, for a sexually-charged reminder of why she’s taking the world by storm, yet proud to be a homegirl. Harrison Kennedy’s honest, authentic blues shone forth in his solo showcase while JW Jones served notice to everyone that he’s a performer who’s barely begun to tap his potential. An after-party featuring Winnipeg’s The Perpetrators, held in an adjoining room, served to end one part of the evening and begin another, as people filed out of the main room.

This was a party, pure and simple, and a pleasure for all in attendance to behold. Celebrating the new, the not-so-new and the dearly departed, 2009’s Maple Blues Awards served to underline why Canada remains a continual contender on the world stage of blues artists and performers. Those making their way home along the icy sidewalks in the dark of the evening would feel no cold, warmed to the bone by all they had witnessed.

Copyright 2009 - All pictures courtesy of Eric Thom - No images may be downloaded or used without prior permission - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it