Thom Swift picks up his first ECMA for Blues Album of the Year.

Congrats to Fredericton native, and Maple Blues Award winner for best new artist, Thom Swift on picking up his first solo ECMA (he has one with Hot Toddy) award for Blues Album of the year last night for "Into the Dirt" at ECMA 2008 in Fredericton. (The TV show airs on March 2nd)

Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival ran a showcase stage for 3 nights which as full to overflowing for three solid nights, with line-ups of up for n hour and a half on Saturday night.

Thursday featured a New Brunswick Blues showcase with Matt Andersen, haggy Dogs, Isaac and Blewett, Matchstick Mike, Ryan Leblanc and onorary maritimer, Rick Fines, who dropped down for the weekend. (and oined Matt Andersen for a bit!)

Friday was a very cool East Coast Jazz Showcase with Tonic (yes, missing he one and only Doug Riley), Gypsophilia, ECMA Winners for Jazz Tom asley (Another member of Hot Toddy and Maple Blues Bassist of the year ominee) and the legendary Bill Stevenson, The Joel Leblanc (yes, the ther member of Hot Toddy) Quartet and Newfoundland guitarist Duane Andrews. We finished off the night with a Blues Party with the Downtown lues Band that went until 3:30AM.

Saturday night was another cool night of East Coast Blues with an ncredible opening set by Newfoundlander Chris Kirby (who was at the MB ummit last year), then Thom Swift, Hot Toddy, young phenom Keith allet, Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin Bastards, and again another Late ight party with former MBA winner Shirley Jackson and her good Rockin' addy's..

Along the way, we raised over $4,000 for our Harvest Music in the chools Grant program..a great weekend of blues and more at the ECMA in redericton!

Brent Staeben
Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival