Jeff Healey Blues Band Score Maple Award Nominations

The late blues guitarist Jeff Healey, along with the individual members of the Jeff Healey Blues Band, racked up a total of seven nominations this week in the 2009 Maple Blues Awards. Sponsored by the Toronto Blues Society and honoring excellence among Canadian blues artists, the 12th annual Maple Blues Awards program will take place on January 19th, 2009 in Toronto.

Healey, who tragically passed away in March 2008, received three posthumous Maple Award nominations, including "Entertainer of the Year," "Electric Artist of the Year," and "Guitarist of the Year." The guys that made up the house band of Jeff Healey's Roadhouse club in Toronto – guitarist Dan Noordermeer, bassist Alec Fraser, keyboardist Dave Murphy, and drummer Al Webster – also received nominations as the "best" in their respective instrumental categories. This is the band that Healey used for his posthumous album release, Mess Of Blues, which also received a Maple Award nomination as "Recording of the Year."

Among other Maple Award nominees are singers Paul Reddick and Danny Brooks for "Male Vocalist of the Year;" Amos Garrett and J.W. Jones for "Guitarist of the Year;" and Reddick and Carlos Del Junco for "Harmonica Player of the Year." Amos Garrett's Get Way Back and Ray Bonneville's Goin' By Feel are among the albums considered for "Recording of the Year" honors. A full list of the 2009 Maple Awards nominations can be found on the Toronto Blues Society's website.

Award nominees are selected by a panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the online votes of Canadian fans. Voting begins on November 1st and runs through December 6th, 2008.

Related Content: Jeff Healey - Mess Of Blues CD review

CD cover photo courtesy Ruf Records