Two talented Hamilton players have a great chance at bringing some award hardware home. Local soul/blues legend Harrison Kennedyand bluesman Steve Strongman have been nominated for the 16th annualMaple Blues Awards .
Strongman has the distinction of having the most (six) nominations for this year. Kennedy will be up for two awards.
The Maple Blues Awards are taking place at Koerner Hall (Toronto) on January 21, 2013. Voting runs October 27-December 8, 2012. Click here to register to vote. Entertainer Of The Year
Colin James
Matt Andersen
MonkeyJunk
Shakura S'Aida
Steve Strongman
Electric Act Of The Year
Anthony Gomes
JW-Jones
MonkeyJunk
Paul Reddick
Steve Strongman
Acoustic Act Of The Year
Harrison Kennedy
Michael Jerome Browne
Ray Bonneville
Steve Strongman
Suzie Vinnick
Male Vocalist Of The Year
Chuck Jackson
Harrison Kennedy
Matt Andersen
Paul Reddick
Steve Marriner
Female Vocalist Of The Year
Dawn Tyler Watson
Nanette Workman
Shakura S'Aida
Suzie Vinnick
Treasa Levasseur
New Artist Or Group Of The Year
Ben Racine
Boogie Patrol
Conor Gains Band
Steve Kozak
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer
BB King International Artist Of The Year
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Michael Burks
Dr. John
Curtis Salgado
Joe Louis Walker
Recording Of The Year
Steve Strongman: A Natural Fact
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer: Checkered Past (Independent)
Shakura S'Aida: Time
Treasa Levasseur: Broad
Paul Reddick: Wishbone
Blues With A Feeling Award (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Alec Fraser
Michael Jerome Browne
Danny Brooks
Ellen McIlwaine
Joe Murphy
Ken Whiteley
Michael Fonfara
Stephen Barry
Tom Lavin
Matt Minglewood
Brent Parkin
Bob Walsh
Jim Zeller
Nannette Workman
Theresa Malenfant
John Dickie
Guitar Player Of The Year
David Gogo
Garrett Mason
Kevin Breit
Steve Strongman
Teddy Leonard (Fathead)
Harmonica Player Of The Year
Carlos del Junco
David Hoerl (The Twisters)
Guy Bélanger
Paul Reddick
Steve Marriner (MonkeyJunk)
Piano/Keyboard Player Of The Year
David Vest
Julian Fauth
Kenny "Blues Boss" WayneLance Anderson (Shakura S'Aida)
Hamilton's own Steve Strongman has proven that he's just as much of an award winner for his acoustic work as he is for his electric sound. He took home three Maple Blues Awards on January 21, 2013 (Recording, Guitar Player and Songwriter). CONGRATULATIONS!
Hamilton is beaming with pride thank to local Bluesman Steve Strongman. He brought home the Best Guitar (Solo or Duo) award at the International Blues Challenge on January 26, 2019.
Congratulations to Jon Chain for winning solo/duo at #IBC2019 !
I’m so proud and honoured to win the best guitarist award for solo/duo.
What an amazing week and incredible ride ! Thank you all for the love and support !
Representing The Grand River Blues Society, Mr. Steve Strongman our first finalist in over 10 years is awarded the winner of the "Guitar Player Award" in the Solo/Duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis last night. Steve is the now the proud owner of the 2019 IBC Memphis Cigar Box Guitar number "445" that was designed by craftsman and frontman of the GHOST TOWN BLUES BAND, Mr. Matt Isbell. CONGRATULATIONS to our proudly Canadian uber talented guitar wizard himself and one helluva of a great friend STEVE STRONGMAN !!!
Once again, our talented local musicans were honoured with quite a few Maple Blues Award nominations.
Hopefully, some of them will be receieving the kudos on the 17th annual show (run by the Toronto Blues Society) on January 10, 2014. GOOD LUCK!
Steve Strongman, Harrison Kennedy, and Soulstackgarnered two nods each: Strongman for Entertainer & Guitarist; Harrison for Acoustic Act & Male Vocalist; Soulstack for Electric act & Drummer (Tom Bona).
Niagara's Suzie Vinnick co-wrote with Matt Anderson for his Weightless album (#115) and Oakville boy Jordan John teamed up with Roly Platt for the Inside Out CD
Here is the top ten list with the local performers shown below.
Hamilton's Steve Strongman continues to rack up the kudos for his incredible work. His duet with Suzie Vinnick, Leaving (co-written by Rob Szabo) has landed him a spot as one of the finalists in the International Songwriting Competition (Blues category). He will be up against musicians from around the world including Canadian blues performers 24th Street Wailers, Layla Zoe, and Bob Tunnoch. Good luck Steve!
25 Places - Tim Lothar (Denmark)
Devil In Me - Oli Brown (England)
Don't Blow My Cover - William Troiani, Haykon Haye, Ian F. Johannessen, Alexander Pettersen(Norway)
High Gas Prices - William Morganfield - Big Bill Morganfield (Stone Mountain, GA,)
How Long To Heal - Nicolas Toussaint (France)
I'm So Shallow - Darren Watson (New Zealand) Leaving - Steve Strongman, Rob Szabo (Hamilton, ON) Let's Get Crazy - Layla Zoe, Henrik Freischlader (Montreal, QC)
Longtime - Ash Grunwald (Australia)
Love Spell - Teeny Tucker, Robert Hughes (Columbus, OH)
Nothin' In Your House - Gina DeLuca (Baltimore, MD) On A Mission - Lindsay Beaver (24th Street Wailers) (Toronto, ON) She's Trouble - Bob Tunnoch (Toronto, ON)
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FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER
Be Kind To Boston - Thomas Smith - An Atlas to Follow (Knoxville, TN)
Before My Time - J. Ralph (New York, NY)
Blood And Bone - Wes Carr (Buffalo Tales), Eric Silver (Australia)
Burning Daylight - Sam Eliot (England)
Dreams And Country Lanes - Russell Joslin (England)
Festival Song - Tim Easton (Nashville, TN)
Fire Escape - Matthew Mayfield, John Paul White (Birmingham, AL)
Golden Hearts - Teejay Terblanche (Black Handed Kites) (South Africa)
Happiness Comes In A Box - Joshua Hanson (Yellow Red Sparks) (Yellow Pine, ID)
Hell And Back - J. Ralph (New York, NY)
Hit Me With Your Heart - Sam Buckingham (Australia)
Jesus Was A Rollin' Stone - Tony Villiers (Ireland)
Mercy - Ben Kyle (Minneapolis, MN)
Monsters With Misdemeanors - Joshua Hanson (Yellow Red Sparks) (Yellow Pine, ID)
One Little River - Clare Bowditch (Australia)
The Calendar - Kara Francavillo (Nola Wren) (New York, NY) Tinman - Andy Brown (Fredericton, NB)
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AMERICANA
All I Recall - Catherine Britt (Australia)
Audrey's Song - Harry Hookey (Australia)
Circus Comes To Town - Sara Petite (San Diego)
Collide With Me - Rebecca Haviland (Mamaroneck, NY)
Dangers Of The Night - Matt Ellis (Australia)
I Can't Stop Thinking About You - Marshall Chapman (Spartanburg, SC)
La La Blues - Pokey LaFarge (St. Louis, MO)
Learn Those Lessons - Kieran Glasgow (Australia)
Love Inside A Jar - David Garnham - (Australia)
Not In Kansas Anymore - Jokull Jonsson (Iceland)
Pieces Of My Mind - Philip Beach (Southbury, CT)
Roots - Brandon Clark (Cumming, GA,)
Sally Bones - Catherine Britt (Australia)
The Devil Drives - Stuart Earl (England)
When You're Dreamin' - Ed Romanoff, Josh Ritter (Brooklyn, NY) You Might Come Around - Dale Boyle (Dorval, QC, Canada)
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COUNTRY
Anonymous - Rachel Honza (Nederland, TX)
Bone Dry - Marc Christian and J.C. Andersen (Brother Slade), Victoria Shaw (Franklin, TN)
Car That Runs - Lisa Torres, Karleen Watt (Nashville, TN)
Classic Rock And Jesus - Jon D'Agostino, Jason Eustice, Adam Searan (Holmdel, NJ)
Cold October - Savannah Berry, Zac Maloy, Kevin Griffin (Houston, TX)
Coming Home - Paul Cowderoy, David Carter, Jane E Robertson (Australia)
Find A Way To Fly - Bill DiLuigi, Mark Carson (Nashville, TN)
He Said - Tiffany Kuenzi, Liz Rose, Keith Follese, Adrian Follese (Silverton, OR)
Home - Troy Cassar-Daley (Australia)
I Wish I Could Hate You - Jaylene Johnson, Heather Longstaffe, Wendy Wills (Winnipeg, MB)
I'm A Dreamer - Lee Bowman, Paula Bowman, Julian Sammut, Simon Ross, Jason McCoy - Jetty Road (Australia)
It Gets To Me - Kirsty Akers (Australia)
Prove You Wrong - Chelsea Gill (Grand Ledge, MI)
The Suitcase - Liz Hengber, James Dean Hicks, Anthony Smith (Franklin, TN) This Ain't A Love Song - Denis Dufresne and Lynae Dufresne (Pear), Bryan Wayne (Calgary, AB)
Wings - Brad Cunningham (Columbia, MO)
After proving his amazing acoustic talent (and even winning a Juno last year) with the CD, A Natural Fact, Hamilton's pride and joy, Steve Strongman, has changed gears and revved up again. The bluesman's electric sound is back with the latest album, Let Me Prove it to You (through Sonic Unyon Records) and he's sounding more powerful than ever.
If this CD doesn't get you up and dancing, you must be dead. The band's energy is infectious and they know how to groove. Steve and the gang throw in funk, soul, rock, a little country and more into the mix and keep it raucous!
tired of talkin', the explosive 2019 album from Hamilton's Steve Strongman is getting an international boost after recently being re-issued by Waterdown's Stony Plain Records. Recorded in Hamilton and Nashville, the release boasts a number of the Steve's best Blues rockers and soulful tunes.
As always, Steve's in full form here as he shows the world that he can go toe to toe with any Blues master. His weapons include funk, soul, rock and seemingly endless guitar licks. This album means business!
Steve Strongman is known around the world for his high powered, high energy electric guitar sound. For his latest CD, A Natural Fact, this Hamilton boy's decided to show that he's equally adept with an acoustic guitar.
This ain't no collection of slow, introspective, ballads though. The stripped down feel allows his great voice to show off it's energy and power (especially on Haven't Seen It Yet and The Mood). Plus, the boogie he's always had is still here.
Steve also takes advantage of the acoustic format to explore some older blues vibes on a few numbers (while still maintaining a foot in the present). You can hear this from the quasi-gospel sound of I Forgot, to the jazzy, old-timey Full of You, and the rawness of Just One Thing
Though a few tunes are just Steve and his guitar (as well as harmonica), he had a few musical pals to keep him company: Jesse O'Brien, Alec Fraser, Rob Szabo (who also produced the CD), Dave King, and Suzie Vinnick(who duets with him on Leaving).
The CD is available at his live shows and as a download on iTunes.
Below are live performances of songs from the CD. Courtesy of IndieEyes
Once again, the Maple Blues Awards have nominated a lot of local artists for their prestigious awards ceremony.
Hamilton boy Steve Strongman is up for a trio of awards (Entertainer, Electric Act, Guitar Player) as is Steeltown Blues Legend Harrison Kennedy. (Acoustic Act, Male Vocalist, Songwriter). Former Hammertown Bluesman Jack de Keyzer will be in the running for Electric Act too.
Other area nominees include Niagara's Suzie Vinnick (Female Vocalist), Brantford's Chuck Jackson (Male Vocalist + his band, Downchild is up for Electric Act and Recording), Kitchener's Jon Knight of Soulstack (Male Vocalist) and Oshweken's Joel Johnson (New Artist).
On Monday, January 20, 2014 in Toronto, prizes will go to the top Canadian Blues talent. You can vote for your favourite starting on November 5, 2014. Deadline is December 5, 2014. Click here to vote!
Hamilton's Steve Strongman recently added his stamp to an already impressive debut from the dynamic supergroup, Horojo Trio. Set the Record (released through Waterdown's Stony Plain Records) is a muscular recording featuring top Bluesman in peak form.
After mastering straight ahead Blues rock and the nuances of acoustic Blues as well, Hamilton's Steve Strongman has decided to kick thing up a notch with his latest, No Time Like Now(fromSonic Unyon Records/Sony Music Canada). His sound's extremely energized, funky and ready to take on anything that crosses its path!
This unstoppable Blues train will hit you head on with its adrenaline-pumping power and shake you to your foundations, only to soothe you with the two beautiful final tracks. No Time Like Now is one hell of a sonic experience!
Helping Steve with his great new sound are some of his usual talented co-horts: drummers Dave King/Adam Warner, bassists Rob Szabo/Alec Fraserand keyboardist Jesse O'Brien. The album also features a stellar guitar cameo from Randy Bachman playing on a reborn version of his classic You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet.
So get your but down to one of his fabulous live shows and pick up a copy of this CD or go online to Amazon.ca,
iTunesor eMusicto get your recommended dose of high-octane Blues.
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