2015 Muddy Award Winners: Rae Gordon Wins Big

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On Wednesday, November 4, the Cascade Blues Association presented its annual Muddy Awards show at The Melody Ballroom. Hosted onstage by CBA President Greg Johnson and Vice President Wendy Schumer, the show announced various winners in twenty-two categories, including best performers, recordings, venues, and events of the last year, as selected by the members of the CBA. The biggest winner of the night was Rae Gordon, who took home three awards and was also inducted into the Muddy Award Hall of Fame for taking home the Duffy Bishop Female Vocalist of the Year award for the third straight year. Other highlights included first-time winners John Mazzocco, Andy Stokes, and Brian Foxworth, and a “Paul deLay” Lifetime Achievement award presented to the late Linda Hornbuckle. Linda’s close friends, Brian Foxworth and LaRhonda Steele, accepted the award.Rae Gordon

Congratulations go out to all the Muddy Award recipients and nominees!

It could not be a night of celebration of the blues without live music and we were treated by sets from the CBA’s Journey To Memphis winners Sister Mercy and the Rogue Rage Duo. Ben Rice led an all star grouping that he pieced together that was a fine showing of many of the Northwest’s best players and a short preview of Dave Fleschner’s The Blues Cabaret with fellow vocalists Earl Thomas, Billy Mixer, and Jimmy Wilcox. The overall All Star band consisted of: Alan Hager, Allen Markel, Ashbolt Stewart, Ben Rice, Dan Gildea, Dave Fleschner, Dave Melyan, Dean Mueller, Doug Rowell, Earl Thomas, Ed Neumann, Gabe Cox, Jason “JT” Thomas, Jeff Hayes, Jimi Bott, John Mazzocco, Josh Makosky,  Julie Amici, Karen Lovely, Kevin Selfe, LaRhonda Steele, Lisa Mann, Naomi Tatsuoka, Rae Gordon, Rich Layton, and Steve Kerin.

Special thanks go out to the folks at The Melody Ballroom for providing their grand ballroom once again this year, JBL Productions for the stage work, lights, and sound; Affordable Trophies, Big Screen Productions, and Cedar House Media; Wendy Schumer for creating the slide show and program design; Greg Johnson, Jim Dorothy, and Tony Kutter for their photography; Cherie Robbins for assisting in handing out trophies on stage, Sandy Forst for working the door, and Brenda Docken for assisting with merchandise sales; and finally to the CBA Board of Directors for their work in making this event take place, and of course all of the presenters.

This years Muddy Award Recipients are:

Contemporary Blues Act: Kevin Selfe & The Tornadoes
“Lloyd Jones” R&B Act: Norman Sylvester Band
Traditional Blues Act: Ben Rice Trio
Regional Blues Act: Ty Curtis Band
Best New Act: Bottleneck Blues Band
“Duffy Bishop” Female Vocalist: Rae Gordon
“Curtis Salgado” Male Vocalist: Andy Stokes
Electric Guitar: Phil “Suburban Slim” Wagner
“Terry Robb” Acoustic Guitar: Alan Hager
Bass: John Mazzocco
Harmonica: Mitch Kashmar
Keyboards: Dover Weinberg
“Jimi Bott” Drums: Brian Foxworth
Horns: Peter Moss
Venue: The Blue Diamond
“The Hurley Award”: Steve Gross
Northwest Recording: Rae Gordon – Dirty Flowers
National Recording: Sugaray Rayford – Southside
Northwest Blues Event: Bronze, Blues & Brews
Performance of the Year: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at the Waterfront Blues Festival
Back What You Believe In: Rae Gordon
Lifetime Achievement: Linda Hornbuckle

Terry Robb with Alan Hager Rae Gordon Phil Suburban Slim Wagner Peter Moss Norman Sylvester (1) Mitch Kashmar Kevin Selfe and The Tornadoes John Mazzocco Brian Foxworth Bottleneck Blues Band Ben Rice Andy Stokes