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(MEMPHIS, TN) -- January 17, 2002 -- NorthernBlues Music Inc. is proud to
announce that the label received a total of five W.C. Handy Award nominations today, including Otis Taylor’s White
African receiving a nod for Blues Album of the Year.
NorthernBlues Music Inc. was founded in 2000 and launched its first CDs in March, 2001. “I’m humbled by the incredible
reception to our CDs – to have five Handy nominations from our first year of operation is absolutely amazing,”
said Fred Litwin, President of NorthernBlues Music, Inc.
White African was released in March of 2001 and has received widespread acclaim across North America. The album
received a total of four W.C. Handy Award nominations including Blues Album of the Year, Acoustic Blues Album of
the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist Debut.
The Santa Fe New Mexican raved, "This Coloradoan is responsible for the
most astonishing blues album released in recent years, the incredible White African -- an eye-opening collection
of harrowing songs about lynching, starvation, alcoholism, and other happy topics. Imagine David Lynch producing
John Lee Hooker and you have an idea of how White African sounds.”
In addition, another of the label’s acts, Paul Reddick & The Sidemen received a nomination for the best New
Artist Debut with their CD, Rattlebag, giving Taylor some stiff competition. This Canadian band is now poised
to make a huge US breakthrough with their first US tour starting next week.
In December, Paul Reddick & The Sidemen set a new record by receiving nine nominations from the Maple Blues
Awards including Recording of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Electric Act of the Year,
and Producer of the Year.
The accolades come right as NorthernBlues Music is preparing to release
Taylor's highly-anticipated follow up album, Respect The Dead, scheduled for release April 2, 2002. The album contains
13 original songs featuring Taylor(vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica and mandolin), producer Kenny Passarelli (bass)
and Eddie Turner (lead guitar). Also scheduled for release on April 2 is Harry Manx's second album, Wise Or Otherwise,
embellishing the Indian-influenced folk-blues introduced by Manx on Dog My Cat, his debut for NorthernBlues Music.
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