Washington Blues Society Announces 2017 Best of the Blues Awards (“BB Awards”) Winners
The Washington Blues Society’s annual Best of the Blues Awards (“BB Awards”) were held at the Kirkland Performance Center on Sunday, April 9th to honor musicians and artists nominated by blues society members in 32 award categories. The 2017 BB Awards show featured performances by select nominees and recognized new inductees into the Washington Blues Society Hall of Fame.
2017 Washington Blues Society Best of the Blues – Award Winners ~
Mark Dufresne Male Vocalist – Sammy Eubanks
Blues Female Vocalist – TIE – Sheri Roberts Greimes & Polly O’Keary
Electric Blues Guitar – Mark Riley
Slide Blues Guitar – Brian Richard Lee
Blues Bass – Lissa Ramaglia
Chris Leighton Blues Drummer Award – Tommy Cook
Blues Horn – John Goforth
Paul Green Blues Harmonica Award – Jim McLaughlin
Blues Piano/Keyboard – Michael Baxter
Acoustic Blues Guitar – Brett CB Benton
Blues Instrumentalist – Other – Ben Hunter – mandolin
New Blues Band – Kevin Andrew Sutton & Blue Monday
Blues Band – Patti Allen & Monster Road
Little Bill & the Blue Notes Traditional Blues Act Award – Brian Richard Lee & the Orbiters
Solo/Duo Blues Act – Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely
Blues Performer – Patti Allen
Blues Songwriter – Polly O’Keary
Washington Blues Recording – Sugar Me ~ Sammy Eubanks
Blues Club – Highway 99 Ed Maloney
Blues Writer – Rick J Bowen
Blues Photo Image – Dan Hill – Larry Williams Photo Art
Blues Graphic Image – Dennis Hacker – Sculpted Mud Guitar Freedom Fest Painting
Blues DJ – John Kessler
Keeping the Blues Alive Award -Dennis “Zab” Zyvoloski
Lifetime Achievment Award – Paul Green
WBS Hall of Fame (Individual) – Lee Oskar
WBS Hall of Fame (Band) – Isaac Scott Band
Best Non-Festival Blues Event – Snohomish Blues Invasion
Best Regional Blues Festival – Sunbanks Festival
Best Community Blues Festival – Ebey Island Freedom Fest 😉
Open Blues Jam – Madison Avenue Pub –
SPECIAL Award by the WBS Executive Board:
– BLUES TO THE BONE – Paul Brown, Jeannie Whoopiekitty Baker , Dennis Dudley, Paul Caldwell, and Rick Jacobson.
Congratulations to all the Winners
In addition to its annual BB Awards program, the all-volunteer Washington Blues Society, has a Musicians Relief Fund for blues musicians in need, hosts a music education program called “Passing the Torch” and publishes a 32-page color monthly glossy magazine, The Bluesletter. More information: www.wablues.org