Anderson gets nod
Posted By COURTNEY WHALEN, THE PACKET AND TIMES
Posted 2 months ago
Award show season is in full swing and Orillia's own Lance Anderson has earned a nomination from the blues industry as piano/keyboard player of the year for his work last year.
Anderson is vying for the acclaim at the 13th annual Maple Blues Awards in January with four of his peers.
"There's a lot of keyboard players around. There's a lot of great keyboard players," he said yesterday, adding he was in good company with the likes of Bill Stevenson, Julian Fauth, Kenny Wayne and Michael Fonfara.
And that doesn't even make a dent in the talent that's out there, he said.
The Maple Blues Awards are the national awards to recognize musicians in the blues industry and promote the genre. Nominees are selected by a panel for their contributions to the industry in the past year and then voted on by the public in an online voting system.
Anderson said he likes that the awards aren't designed to try to pinpoint the "best" in the industry.
"It's the fact if somebody's had a really good year and been working a lot that year," he said.
Looking at a sampling of the projects Anderson's been involved in and the musicians he's played with proves he's a man who likes to keep busy.
From festivals and workshops to stints in Europe and producing, Anderson said the past year has been one of his busiest. Many of those with whom he's worked or played are also nominees in one or more of the 16 categories.
"The Maple Blues Awards is a really good thing," he said.
Not only is it an acknowledgement from the industry itself, but the awards gala in January tends to get good media exposure as well, Anderson said.
He's no stranger to the nomination game, but Anderson hasn't yet been called up on stage.
"I'm going to turn into the Susan Lucci of nominations," he said, laughing. (Lucci is an actress who was nominated for 18 Emmy Awards before finally winning one in 1999.)
In the early months of 2010, Anderson will have three more CD projects he's involved with out, including one of his own duo Anderson and Sloski with Michael Sloski and the Fathead album he's currently producing and playing on.
The jazz and blues industry is going strong in Canada, he said yesterday despite the scant evidence of the genre in mainstream music stores.
"The music is still there and the music is still appreciated," he said.
To vote in the Maple Blues Awards, go to www.mapleblues.ca.Online voting is open until Dec. 13.
cwhalen@orilliapacket.com
