THREADHEAD RECORDS MUSICIANS WIN 2009 BEST OF THE BEAT AWARDS

OffBeat Magazine’s annual Best of the Beat Awards, hosted over two nights last week at Harrah’s Casino and House of Blues in New Orleans, hailed Threadhead Records—in only its second year— and several of its musicians. 

Harrah’s Casino hosted the first night of the event, Wednesday, January 20th, where Offbeat announced the picks for the best individual musicians and music business award winners. Threadhead Records artists John Boutte (best male vocalist), Matt Perrine (best tuba/sousaphonist) and Paul Sanchez (best songwriter) all took home individual awards, and Paul Sanchez and John Boutte’s collaboration, “Hey God,” won for best song of the year.

House of Blues hosted the Best of the Beat main event on Friday, January 22nd, and Threadhead Records and its artists received awards that night as well. A new addition to the local music scene and the THR family, the Honey Island Swamp Band, won two awards—best blues album (Wishing Well) and best emerging artist—and Paul Sanchez and John Boutte secured the best country/folk/roots rock album award for their joint effort, Stew Called New Orleans.

Threadhead Records was awarded the annual Heartbeat Award, which is given to an individual or organization that has supported the recording and rebuilding efforts of New Orleans musicians.

About Threadhead Records: Formed in 2007, Threadhead Records (THR) is an unprecedented fan-funded and volunteer-run record company formed out of the love for New Orleans and its music, and its musicians. Our mission is to help New Orleans musicians affected by the flooding that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many of whom are still rebuilding today.

Please help us rebuild New Orleans, one song at a time.

For more information, please visit the THR website, www.threadheadrecords.com, or contact fundraising coordinator Chris Joseph:

Email - chris@threadheadrecords.com
Phone - (504) 358-2732, (424) 229-2657
Mail - Chris Joseph
Threadhead Records
11849 Olympic Boulevard, Suite 101 
Los Angeles, CA 90064 

THE BEST OF THE BEAT 2009 WINNERS

01 February 2010 — by OffBeat Staff

When Allen Toussaint’s The Bright Mississippi was released, we said, “(Producer Joe) Henry treats these recordings not as pop, jazz nor R only ones who feel that way &B but as art song—an elevated, sophisticated thing that draws from vernacular traditions. As an American treasure, it’s the sort of treatment Toussaint merits, and it’s a treatment that is sympathetic with his piano playing. He is relentlessly tasteful and elegant, choosing notes with care and sensitivity to space and context.”

Evidently, we’re not the about the album. It was nominated for a Grammy, and you selected it as Album of the Year and Toussaint, Artist of the Year and Best Piano Player.

We presented these and all of the Best of the Beat awards January 20 at the Harrah’s Theatre and January 22 at the House of Blues. Since we went to press before these events, we can’t show you photos from those nights here, but go to OffBeat.com for pictures and reports. Thanks to our sponsors—Harrah’s New Orleans, Abita Beer, WWL-TV, Louisiana Entertainment Office, Capital One Bank, Sweet Home New Orleans, MusicSwingsVotes.org and Loyola School of Music Business Studies—and all the musicians and restaurants who helped make the Best of the Beat happen. We’ll be back this time next year; will you join us?

MUSIC AWARDS

Best Rock Album
Paper Empire: Better Than Ezra

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Album
Stew Called New Orleans: Paul Sanchez and John Boutte

Song of the Year
“Hey God”: John Boutte and Paul Sanchez
(written by John Boutte and Paul Sanchez)

Songwriter of the Year
Paul Sanchez

Artist of the Year
Allen Toussaint

Album of the Year
The Bright Mississippi: Allen Toussaint

Best Blues Album
Wishing Well: Honey Island Swamp Band 

Honey Island Swamp Band

Best Emerging Artist
Honey Island Swamp Band

Best Female Vocalist
Irma Thomas

Best Male Vocalist
John Boutte

Best Bass Player
George Porter, Jr.

Best Guitarist
Sonny Landreth

Best Drummer
Johnny Vidacovich

Best Saxophonist
Donald Harrison

Best Clarinetist
Dr. Michael White

Best Trumpeter
Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews

Best Trombonist
Delfeayo Marsalis

Best Tuba/Sousaphonist
Matt Perrine

Best Piano/Keyboardist
Allen Toussaint

Best Accordionist
Terrance Simien

Theresa Andersson

Best Violinist/Fiddler
Theresa Andersson

Best DJ
DJ Soul Sister

Best Other Instrumentalist
Washboard Chaz, washboard

Best Radio Station
WWOZ

Best Festival
Voodoo Music Experience

Best Recording Studio
The Music Shed

Best Record Store
Louisiana Music Factory

Best Studio Sound Engineer
Chris Finney

Best Music Attorney
Ashlye M. Keaton

Best Club Owner or Manager

Tom Thayer (d.b.a.)

Best Concert Promoter
Hypersoul

Music Awareness Award
WWL-TV

Music Business of the Year
The Music Shed