Riverfront Times announces 2011 Music Award nominees

The Riverfront Times today announced the nominees for the 2011 RFT Music Awards. This year's contenders for "Best Jazz Artist" are guitarist Dave Black, saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, pianist Peter Martin, singer Denise Thimes and pianist Reggie Thomas.

In addition, several jazz and creative musicians and groups also showed up as nominees in other categories. Multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris is nominated in the "Best Soul/R&B (Solo Artist)" category, and both Good 4 the Soul and the Funky Butt Brass Band are nominated in "Best Jam/Funk Group." Also, electronic musicians Raglani and Eric Hall both earned nods in the "Best One-Person Project" category, and guitarist Teddy Presberg scored a nomination as "Best Solo Artist."

The 2011 nominees for "Best Blues Artist" include Big George Brock, Roland Johnson and the Voodoo Blues Band, the Ground Floor Band, Rough Grooves, and Rockin' Jake, who recently decamped back to his hometown of New Orleans.

Ballots will be available soon online and in upcoming print issues of the RFT, and nominees from all the various categories will perform during the annual RFT Music Showcase, which will be held Saturday, June 4 at various locations along Washington Ave. downtown.