The Soil and The Sun, Drew Nelson, Blue Molly big winners at 14th Jammie Awards show (photos, video)

WYCE-FM’s jam-packed Jammies on Friday jammed two stages with two dozen performances and doled out 19 awards to Michigan bands and artists.

 

Rootsy artists The Soil and The Sun and Drew Nelson took top honors on Friday night, sharing West Michigan’s Jammie Award for best album of the year, but popular blues/soul band Blue Molly took home the most hardware during WYCE-FM’s packed-to-the-gills event at The Intersection.

Blue Molly, led by singer Molly Bouwsma Schultz, was honored for releasing 2012’s best album by a new artist and for best soul/blues album, as well as snagging the “listeners’ choice” award for best new artist.

And if you count Mackinaw Harvest Music producer Michael Crittenden’s Jammie Award for best production/engineering, Blue Molly’s self-titled CD earned a share of that: The album was among five listed among Crittenden’s 2012 credits, which also included Nelson’s award-winning “Tilt-A-Whirl” featuring the track, “Promised Land,” honored as song of the year. Not surprisingly, the ever-vibrant and humble Bouwsma responded with great appreciation and enthusiasm from the stage.

Nelson’s album on the Red House Records label shared top honors with The Soil and The Sun’s psychedelic, folky release, “Wonder Is This Universe!”

Held for the first time on a Friday night rather than a Tuesday, the 14th celebration of local and regional music hosted by the community radio station proved to be even more beautifully chaotic than usual and the crowd grew throughout the evening. More than 1,500 fans and musicians squeezed into the sprawling Grand Rapids nightclub over the course of the evening and migrated, elbow-to-elbow, from The Stache front lounge stage to the main showroom to hear mini-sets by two dozen acts, including The Crane Wives, An Dro, Lucas Wilson, Karisa Wilson, Edye Evans Hyde and Serita’s Black Rose, all of whom also won awards during the evening.

The evening boasted a number of terrific collaborations: Karisa Wilson and Garner brought members of The Fauxgrass Quartet on stage for a lively, bluesgrass-styled sendup, Hyde’s set boasted a guest spot by popular Grand Rapids rapper Rick Chyme, and violinist Jeffrey Niemeier of Northern Skies ended up sawing away furiously as a special added attraction during Lucas Wilson’s compelling performance.

Iconic Grand Rapids bluesman Jimmie Stagger and late acoustic blues guitarist Frank Salamone were honored with this year’s Legacy Award, a fitting tribute to two of the most influential West Michigan musicians of the past 40 years. Stagger and guitarist Jim Leitch followed the presentation with a brief performance as the duo, Suitcase. Read more about Salamone, Stagger and their 1970s’ act, Suitcase, in this Spins on Music feature.

“It’s really an honor and I’m thrilled to get it,” Stagger told me. “I love WYCE. I love everything they do.”

Of course, as usual, the event was the place to be and to be seen if you’re involved in the region’s music scene, with musicians reacquainting themselves with fellow players and cheering on performers. And in terms of diversity, the evening’s performances were among the best ever in the history of the Jammies.

WYCE station manager Kevin Murphy and music director Pete Bruinsma — after scrambling to work out 11th-hour glitches in the PowerPoint displaying nominees on projection screens and securing The Koh Kohs to replace the Appleseed Collective’s late cancellation — were ebullient with the smoothness of Friday’s Jammies operation and the uplifting, upbeat mood permeating the full house.

Jammies-goers — many of them, yes, in pajamas — also donated an impressive array of food items for Access of West Michigan, which supports and helps coordinate Kent County’s food pantry system for needy families. Access collected nearly 1,000 pounds of food from Jammie-ites, a fabulous showing of support from the community.

Drummer Dan Rickabus of The Crane Wives may have gushed it best in accepting the award for best rock/pop album of the year (which was an interesting category placement): “You guys are all beautiful. We love you, we love this place, we love this city, this is unreal. Michigan music!”

These days, there’s absolutely nothing better.

Here’s the full list of this year’s award winners; except for the critics/jury awards and listeners’ choice honors, Jammie Awards are based on voting by WYCE’s 70-plus volunteer programmers:

2013 JAMMIE AWARDS
WYCE Legacy Award: Frank Salamone and Jimmie Stagger
The Jammie Award (Album of the Year): The Soil + The Sun – What Wonder is This Universe! ; Drew Nelson – Tilt-A-Whirl
Song of the Year: Drew Nelson “Promised Land”
Best Album by a New Artist: Blue Molly – Blue Molly
Best Alternative Album: Tokyo Morose – Sequence of Steps
Best Rock/Pop Album: The Crane Wives – The Fool in Her Wedding Gown
Best Roots Album: The Ragbirds – Travelin’ Machine
Best Americana Album: Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys – Release Your Shrouds
The ‘Traditions!’ Award: An Dro – Storyteller
Best Jazz Album: Edye Evans Hyde – Magic in His Eyes
Best Soul/Blues Album: Blue Molly – Blue Molly
Best Contemporary Folk Album: Karisa Wilson – Stronger; May Erlewine – The Long Way Home
Best Dance/Funk Album: Ultraviolet Hippopotamus – Broomhilda Suite
Best Short Form Release: Serita’s Black Rose – Serita’s Black Rose
Best Production/Engineering: Michael Crittenden – Mackinaw Harvest Recording Studio (Drew Nelson; Delilah DeWylde and The Lost Boys (produced w/Chris Andrus); Fauxgrass; The Northern Skies; Blue Molly)
Special Jury Prize Best Album: The Soil + The Sun – What Wonder is This Universe!
Special Jury Prize Best New Artist: Lucas Wilson
Listener Choice Best Album: The Crane Wives – The Fool in Her Wedding Gown
Listener Choice Best New Artist: Blue Molly

Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music