Nanaimo’s homegrown blues musician scored a nomination for a national music award for his latest album.
David Gogo is in the running for Best Blues Album of the Year from the Juno Awards for his album Soul Bender, part of which was recorded at his home in Nanaimo.
“It’s really nice because the business I’m in is very much a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ business,” Gogo said.
The album, which features blues standards, a bluesy version of Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel, plus Gogo’s original songs, has been reviewed as one of the music industry veteran’s best.
“And we did the recording right here in good ol’ Nanaimo,” he said.
News of the nomination also meant some quick rescheduling on Gogo’s part as he had shows in Crofton and Port Alberni which conflicted with the week of festivities surrounding the Juno Awards.
He’ll be at the awards, along with fellow nominees Bill Johnson, from Victoria, Monkey Junk, Harrison Kennedy and Suzie Vinnick, at the gala dinner where the majority of the 38 awards will be given out.
Only a handful of awards are presented on the Juno Awards telecast the following night, which will be hosted by William Shatner.
The last time Gogo was nominated, in 2007 for Acoustic, he performed at the gala with Jim Byrnes, who eventually went on to win the award. Ideas are being tossed around as to how this year’s nominees can showcase their chops.
“Everyone who’s nominated, we’re all friends,” Gogo said.
Soul Bender is Gogo’s third Juno nomination, including a Best New Solo Artist nod in 1995. He said he isn’t recording new material right now, but his songwriting bug is starting to bite.
“We’re still riding this one and [the nomination] has rejuvenated it,” Gogo said.
The album is available online as well as Fascinating Rhythm and Sound Heritage in downtown Nanaimo, and HMV at Woodgrove Centre.
But Gogo isn’t the only Nanaimo musician celebrating a Juno Award nomination this year – Bobs and LoLo scored a nod for Children’s Album of the Year.
For Robyn Hardy and Lorraine Pond, graduates of Dover Bay Secondary School, it’s their second nomination, following Action Packed, which was nominated for the same award in 2010.
Festivities surrounding the Juno Awards run March 26-April 1. For more information, please visit www.junoawards.ca.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com