PAUL RISHELL EARNS FIRST SOLO BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR 'TALKING GUITAR' (MOJO RODEO)

New England's blues master Paul Rishell has earned his first solo Blues Music Award nominations for Acoustic Album of the Year with 'Talking Guitar' and for Acoustic Artist. He and harmonica-playing musical partner Annie Raines are previous winners as a duo.

Rishell has played with and learned from Son House, Johnny Shines, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Buddy Guy & Junior Wells. With Raines, he has opened for Ray Charles, Asleep at the Wheel, Susan Tedeschi, Leon Russell, Dr. John, and John Sebastian. The Boston Globe's James Reed wrote a feature on Rishell last year.

In related news, Raines and Rishell played together publicly for the first time 20 years ago December 5, marking a milestone in the fruitful musical partnership.

Here's a postable mp3 of Rishell's rendition of "Fannin' Street (Mr. Tom Hughes' Tom)."

The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, TN, on May 9, 2013. Online voting is open for members and ticket sales open December 13.

Paul Rishell & Annie Raines tour dates:

January 25, 2013 – Boston, MA – Institute for Contemporary Art (w/ Woody Mann)

January 26, 2013 - Canton, CT - Roaring Brook Nature Center

February 8, 2013 - Brownfield, ME - Stone Mountain Arts Center

February 22, 2013 - Cambridge, MA – Club Passim

February 23, 2013 - N. Eastham, MA - First Encounter Coffeehouse