Juno nomination `a nice milestone'
`Validation' as area musicians get Juno nominations
Canada's biggest night in music is also shaping up to be a huge one for Windsor.
Nominations for the 2024 Juno Awards have been announced, and two albums from musicians born or based in Windsor are on the list.
Windsor-raised rock duo The Blue Stones are nominated for Rock Album of the Year for Pretty Monster. Windsor-based trumpeter Russ Macklem is nominated for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) for The South Detroit Connection. The album was recorded live-off-the-floor by TQM Recording Co. at Phog Lounge in downtown Windsor.
“What it means to me at this moment is it's a validation of everything I've been doing and how hard I've been working, and that what I've gone through has not been all for naught,” said Macklem.
“It's also confirmation to me that this is really a great place, between Windsor and Detroit. It just reminds me how thankful I am for all the great musicians in both cities that have supported me and helped me. It's humbling to kind of represent this place through that.”
The Juno nominations were announced Tuesday in Toronto. Singer Brooke Nicholls, from Chatham-kent, was also nominated in the Contemporary Christian category for the album Glory to God. This is the third nomination for The Blue Stones — vocalist/ guitarist Tarek Jafar and drummer Justin Tessier — including a previous nod for Rock Album of the Year and one for Breakthrough Group of the Year.
“It's a nice milestone along the way, because a lot of the times it is a grind and we're focused on exactly what's in front of us and just playing show after show or recording the next record,” said Tessier, who added the band is currently working on a new album.
“So to pop our head up and recognize that the world is kind of seeing something in what we've done is really cool.”
Tessier said The Blue Stones have played or toured with several of their fellow nominees. So win or lose, the awards night in March will be something special.
“It's kind of cool that it's bands we grew up with all being nominated for this big award at the same time,” he said. “It's going to be a really good time.
“All the other bands' records are really great. It's really cool for us to have this one be recognized alongside of what I think are legitimately great records. So I'm happy about that.”
Macklem said he also sees his nomination as a recognition of not only the musicians who played with him, but others in Windsor's music scene who helped make it happen, including the people at Phog and TQM.
“That record could only be made here,” he said. “Let's show them, man. Let's show them we've got a great music scene down here.”
The 2024 Juno winners will be announced March 24 during the Juno Awards ceremony, hosted by Nelly Furtado, at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.