Arhoolie Awards back for 2nd year
Fans of American roots music have a friend in the Arhoolie Foundation, the East Bay nonprofit and record label run by Chris Strachwitz that has recorded and preserved scores and scores of musicians performing blues, folk, Cajun, Tex-Mex, zydeco, gospel, jazz, Tejano/Norteño and other genres.
The El Cerrito-based organization now throws an annual awards show, too. The second annual Arhoolie Awards is set for Nov. 22 at The Chapel in San Francisco’s Mission District.
Among the honorees; Linda Tillery, the Bay Area singer-songwriter-musician who’s long been a force in the Bay Area rock, Latin and roots music scenes, and with her band the Cultural Heritage Choir has worked toward preserving African-American spirituals and roots music; Cedric Watson, a Grammy-nominated Cajun music singer, fiddler and accordionist; the Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center, known for hosting concerts featuring a wide range of American music; and blues guitar great Elvin Bishop, who is receiving the Chris Strachwitz Legacy Award.
Bishop and his Big Fun Trio and Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir are both set to perform, along with the Vallejo gospel outfit Sons of the Soul Revivers.
Details: 8 p.m.; $35-$125; arhoolie.org.