Pictured after the meeting are BMI's David Sanjek, Robert Freeman, Eric Winston, Samuel Floyd, Ronald Crutcher, Paul Burgett and Morris Phibbs. Photo by Dana Rodriguez

Founded in 1983 and housed at Columbia College Chicago, the CBMR documents, collects, preserves, and disseminates information about black music in all parts of the world and promotes understanding of the common roots of the music, musicians, and composers of the global African diaspora. To achieve these ends, the CMBR conducts research, education and outreach programming, performance programming, conferences and publications. The CBMR Library and Archives contain a diverse and valuable body of materials that have been used by visitors from around the globe.]]> 2006-09-06T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334911 Artists, Dickinson, Jim, Sanjek, David, Musical Styles, Rock Jim Dickinson made a rare New York appearance at Joe's Pub to publicize the release of his Memphis International album Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger. He was accompanied by the North Mississippi All Stars, which include his sons Luther on guitar and Cody on drums.

Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars, BMI songwriter Jim Dickinson, and BMI's David Sanjek and Leslie Morgan.

]]> 2006-07-18T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334816 Ball, Marcia, Benoit, Tab, Brown, Clarence "Gatemouth", Cropper, Steve, Doggett, Bill, Guy, Buddy, Hooker, John Lee, James, Etta, King, B.B., Little Milton, Magness, Janiva, Milton, Roy, Muddy Waters, Musselwhite, Charlie, Oscher, Paul, Robinson, Bobby, Rush, Bobby, Sanjek, David, Shaw, Eddie, Thornton, Big Mama, Wexler, Jerry, Wilson, Kim, Blues, Blues Music Awards Blues Music Awards, held May 11 in Memphis. Presented by the Blues Foundation and co-sponsored by BMI, the Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards, celebrate excellence in the performance and recording of the blues, and is the highest honor bestowed upon artists in the genre.

Blues Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Robinson is congratulated by BMI's David Sanjek

This year's ceremony featured a tribute to the late and beloved Little Milton Campbell, who received four posthumous awards: Album of the Year, Soul Blues Album of the Year, Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for the title track of his last recording, Think of Me. His widow, Pat Campbell, truly touched the audience as she accepted her husband's awards.

BMI's David Sanjek joins BMI songwriter Steve Cropper at the awards ceremony

Time-tested musician Paul Oscher, who played harmonica alongside Muddy Waters in the 1960s, picked up two awards and was named Acoustic Artist of the Year, while his Down in the Delta earned the Acoustic Album of the Year nod.

Blues Hall of Fame inductee Joe Bihari and BMI's David Sanjek

First-time honors went to saxophonist Eddie Shaw and legendary songwriter and sideman Al Kooper. The B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award was awarded to Buddy Guy.

The 2006 inductions into the Blues Hall of Fame were also presented on May 11, with a full slate of individuals, albums, books and songs chosen for the prestigious honor. This year's inductees included many BMI songwriters in the blues community: performers Bobby Rush and Roy Milton; producers Bobby Robinson, the Bihari Brothers and Jerry Wexler; vocalists Etta James and Big Mama Thornton; and instrumentalist Bill Doggett.

A highlight of the ceremony was the appearance of legendary music business entrepreneurs Bobby Robinson and Joe Bihari. Robinson, now in his 80s, still runs a record store on Harlem's 125th Street and manages a number of labels, including the Fire and Fury imprints. He was instrumental in such releases as Elmore James's "The Sky is Crying" and Wilber Harrison's "Kansas City." The Bihari Brothers - Joe, Jules, Lester and Saul - ran the California-based Modern label, whose illustrious roster included B.B. King, Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Ike Turner and many others.

BMI's 2006 Blues Music Award winners:

Acoustic Album of the Year
Paul Oscher
Down in the Delta

Acoustic Artist of the Year
Paul Oscher

Album of the Year
Little Milton
Think of Me

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Buddy Guy

Band of the Year
Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Tab Benoit
Fever for the Bayou

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Kim Wilson

Historical Album of the Year
Muddy Waters
Hoochie Coochie Man: Complete Chess Recordings, Volume 2,
1952-1958

Instrumentalist - Drums
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Instrumentalist - Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite

Instrumentalist - Horn
Eddie Shaw

Instrumentalist - Other
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
Marcia Ball

Song of the Year
"Think of Me"
Jon Tiven, Milton Campbell, Pete Shoulder

Soul Blues Album of the Year
Little Milton
Think of Me

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Little Milton

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Etta James

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
B.B. King

BMI's 2006 Hall of Fame inductees:

Performer
Bobby Rush
Roy Milton

Non-Performer
Bobby Robinson
Jerry Wexler
Joe, Jules, Lester and Saul Bihari

Classics of Blues Recordings - Albums
Etta James
Tell Mama (Cadet)

Classics of Blues Recordings - Singles
Big Mama Thornton
"Hound Dog" (Peacock)
Bill Doggett
"Honky Tonk, Parts 1 & 2" (King)

This year's selections include such renowned BMI songwriters and composers as Dave Brubeck (Time Out), B.B. King (Live at the Regal), Martha and the Vandellas ("Dancing in the Street"), Edwin Hawkins ("Oh Happy Day"), Sonic Youth (Daydream Nation) and Elliot Carter ("Variations for Orchestra").

The National Recording Preservation Board, comprising experts from the music industry and preservation field including BMI's David Sanjek, culled its list from nominations made by the public for recordings considered "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Recordings must be 10 years old to be considered for preservation and final selections are made by the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

The National Recording Registry was created by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, legislation that promotes and supports audio preservation. The registry celebrates the richness and variety of the nation's audio legacy and underscores the responsibility to assure the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations.

2005 National Recording Registry (in chronological order):

1. "Canzone del Porter" from "Martha (von Flotow)," Edouard de Reszke (1903)
2. "Listen to the Lambs," Hampton Quartette; transcribed by Natalie Curtis Burlin (1917)
3. "Over There," Nora Bayes (1917)
4. "Crazy Blues," Mamie Smith (1920)
5. "My Man" and "Second Hand Rose," Fanny Brice (1921)
6. "Ory's Creole Trombone," Kid Ory (June 1922)
7. Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge (March 4, 1925)
8. "Tanec pid werbamy/Dance Under the Willows," Pawlo Huemiuk (1926)
9. "Singin' the Blues," Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke (1927)
10. First official transatlantic telephone conversation (Jan. 7, 1927)
11. "El Manisero" ("The Peanut Vendor"), Rita Montaner, vocal with orchestra (1927); "El Manisero," Don Azpiazu and his Havana Casino orchestra (1930)
12. Light's Golden Jubilee Celebration (Oct. 21, 1929)
13. Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Op. 84, Modesto High School Band (1930)
14. "Show Boat," Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, James Melton and others; Victor Young, conductor; Louis Alter, piano (1932)
15. "Wabash Cannonball," Roy Acuff (1936)
16. "One O'Clock Jump," Count Basie and his Orchestra (1937)
17. Archibald MacLeish's "Fall of the City," Orson Welles, narrator, Burgess Meredith, Paul Stewart (April 11, 1937)
18. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" radio broadcast of May 11, 1938
19. Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight, Clem McCarthy, announcer (June
22,1938)
20. "John the Revelator," Golden Gate Quartet (1938)
21. "Adagio for Strings," Arturo Toscanini, conductor; NBC Symphony (1938)
22. "Command Performance" show No.21, Bob Hope, master of ceremonies (July 7, 1942)
23. "Straighten Up and Fly Right," Nat "King" Cole (1943)
24. "The Fred Allen Show"(Radio broadcast of Oct. 7, 1945)
25. "Jole Blon," Harry Choates (1946)
26. "Tubby the Tuba," Paul Tripp (words) and George Kleinsinger (music) (1946)
27. "Move on up a Little Higher," Mahalia Jackson (1948)
28. "Anthology of American Folk Music," edited by Harry Smith (1952)
29. "Schooner Bradley," performed by Pat Bonner (1952-60)
30. "Damnation of Faust," Boston Symphony Orchestra with the Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society (1954)
31. "Blueberry Hill," Fats Domino (1956)
32. "Variations for Orchestra," Louisville Orchestra (1956)
33. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)
34. "That'll Be the Day," The Crickets (1957)
35. "Poeme Electronique," Edgard Varese (1958)
36. "Time Out," The Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959)
37. Studs Terkel interview with James Baldwin (Sept. 29, 1962)
38. William Faulkner address at West Point Military Academy (1962)
39. "Dancing in the Street," Martha and the Vandellas (1964)
40. "Live at the Regal," B.B. King (1965)
41. "Are You Experienced?" Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
42. "We're Only in It for the Money," Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (1968)
43. "Switched-On Bach," Wendy Carlos (1968)
44. "Oh Happy Day," Edwin Hawkins Singers (1969)
45. "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers," Firesign Theatre (1970)
46. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," Gil Scott-Heron (1970)
47. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1972)
48. The old foghorn, Kewaunee, Wis., recorded by James A. Lipsky (1972)
49. "Songs in the Key of Life," Stevie Wonder (1976)
50. "Daydream Nation," Sonic Youth (1988)

Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1988, the Grammy-nominated songwriter/artist was also the recipient of several W.C. Handy Blues Awards, the highest honor given to artists in the genre. He most recently earned a Handy nomination for Soul/Blues Artist of the Year at the 2005 ceremony, held in Memphis in May.

BMI's Thomas Cain, blues legend Little Milton and BMI's David Sanjek at the 2005 Handy Awards

Born to sharecropping farmers near the Mississippi Delta town of Inverness, Little Milton followed in the footsteps of his father, a local blues musician who went by the name of "Big" Milton Campbell. Little Milton picked up the guitar at age 12 and recorded his first hit for Sun Records at 18 after being discovered by talent scout Ike Turner.

Turner advised him to move to East St. Louis where he signed with Bobbin Records and recorded "I'm a Lonely Man" and "That Will Never Do." He switched to Chicago's Chess Records in 1961, where he had a string of hits including "Who's Cheating Who?," "Grits Ain't Groceries," and the #1 song "We're Gonna Make It."

In 1971, he joined Memphis-based label Stax Records where he continued to produce great blues music like "Walking The Back Streets and Cryin'," and "That's What Love Will Make You Do." His longest label association came in 1984 when he signed with Malaco Records, which released 14 of Little Milton's albums including 2001's Feel It.

An internationally-acclaimed blues legend, his career spans almost half a century and his constant touring, right up until his stroke on July 27, took him all over the world.

Little Milton Campbell is survived by his wife, Patricia, and several children.

Photo by Don Putnam

BMI's Thomas Cain, Handy winner David "Honeyboy" Edwards and BMI's David Sanjek

Leading the list of award-winning BMI songwriters were harmonica virtuoso Charles Musselwhite and legendary R&B singer Mavis Staples, who took home three Handys each. Musselwhite's wins included Best Contemporary Blues Artist, Best Contemporary Blues Album for his release Sanctuary, and Best Blues Harmonica, while Staples earned trophies for Soul Blues Artist, Soul Blues Album and Blues Album of the Year for Have a Little Faith. The album's title track was named Best Blues Song for BMI co-writer Jim Tullio.

BMI's Thomas Cain, Handy winner Paul Oscher and BMI's David Sanjek

In addition to receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, 91-year-old keyboard maestro Pinetop Perkins picked up two awards: Best Traditional Blues Album for his new release Ladies Man and Traditional Blues Artist. Other winners included such legendary BMI blues artists as B.B. King (Blues Entertainer), Koko Taylor (Traditional Blues Artist), Dave "Honeyboy" Edwards (Acoustic Blues Artist) and the Holmes Brothers (Blues Band).

BMI's Thomas Cain, Handy winner Kenny Neal and BMI's David Sanjek

Among the presenters was BMI's Thomas Cain, who along with keyboard player Ann Rabson, handed out several awards and made the following comments about BMI and the blues: "You know BMI has been a friend of the blues for 65 years now, since we opened our doors in 1940. Over 90% of the Blues Hall of Fame inductees are BMI songwriters, and every year at the Handys, virtually every award is won by a BMI writer. We are so proud to have this long-term relationship with such great individuals as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and countless others. We like to think of BMI as the other home of the blues."

BMI's David Sanjek, Handy winner Gary U.S. Bonds and BMI's Thomas Cain

BMI's 2005 Handy Award winners:

Acoustic Blues Album
Kenny Neal & Billy Branch
Double Take

Acoustic Blues Artist
Dave "Honeyboy" Edwards

New Artist Debut
John Lee Hooker Jr.
Blues With A Vengeance

Handy winner Marcia Ball, presenter Ann Rabson, Handy winner Bob Margolin and BMI's Thomas Cain

Blues Album
Mavis Staples
Have A Little Faith

Blues Band
The Holmes Brothers

Blues Bass
Willie Kent

3-time Handy winner Charlie Musselwhite

Blues Drums
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Blues Entertainer
B.B. King

Blues Guitar
Bob Margolin

Robert Lockwood Jr. performs

Blues Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite

Blues Horns
Roomful of Blues

Blues Instrumentalist
Robert Randolph

Gary U.S. Bonds performs

Blues Keyboards
Marcia Ball

Blues Song
Jim Tullio
"Have A Little Faith"

Comeback Blues Album
Gary U.S. Bonds
Back in 20

BMI's Thomas Cain, Handy winner Bobby Rush, Gibson Guitars' Henry Juskiewicz and BMI's David Sanjek

Contemporary Blues Album
Charlie Musselwhite
Sanctuary

Contemporary Blues Artist - Male
Charlie Musselwhite

Contemporary Blues Artist - Female
Shemekia Copeland

BMI's Thomas Cain, Handy winner Little Milton and BMI's David Sanjek

Historical Blues Album
Hound Dog Taylor
Release the Hound

Soul Blues Album
Mavis Staples
Have A Little Faith

Soul Blues Artist - Female
Mavis Staples

BMI's David Sanjek and Thomas Cain, Alligator Records' Bruce Iglauer and attorney Howell Beagle

Soul Blues Artist - Male
Bobby Rush

Traditional Blues Album
Pinetop Perkins
Ladies Man

Traditional Blues Artist - Female
Koko Taylor

Traditional Blues Artist - Male
Pinetop Perkins

BMI's David Sanjek, Handy winner Charlie Musselwhite and BMI's Thomas Cain

BMI's David Sanjek, Handy winner Pinetop Perkins and BMI's Thomas Cain

Photos by Don Putnam]]> 2005-05-10T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234412 Artists, Brown, James, Coltrane, John, Monk, Thelonious, Nirvana, Sanjek, David, Williams, Hank, Musical Styles, Jazz Library of Congress announced the third annual selection of 50 sound recordings to be preserved in the National Recording Registry. Among this year's class, which includes not only recorded music but also radio and recorded live sound, are albums by Nirvana and Public Enemy, along with seminal releases by the Beach Boys, the Allman Brothers Band, John Coltrane and John Williams' soundtrack for Star Wars.

BMI's David Sanjek (left) congratulates rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy for having his influential album Fear of a Black Planet included on this year's Registry list	BMI's David Sanjek (left) joins fellow Registry board member Michael Feinstein at the reception after his performance of George and Ira Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm" (1926) on the piano owned by George Gershwin

In addition to Public Enemy's influential Fear of a Black Planet (1989) and Nirvana's landmark album Nevermind (1991), other selections include the NBC radio broadcast of Charles Lindbergh's arrival and reception in Washington, D.C. (1927), Fats Waller singing and playing his own "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1929), the opera "Four Saints in Three Acts" written by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thompson (1947), Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" (1949), "The Girl From Ipanema" with Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto (1963), and James Brown's "Live at the Apollo" (1965).

The National Recording Preservation Board, consisting of 20 experts from the music industry and preservation field including BMI's David Sanjek, culled its list from nominations made by the public for recordings considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Recordings must be 10 years old to be considered for preservation and final selections are made by the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

During the press conference announcing the recordings, an audio preservationist at the Library of Congress revealed that he has uncovered a major recording in jazz history: an album's worth of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane playing together at a Carnegie Hall concert in 1957. The two are considered one of the great pairings in modern jazz, but their work together was captured on only a few studio cuts. The long-lost concert was recorded by the Voice of America for its legendary Cold War-era overseas jazz programs hosted by Willis Conover.

The National Recordings Registry was created by the National Recordings Preservation Act of 2000 in order to promote and support audio preservation.]]> 2005-04-13T18:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233971 Artists, Sanjek, David, Musical Styles, Dance ARChive of Contemporary Music, America's largest music library, hosted its annual benefit party at SOB's on February 11. The dance party, sponsored by BMI, featured DJ mixes by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, Fred Schneider of the B-52s, legendary producer Nile Rodgers, Carson Kressley from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and Dr. John.

Guest DJ Dr. John (center) is seen here after his set with his manager Ed Gerrard, and BMI's Samantha Cox, Beka Callaway and J.W. Johnson

The ARChive of Contemporary Music, located at 54 White Street in New York City, is the largest popular music collection in the United States. It holds over 1.5 million sound recordings in addition to other materials connected to popular music and culture. Without the work of its founder, Bob George, much of this material would be lost or exist only in the hands of private collectors.

BMI's J.W. Johnson and David Sanjek congratulate ARChive of Contemporary Music Director Bob George

BMI supports the work of the ARChive to document and commemorate the work of America's songwriters so that future generations will be able to not only hear their material but also to examine the ways in which it has been distributed to the public.

BMI's J.W. Johnson and David Sanjek with guest DJ Nile Rodgers

Photos: Leslie Morgan]]> 2004-02-22T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233800 Artists, Cerf, Christopher, Gold, Julie, Sanjek, David, Musical Styles, Children's Music

Christopher Cerf and Julie Gold with some of the students who participated in the distance learning program

In collaboration with the United States Department of Education, the Arts in Education Grants, the Florida Department of Education and Apple Computer Corporation, BMI facilitated just such a distance learning experience for a group of budding songwriters from Hillsborough Country, Florida Public Schools. The project was brought to fruition through a link established between BMI's video conferencing center in New York City and a specially configured video classroom at the University of South Florida.

Videoconferencing allowed students and teachers to talk despite being thousands of miles apart

As teachers, BMI sought the assistance of two of its leading songwriters: Julie Gold, the Grammy Award-winning writer of "From A Distance," and Christopher Cerf, the Emmy award-winning composer of "Sesame Street" and producer/composer for "Between the Lions."

Julie Gold and Christopher Cerf

The Master Teachers met with the student songwriters on four occasions throughout the spring using the BMI video conferencing facility. They each spoke about their techniques for songwriting and performed works of theirs that would illustrate principles of the craft. Through the generous support of the Yamaha Corporation, both groups worked on Yamaha PSR 550 keyboards in the preparation of their material.

Julie and Chris gave assignments to the students, one of which was to write a song based upon a favorite book and the other was to create a song of the student's choosing. The contrast of the two assignments was a means of illustrating how some songs are, in effect, written to order while others arise out of the inspiration of the moment. The students created their material in collaboration with their music teachers. Downloaded copies of the songs were sent to Julie and Chris, who critiqued them after the students had spoken about their experience of creating the materials.

During the final class, Chris and Julie discussed with the students which of their songs was the best for final revisions and performance. They also made suggestions for possible arrangements of the material that could make for the best possible public performance. The students then gave a recital of their works - a total of 16 songs that included solo pieces while others were group projects. The reception by the audience was enthusiastic, and plans are in process for the project to be repeated in the future.

This innovative and creative project was directed by Robbin Ahrold, BMI's Vice President of Corporate Relations, assisted by Dr. David Sanjek, Director of the BMI Archives. Special thanks to Margaret Griffin, Supervisor of Elementary Music Education, June Hinckley, Program Specialist for the Florida Department of Education, and Lynne Reniak, who provided USF's indispensable technical assistance.

The winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 31 at the BMI New York office. Attendees expected at the cocktail reception and presentation include scholarship founder Yoko Ono, as well as scholarship judges Suzan Jenkins, RIAA Senior Vice President of Marketing, legendary record producer Arif Mardin, and multiple Tony Award-winning musical theater composer Maury Yeston.

The winners of the 5th Annual John Lennon Scholarship Awards are congratulated by judges and BMI Foundation officers. Seen here after the presentation are (front row): Honorable Mention winner Courtney Dashe, Second Place winner Liz Pappademas, Second Place winner Adrian Gordon, First Place winner Michael Figueroa, Second Place winner Bora Yoon and Honorable Mention winner Jena Eisenberg. (Back row): BMI's David Sanjek, Lennon Scholarship administrator; BMI theatre composer Maury Yeston, scholarship judge; BMI's Ralph Jackson, BMI Foundation president; consultant Suzan Jenkins, scholarship judge; and legendary record producer Arif Mardin, scholarship judge.

Established in 1997 by Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, the John Lennon Scholarship Awards recognize the talent of young songwriters between the ages of 15 and 24. Over $80,000 in scholarship money has been awarded over the past five years to students from music schools, universities, youth orchestras and submissions from the Music Educators National Conference (MENC).

BMI's Samantha Cox congratulates First Place winner Michael Figueroa

The BMI Foundation, headed by BMI’s Ralph Jackson, Assistant Vice President of Classical Music Relations and Director of the BMI Student Composer Awards, was founded in 1985 by former BMI Senior Vice President Theodora Zavin as a non-profit corporation dedicated to encouraging the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants.

Winners Jena Eisenberg, Courtney Dashe and Bora Yoon

Michael Figueroa

Adrian Gordon

Liz Pappademas

Bora Yoon

Courtney Dashe

Jena Eisenberg