Tad Robinson will bring award celebration back to Greencastle

Thursday, June 21, 2012
Tad Robinson

Tonight Greencastle's musical treasure will be feted as a contributor to the jazz and blues scene of Indianapolis.

Tad Robinson -- seven-time nominee at the national Blues Music Awards -- will receive a Ralph Adams Lifetime Achievement Award during a 7:30 p.m. event at Daddy Real's the Place, 3955 E. 96th St., Indianapolis.

Robinson is just happy to know he won't be going home a bridesmaid again

"With seven Blues Music Awards nominations, it will be fun to get to an event where they actually send me home with something," Robinson said. "I'm thrilled to be in the mix."

Adams, a jazz DJ on 88.7 WICR and concert promoter, began the awards in 2002. The program is co-sponsored by Adams, WICR and "A Great Day in Indy."

Robinson is the first blues musician to receive the honor.

"I think what Ralph hears in my music is someone who's carrying on the tradition of the music," Robinson said. "A lot of the traditions have been lost, and my group makes a conscious effort to pay homage to the music that we kind of got, through the oral tradition, handed down to us."

The two men have been talking about doing a show together for some time, but kept missing one another. Once they got the show scheduled, Adams let Robinson know it would be more than just a concert.

"Finally we got this show underway and he mentioned to me, 'The night that we do your show, I'm going to be holding the Ralph Adams awards and you're going to be getting one,'" Robinson said.

Robinson will be playing tonight with guitarist Paul Holdman, keyboard player Kevin Anker, bass player David Murray and Jeff Chapin on drums. The frontman will bring his trademark vocals and harmonica.

The same line-up will be in Greencastle for a 9 p.m. Friday show at the Swizzle Stick.

"After the awards Thursday, we're going to do Friday at the Swizzle Stick, and we'll be no doubt still celebrating that," Robinson said. "It will be my A, top-shelf players. It should be a really nice time at the Swizzle."

The audiences both nights might be in for a sneak peak, as recording on Robinson's upcoming album is already complete. The as-yet-unnamed project, his fourth for Severn Records, is due for a fall release.

"I think it's right down the middle where soul and blues converge. It's an area I feel real comfortable in," Robinson said.

"Back in Style," Robinson's last release, could have been described much the same way. If the new record falls into the same category, listeners are in for a treat.

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