Nola Blue Records
 | |
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Sallie A. Bengtson |
| Headquarters | Lancaster, Pennsylvania (USA) |
Number of locations | 1 |
Key people |
|
| Website | nola-blue |
Nola Blue Records is an independent record label founded by Sallie Bengtson[1] in 2014 with the release of Benny Turner's album Journey. Since its inception, the label has worked with a dozen artists and 20 releases to date.
Nola Blue Records is the recipient of a Josie Award, under the category - Record Label of the Year. Some of the artists associated with Nola Blue have even been nominated for Blues Music Awards, including Benny Turner, John Németh, Frank Bey, Clarence Spady and Trudy Lynn.[2]
History
Nola Blue Inc. was founded in 2012 by Sallie Bengtson, an entrepreneur with demonstrated business management excellence.[3] A long-time blues music enthusiast, Bengtson was a natural fit for work in the music industry. She began artist management for Benny Turner in 2013 and was instrumental in his progression from career sideman to international touring and recording artist.
In 2014, Bengtson established Nola Blue Records with the release of Journey by Benny Turner, in commemoration of his 75th birthday. Since then, Nola Blue has released 3 additional albums by Turner, in addition to several other blues legacy artists including Cash McCall (RIP) and Frank Bey (RIP). Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band's Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby "Blue" Bland is the most recent addition to Nola Blue's legacy projects, with a 2022 album planned for Ms. Trudy Lynn in honor of her 75th birthday and extensive musical history.
Bengtson conceptualized and produced the inaugural Lone Star Blues and Heritage Festival in East Texas in 2019. The three-day festival was curated to honor Benny Turner on his 80th birthday in the region where he was born and introduced to the blues. The lineup featured multi-generational Texas blues artists including Milton Hopkins, Trudy Lynn, The Keesha Pratt Band, and more. Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an official written acknowledgement of Turner’s milestone birthday as well as his numerous contributions to music and music history.
In 2020, All My Dues Are Paid, the label’s second album by Frank Bey received a posthumous GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. In the same year, Nola Blue Records was named “Record Label of the Year” by The Josie Awards.[4] In addition, the Nola Blue roster includes Blues Music Award nominees Benny Turner, Frank Bey, Clarence Spady and Trudy Lynn; and nominee and winner John Németh.[5]
Artists
| S. No. | Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benny Turner | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2 | Cash McCall | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 3 | Clarence Spady | Scranton, Pennsylvania |
| 4 | Eric Johanson | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 5 | Frank Bey | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 6 | Gregg Martinez | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 7 | John Németh | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 8 | Kathy and the Kilowatts | Austin, Texas |
| 9 | Meg Williams | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 10 | Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band | Memphis, Tennessee |
| 11 | Tiffany Pollack & Co. | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 12 | Trudy Lynn | Houston, Texas |
Discography
| S.No. | Title | Artist | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journey | Benny Turner | Album |
| 2 | When She's Gone | Benny Turner | Album |
| 3 | My Brother's Blues | Benny Turner | Album |
| 4 | Premonition Of Love | Kathy and the Kilowatts | Album |
| 5 | Back In Business | Frank Bey | Album |
| 6 | Who Sang It First | Benny Turner | Single |
| 7 | Going Back Home | Benny Turner and Cash McCall | Album |
| 8 | Blues In My Blood | Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson | Album |
| 9 | Take Me As I Am | Meg Williams | Album |
| 10 | All My Dues Are Paid | Frank Bey | Album |
| 11 | One Who’s Got A Lot | Cash McCall | Single |
| 12 | MacDaddy Mojeaux | Gregg Martinez | Album |
| 13 | Below Sea Level | Eric Johanson | Album |
| 14 | Stronger Than Strong | John Németh | Album |
| 15 | Blues Coming Down | Cash McCall | Single |
| 16 | Surrender | Clarence Spady | Album |
| 17 | Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby "Blue" Bland | Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band | Album |
| 18 | Bayou Liberty | Tiffany Pollack & Co. | Album |
| 19 | Christmas | Clarence Spady | Single |
| 20 | A MacDaddy Christmas | Gregg Martinez | Album |
Awards
Nola Blue Records received the Record Label of the Year Award in 2020 at Josie Music Awards.[6]
In the media
References
- ↑ Blog, View. "Interview with Sallie Bengtson (owner of Nola Blue Records) - a music aficionado with a heart full of blues". blues.gr. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ↑ "Regional Roundup – 12/21/2020 by Radio Times". Podchaser. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ↑ "Interview with a Pro - Sallie Bengston - President NOLA Blue Records". Making A Scene!. 10 August 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ↑ "Nola Blue Records Offers Posthumous Single From Cash McCall 'Blues Coming Down'". American Blues Scene. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ↑ DeLuca, Dan. "Philly bluesman Frank Bey is up for a posthumous Grammy for his final album 'All My Dues Are Paid'". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ↑ "Official 2020 Winner Presentations". The Josie Music Awards. Retrieved 30 October 2021.