The 2022 Slim Harpo Music Awards will take place on March 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Phil Brady’s Bar & Grill in Baton Rouge. Named in honor of James Moore, the blues star from Baton Rouge who performed as Slim Harpo, since 2003 the annual Harpo Awards have honored local, regional, national and international musicians.
Four musicians in Baton Rouge will receive Pioneer Awards this year: drummer Michael Jo Monk Caesar, bassists Doug Brousseau and Miguel D. Hernandez, and guitarist Johnny Rossetti. Bassist David Hyde, a Hammond native, will also receive a Pioneer Award. Shreveport singer, guitarist and songwriter Buddy Flett will receive a Legend Award, and Lafayette radio host Raoul Breaux is the recipient of an Ambassador Award.
“We’re recognizing the guys who supported the local blues jams and the artists that the Slim Harpo Music Awards honored over the years,” said Johnny Palazatton, founder of the Harpo Awards. “These guys have been there forever.”
The awards ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by a jam session at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $20 and includes jambalaya.
Raoul Breaux, Ambassador Award
Breaux has hosted Lafayette public radio station KRVS-FM’s Blues Box program since 1986. Breaux cites blues-loving British acts in the 1960s, including John Mayall and Cream, as his gateway to American blues artists.
Doug Brousseau, Pioneer Award
A professional musician since the 1970s, Doug Brousseau performed for many years with Tabby Thomas’ House Wreckers, New Orleans rhythm-and-blues bands and Baton Rouge blues singers Raful Neal and Chuck Mitchell. He currently performs on Friday nights at Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary, Louisiana. In 2020, Brousseau released his first solo album, River City Blues.
Michael Jo Monk Caesar, Pioneer Award
A professional drummer for 45 years, Michael Jo Monk Caesar’s credits include performing with Joe Simon and Teddy Pendergrass. In Louisiana, he performs with Vince Hutchinson and the Heavy Storm Band, Henry Turner Jr., Patrick Henry and the Liberation Band and blues artists Sundanze, Henry Gray, Tabby Thomas and the Neal family. Caesar has also been house drummer for the blues jam at Phil Brady’s Bar and Grill for the past 20 years.
Buddy Flett, Legend Award
In the 1980s, Shreveport singer, guitarist and songwriter Buddy Flett appeared with his brother, Bruce, in the popular A Train Band. The Fletts later formed the Bluebirds. Buddy Flett later recorded and toured with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, an association that brought him a Grammy nomination for Shepherd’s 2010 album, Live! In Chicago.
Miguel D. Hernandez, Pioneer Award
On his 21st birthday, bassist Miguel D. Hernandez’s best friend brought him to Tabby’s Blues Box and Heritage Hall in Baton Rouge. Since that life-changing night, Hernandez has played blues bass and been a regular at the club’s blues jam. He also toured the world with singer-guitarist Larry Garner for five years and produced Slim Harpo band member James Johnson’s solo album, Stingin’ & Buzzin’.
David Hyde, Pioneer Award
A lifelong musician from Hammond, David Hyde studied music at Juilliard and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His myriad recording sessions include singer-songwriter Bobby Charles’ final album, Timeless. In the 1990s, Hyde toured and recorded with Delbert McClinton. His other performance and/or recording credits include Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Dave Rowland and Sugar, Bo Diddley, the Boogie Kings and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. “I’m humbled to be even mentioned with the likes of Slim Harpo, one of my heroes,” Hyde said.
Johnny Rossetti, Pioneer Award
Longtime stage manager for the blues jam at Phil Brady’s Bar & Grill, Rossetti has been making music in south Louisiana for more than 40 years. He has performed in traditional country and Cajun bands and swamp pop groups as well as blues with Slim Harpo band member Rudy Richard. More recently, Rossetti teamed with guitarist-composer Bruce Lamb in Baton Rouge’s premiere surf rock band, Ronda Hatton.
For more information on the Slim Harpo Music Awards, visit here.
