Russell Morris has picked up his second ARIA Award with the award for Best Blues And Roots Album for ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’.
‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ was the third instalment in a labour of love for Russell that started with the ARIA Award winning ‘Sharkmouth’ in 2012 and continued with ‘Van Diemens Land’ in 2014.
‘Sharkmouth’ won the ARIA Best Blues and Roots award in 2013.
All three Russell Morris albums were made in Melbourne by a Melbourne artist with a member band by a Melbourne producer in his Melbourne studio yet ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ failed to even rate a nomination in Russell’s hometown The Age Music Victoria awards.
Russell has lived his entire life in Melbourne so hopefully, a little recognition won’t got astray next year, will it The Age and Music Victoria?
Each album in the Russell Morris blues trilogy focuses on a different aspect of Australia. ‘Sharkmouth’ was about the colour characters of inner city Melbourne in the 1920s and 30, ‘Van Diemens Land’ was about major historical events and ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ takes the listen into the heart of Australia with songs about the indigenous people, the bushrangers and the swagmen.
Since the release of ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ Russell has been spending some time educating the USA about the trilogy and has played at various festivals and conferences including shows in Nashville this year.
‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ beat Jimmy Barnes ‘Soul Searchin’, Kev Carmody ‘Recollections … Reflections’, The Cat Empire ‘Rising With The Sun’ and The Wilson Pickers ‘You Can’t Catch Fish From A Train’.
