Paul Reddick & The Sidemen - Rattlebag (2001)

A Canadian blues musician who got his start playing the harmonica at the age of 12, Paul Reddick would eventually form the band the Sidemen in 1990 and become a mainstay of the Canadian blues scene. With the Sidemen, Reddick released a handful -- three -- of full-length albums, and toured for the majority of the decade. The critically acclaimed album Rattlebag was released in 2001, and from that year Reddick's career took a decidedly plaudit- and award-filled turn. In 2002 the band won a three Maple Blues Awards, and spent the next two years bringing its sound to a wider audience in the United States. In 2004, Reddick and collaborator Colin Linden released the acclaimed Villanelle. Reddick was back in the spotlight in 2008, as he was nominated in the blues category in that year's Juno Awards. (Chris True)