IBC 2010

The winners of the 2010 International Blues Challenge band competition are:
Winner - Grady Champion (Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola)
Second Place -- Karen Lovely Band (Cascade Blues Association)
Third Place - Cheryl Renee and Them Bones (Cincy Blues Society) Winner of the Solo/Duo Competition was Matt Anderson (harvest Jazz & Blues)

Once again these performers and others just knocked my socks off.  Among the memorable acts that did not make the finals were a band from India (Soulmate) and a band comprised of two 14-year olds from Colorado (Young Austin Band)  I can't wait until 2011! See pictures of some of the contestants at the end of my blog page.

Da Blues

Every year about this time Donna and I take our yearly trip to Memphis for a Blues festival.  After attending out first one in 2005 I promised myself to never miss another.  The music is fantastic and I enjoy staying and gambling at Sam's Town in Tunica, Mississippi.  We make the 30-35 mile trip to Beale Street in Memphis every night.  Tunica is only about 30 miles from the Memphis airport.

From the IBC website - "The 2010 International Blues Challenge will be the 26th year of Blues musicians from around the world competing for cash, prizes, and industry recognition. The Blues Foundation will present the 26th International Blues Challenge January 20-23, 2010 in Memphis, TN. The world's largest gathering of Blues acts represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Act ready to take their act to the international stage. In 2009, 100 bands and 60 solo/duo acts entered, filling the clubs up and down Beale Street for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday and the finals at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday."

The bands play their best stuff for 25 minutes in front of judges in the clubs along Beale Street on Thursday and Friday nights.  On Saturday the top ten compete in the finals in a huge theatre.  In 2007 we were lucky enough to hear about and watch a young band from Tupelo, Mississippi play in one of the clubs on Thursday, again on Friday, and again in the finals.  They placed 2nd in the whole competition!  This despite being the youngest band ever to compete in the International Blues Challenge.  They were, at that time, 15, 13 and 8 years old!  These two brothers and their little sister - The Homemade Jamz' Blues Band - have now gone on to recording and playing gigs around the world.  B.B. King said in a YouTube video, “In my 82 years, I’ve never seen something musically… so remarkable.”

Your's truly and Ryan Perry (Homemade Jamz' Blues Band singer and lead guitar player)