Blues Foundation News

28th International Blues Challenge Finalists Announced

The doors of the Orpheum Theatre open at 1:00pm Saturday, Feburary 4 for band finals which begin at 2:00pm. The solo/duo finals will begin at 7:30 pm. Nine acts will compete for the top band prize. They are (in performance order): Mikey Junior & the Stone Cold Blues (Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation) Noah Wotherspoon Band (Dayton Blues Society) Sherry Pruitt Blues Project (Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society) The Bart Walker Band (Nashville Blues Society) The WIRED! Band (Washington Blu...

BAND - IBC Semi-Final Schedule

ALFREDS 5:20 The Delta Sonics 6:00 Lawyers Guns & Money 6:40 Mikey Junior & the Stone Cold Blues 7:20 Fred Chapellier 8:00 The Willie J. Laws Band BB KINGS 5:20 Blues Dragon 6:00 Tony Vega Band 6:40 Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle 7:20 Pristine 8:00 The Candymakers 8:40 Noah Wotherspoon Band BLUES CITY CAFÃ 5:20 The Mojo Webb Band 6:00 Terry Gillespie Trio 6:40 Sherry Pruitt Blues Project 7:20 Daddy Mack Blues Band 8:00 Memphis Cradle CLUB 152 5:20 The Robbie Laws Band 6:00 Little Jake & The Soul...

SOLO/DUO - IBC Semi-Final Schedule

BLUES HALL 5:20 Sean "Bad" Apple and Martin "Big Boy" Grant 6:00 Owen Poteat, The One Man Boogie Band 6:40 Dr. Don's Double Dose 7:20 Spoons & Abel 8:00 David "Boxcar" Gates 8:40 The Delta Boys 9:20 Liz Mandeville & Donna Herula 10:00 Two Blue KINGS PALACE 5:20 Blueshine Dou 6:00 Trimmed and Burning 6:40 Chad Altenbaumer and Chris Lancaster 7:20 Jimmy Davis 8:00 Randy McQuay 8:40 Kenny Acosta 9:20 Lucious Spiller 10:00 The Used Blues Duo PIG ON BEALE 5:20 Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely 6:00 2blu 6...

Quarterfinals End: The Semi-Finalists List

Stay tuned for which club each the semifinalist will be assigned. We will post that by noon (fingers crossed). Band (Alfred's) Mikey Junior & the Stone Cold Blues - Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation Fred Chapellier - France Blues The Delta Sonics - Colorado Blues Society Lawyers Guns & Money - Cape Fear Blues Society (B.B. King's) John F. Klaver Band - Dutch Blues Foundation Travellin Brothers - Asociacion Musical Blues Hondarribia Skinny Velvet - Blue Ridge Blues Society Jill ...

First Night of IBC Quarterfinals

It is almost impossible to report on all that happened on the first night as there was so much going on and one can only take in a portion of the fun. 200 acts hit the stage in 19 venues on Wednesday night as the 28th International Blues Challenge got underway on Beale Street and in neighboring clubs. An early rain came and went and the rest of the night was downright balmy. A full day of activities precedes the second night of quarterfinals today. Come on down to Beale!

2012 IBC Act Schedule--Who is Playing Where?

The complete 2012 IBC program can be accessed here. It is a large PDF so it may take a moment to download. Beginning on page 14, you can see who is playing where and when during the quarterfinals on Wednesday and Thursday.

IBC FAQ

Q. Where do I get tickets? A. They can then be purchased at IBC HQ at Ugly Juanita's at Handy Park Bar on Beale Street Wed-Fri from noon to 10pm. One day wristbands can be bought on Beale Street. Finals tickets can be bought online from the Orpheum Theatre or at its box office. Q. Where is the schedule? A. A schedule of events (and a great deal more information about the IBC can be found on the IBC page. Q. I mean the schedule of who is p...

FedEx International Showcase Kicks off IBC

The 28th International Blues Challenge kicked off last night with the FedEx International Showcase at the New Daisy Theater on Beale Street. Sixteen acts took the stage before a packed house. A full house saw some international acts that could go all the way.The show started with the Bleu Rascals, a youth act from the Philippines and ended with the 24th Street Wailers, another young act from Toronto. The future of blues today, indeed. Among the performers were acts representing for the first...

2012 International Blues Challenge by the Numbers!

IBC will be held January 31- February 4 2012 in 20 venues in the Beale Street Historic District. That is 5 days consisting of over 575 performances by 226 acts. The 2012 challenge will bring 748 musicians from 40 states and a record 16 countries to downtown Memphis, Tennessee for the largest gathering of Blues artistsâ¦in the history of the World! To produce an event of this size it will take over 200 volunteers and 108 judges to pick the top acts from this colossal gathering.

Complete IBC ...

2012 Keeping the Blues Award Recipients

The Blues Foundation will honor 17 individuals and organizations with its 2012 Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Award during a recognition brunch Saturday, February 4, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee. Each year, The Blues Foundation presents the KBA Awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to blues music. The KBA ceremony will be held in conjunction with the 28th International Blues Challenge (IBC), which begins January 31 and features the final rounds of the wo...

Best Self Produced CD - Finalists

The competition for the 2012 Best Self-Produced CD has been tough this year! We had a record setting 74 submissions to start the competition. Our panel of professional Blues DJs whittled the group down to the top 30 discs for Round 2. Congratulations to the five discs listed below, they will advance to the final round of judging for this years Best Self-Produced CD contest. Cleveland Blues Society: Blue Lunch - Saxophone Shootout II
Frederick Blues Society: Bad Infl...

This Week in Membership

1/20/12 - This week in membership we had two new Blues Supporters! Welcome to The Blues Foundation Robert Kiser and Todd Reilly! Blues Supporter Jonathan Paret renewed his membership. We had one new Corporate membership-Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe on Beale Street. The renewing corporates were Memphis Music Foundation, Blue Bella Records, Mid-South Drug Testing, Blues Now! and Liberty Asset Recovery. Board of Director member, Alan Maites renew...

Blues Hall of Fame Benefit March 6

Producers announced today the first artists confirmed to play a special March 6 tribute concert at New York's historic Apollo Theater, celebrating the centennial of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. The initial, star-studded lineup includes The Roots, Shemekia Copeland, Bettye LaVette, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Sam Moore and Todd Rundgren, with more to be announced soon. Net proceeds from the concert, co-produced by Steve Berkowitz, Michael Dorf, Joe Morton and Patrici...

BMA Voting Aids: Discussion Board and Music Samples
Not sure who to vote for? Help is just a click away. Check out the a new Discussion link here. This is a monitored discussion so all submissions will be reviewed before posting. Feel free to offer insight into why you think someone or some CD is deserving of a Blues Music Awards.

You can get a taste of the music of many nominees here. Aigars Lapsa...

Blues Music Award Nominees Announced

The list of honorees for the 33nd Blues Music Awards includes Blues Hall of Fame members Denise LaSalle, Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush. Leading with four nominations each are Sugar Ray & the Bluetones with theirs Evening CD and Louisiana artists Tab Benoit with his Medicine release and Johnny Sansone and his The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too. Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, the Tedeschi-Trucks Band and thei...

54th Grammys Announced

The Recording Academy has announced the nominees for the 54th Grammys for the BluescCategory. They are: Low Country Blues by Gregg Allman [Rounder] Roadside Attractions byMarcia Ball [Alligator] Man In Motion by Warren Haynes [Stax Records] The Reflection by Keb Mo [Yolabelle International/Ryko Records] Revelator by Tedeschi Trucks Band [Masterworks]

Planning A Trip To Memphis?

So much to do and so little time to do it? There are so many things to do and see in Memphis that sometimes it's hard to choose. There are four websites that we recommend for helping with your decisions. www.memphistravel.com is the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau's website, www.downtownmemphis.com is the Center City Commission's website, Mary4Music. When you go to the Blewzzman's site, you might just find something more of bluesy interest to you. Smokin' Bluz out of Charlotte, NC is the sponsor of the Smokin' Bluz Youth Showcase each year at the International Blues Challenge. Check out Rick Ballew's Smokin' Bluz 24/7 at

Blues Festivals

For information on summer blues festivals, check out these magazine sites: Big City Rhythm and Blues; Blues Festival Guide; or Blues Revue.