Hey there. Whoa 2020. Stop messin’ around already. I’m starting to take this personally.
Like you all, I’m trying to live my best life. Even though I feel like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day.” But it’s really hard to be creative and productive when the universe wants to play dodgeball every day.
Still, we must persist and I’m making lemonade whenever I can. Thank god for music.
This week: I’ve got a Spotlight on just a real good Bluesy time.
And then in Short Licks, there’s a new show, some vintage tunes, and a small civics lesson.
Spotlight – The International Blues Challenge
Photo by Thomas R. Machnitzki, CC BY SA 3.0
Ever See a Town Painted Blue?
Well that’s what happens to Memphis during the International Blues Challenge(IBC).
The IBC is an annual January event put on by The Blues Foundation – the pre-eminent Blues organization in the world. The folks at the Foundation have been keeping the Blues flame burning bright since 1980.
What’s All the Hubbub?
The Challenge draws performers from all over the world to compete over a 5 day period. They perform at several different venues and are judged by a hand-picked set of Blues industry heavyweights. Winners receive cash prizes and a package that includes recording/mixing time, album production, and a set of guaranteed club and festival gigs – including a slot on the Blues Music Awards.
But the notoriety of being a finalist or just making it to the Challenge can be enough to start a career off all by itself.
Humble Beginnings
The IBC started off as a little non-profit event in 1985. No awards. Just a laid-back amateur showcase. Musicians showed up just for the opportunity to perform on Beale Street.
Over the next several years this non-publicized, semi-local event grew as the word got out.
By the 1990’s the competition intensified as local Blues Societies started sponsoring contestants from their own challenge events. What was a handful of acts grew to dozens. And the quality of the performances grew as well.
Flash forward into the 2000’s and the IBC became international as Blues Societies from Europe, Asia, and Australia regularly began sending participants.
Noble Future
Now over 250 acts drop in on Memphis in search of that career boost. So the Challenge has become a big boost to the city of Memphis as well. It brings in over 4 million crisp, new tourist dollars every year.
Festivities start on Tuesday of Challenge week. Showcases go on in several different clubs, giving you the opportunity to get warmed up. Quarterfinals are on Wednesday and Semifinals are on Thursday and Friday. The finals are on Saturday at the historic Orpheum Theatre. And that’s not all.
During the week there are Blues master classes. There are panel discussions about Blues music and business topics. There are Blues jams all over downtown. There’s also a Youth Showcase of some of the youngest, brightest Blues kids there are. If that’s not enough, you can visit the Blues Hall of Fame. And let’s not forget the barbeque. (Oh the barbeque.)
The Outro
What started out as a way for local Blues musicians to just get together and jam, has morphed into an international competition that jump-starts careers. But it’s even more than that now. It’s a 5-day festival that turns Memphis into the Blues capital of the world. The International Blues Challenge is one of the go-to Blues experiences on the planet. A little fame. A little fortune. And a whole lot of jammin’.
The International Blues Challenge
Short Licks
Eavesdropping the Blues
Pete Francis and Willie Witten from BluesRockReview.com have launched a Blues Rock Show on YouTube. It’s weekly and only 2 episodes old. The episodes are short (@ 15 minutes) so it’s not a huge time investment. It’s like listening to a couple of your good friends gab about music. (Except these friends know their stuff – well worth a listen.)
Digital World – Analog Boy
Vinyl tops CD’s. “Vinyl records accounted for $232.1 million of music sales in the first half of the year, compared to CDs, which brought in only $129.9 million, according to a report from the Recording Industry Association of America.” Of course both are getting crunched by music streaming. Still, there’s just something about popping that big old disc on the turntable and kicking back, isn’t there?
Vinyl record sales surpass CDs for the first time since the 1980s
Sign of the Times
This is the 15th year for the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival. But with everybody operating on Covid-Time, the festival this year will be an online event. Three days (Oct 16-18) with some new performances and some revisits to acts from the past. It’s also raising money for the Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund so your dough will go to a good cause. (Hmmm, I wonder what the BBQ is like on Facebook.)
Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival
For the Collector In You
John Lee Hooker was one of the undeniable superstars of the Blues. He made a deep and lasting impact on modern music. I honestly don’t know how many albums are in the John Lee Hooker catalog (it’s a big bunch), but if you’re a “King of the Boogie” fan, you’ll be interested in adding this collection to your own. This set comprises his 1983 and 1990 performances at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Vinyl, digital audio, and digital video will be available.
Pre-Order John Lee Hooker – Live at Montreaux 1983 & 1990
Your Voice in the Chorus
“With COVID-19 putting a halt to most in-person performances, iVoted has adapted to host a mega-livestream show on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, which organizers say ‘will be the largest single-day digital concert on record.’” Just take a selfie with your blank mail-in ballot or one outside your polling place. Then submit it online and you’re good to go. Okay, this isn’t a totally Blues thing but voting is a totally Important thing. (So sue me … after Nov 3rd.)
Album Drops
- Oct 16 – Anthony Gomes “Containment Blues“
- Oct 16 – Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown “Pressure“
- Oct 23 – Shemekia Copeland “Uncivil War“
I’ll Leave You With…
“Woman Like You” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd
(Shake it up, shake it up – all night long)
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Music
Thanks for reading,
Jon
Jon Beres
I’m one part Blues Fan and one part Digital Native (with a dash of Curmudgeon.) I’m also the publisher of AlltheWayBlue.com. If you love the Blues, I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine - cheers!
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