Wednesday, January 19, 2011

INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

 

 

Big Blue and Baby Blue tickets have been mailed out to domestic purchasers this week.  Purchasers from outside the U.S. can pick them up in Memphis. The FedEx International Showcase participants have been announced to kick off IBC week on Tuesday, February 1 at the New Daisy Theater: Isaiah B Brunt, Sydney Blues Society (Australia); Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones, Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society (Australia); Mud Dog, White Rock Blues Society (British Columbia, Canada); Harrison "Sweet Taste" Kennedy & David Rotundo Band, Canal Bank Shuffle (Ontario, Canada); Erin McCallum, Bruce County Blues Society (Ontario, Canada); Michael Jerome Browne, Montreal Blues Society (Quebec, Canada); Robert Johnson's Backbone, Croatian Blues Forces (Croatia); Jo' Buddy & Down Home King III, Finnish Blues Society (Finland); AWEK & Mountain Men, Blues Sur Seine (France); Georg Schroeter & Marc Breitfelder,    Baltic Blues (Germany); The Sons of Moriah, Israel Blues Society (Israel); Marco Pandolfi,  Mojo Station (Italy); Daniele Tenca & Blues for the Working Class, DeltaBlues (Italy); King Mo & Ralph de Jongh, Dutch Blues Foundation (Netherlands); The Urban Blues Band & Rita Engedalen Blues Duo, Norsk Blues Union (Norway); Kajetan Drozd Acoustic Trio,   T.B. King Blues Club (Poland); Fifteen young people between the ages of 11-19 will participate in the first ever Youth Blues Knowledge Bowl at B.B. King’s Friday, February 4 at 2:00pm.  We are working on the format, but this should be fun.  B.B. King’s Bluesville Program Director will share MC duties with Justin Whitmer.  The Orpheum Theater has begun selling individual tickets for the Band finals and for the Solo/Duo finals.  They can be purchased online at:   http://orpheum-memphis.com/index.cfm?section=comattrac&page=details&showid=675

 

 

 

How the IBC Quarter Finals Work...

The schedule for the 27th International Blues Challenge has been set. While we won't release the schedule with the times and venues until Wednesday, February 2, we can provide the following information. Solo/Duo: The number of acts in any solo/duo venue is either ten or eleven. There are eight venues during the quarterfinals. Four acts will advance from each venue so the semifinals will see 32 acts in four venues. Two acts from each venue will advance to the finals which puts eight acts in the finals on Saturday evening at the Orpheum Theatre.  Band: The number of acts in any band venue is nine or ten. There are eleven venues during the quarterfinals. Four acts will advance from each venue so 44 will advance to the semifinals. They will compete in 8 clubs. One band from each of the eight venues will advance to the finals Saturday. The quarter finals begin between 4:00pm and 5:45pm, depending on the venue. The semifinals follow after the Smokin' Bluz Youth Showcase which begins at 4:00pm so semifinals will either begin at 5:20pm or 6:00pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONGRATS CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI BLUES SOCIETY!

THE 2011 BEST SELF-PRODUCED CD FINALISTS

The following discs advance to the final round of judging in the Best Self Produced CD contest. The winner will be crowned February 5, 2011 at the Historic Orpheum Theater on Main and Beale Street.

Boston Blues Society - Delta Generators Hard River to Row, Cascade Blues Association - Joe McMurrian Get Inside This House, Central Mississippi Blues Society - Stevie J The Diversity Project, South Sound Blues Association – Becki Sue and her Big Rockin' Daddies Big Rockin Boogie, The Blues, Jazz and Folk Music Society - Long Tall Deb & the Drifter Kings Diamonds on the Desert FloorThis year a record 55 affiliates around the world submitted entries.

 

 

27th IBC News

The 27th International Blues Challenge will consist of: 110 Bands, 83 Solo/Duo & 28 Youth acts - adding up to 709 Musicians - representing 41 States & 13 Countries.  That’s 221 acts in 4 days and 5 nights - over 500 performances within three city blocks - only steps from great hotels and fantastic food.  It can only happen in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee - on World Famous Beale Street.  The Blues Foundation is the only organization in the world that can make it a Blues Party!