Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Sean "Bad" Apple and Martin "Big Boy" Grant Win - Reed Smith takes 2nd Place

The Clarksdale duo Sean “Bad” Apple and Martin “Big Boy” Grant won top prize at Indianola’s Mississippi Delta Regional Blues Challenge on Sunday, October 23rd at the Blue Biscuit.  They will represent the society in Memphis at the International Challenge.  Seventeen year old, Reed Smith, from Clinton won 2nd Place.  The Indianola blues society is sending Smith to IBC Youth Showcase which will take place on Friday afternoon, February 3, 2012.  Six solo/duo acts competed:  $Daddy Rich$ and David Dunavent (Clarksdale & Sumner), Terry Swilley (Greenwood-Dermott), Ming Donkey One Man Band (Starkville), Poboy King (Ellisville).  The judges for this challenge were Roger Stolle-Cat Head Blues & Folk Art, Charley Abraham-DSU Delta Music Institute, Dina Bennett-B.B. King Museum, and Burton Doss-Malaco Records.  

Sola Porch Wins Indianola Band Challenge

Solar Porch from Cleveland won the band competition at the 8th Annual Mississippi Delta Regional Blues Challenge in Indianola.  The band members, Sid Barger, Marlowe Dorrough, and Craig Collins, will represent the Indianola Blues Society in Memphis at the 28th Annual International Blues Challenge - February 1-4, 2012.  David Dunavent and the Evol Love Band from Sumner took 2nd Place.  The competition was Sunday, October 16th at da’ House of Khafre.  Eight bands from across the State came to compete.

“This was the best talent top to bottom of any local challenge I’ve ever seen.  Every act was one I would feel comfortable seeing for a four-hour club date.  The challenge was run at least as well as any venue at the International Blues Challenge finals,” said judge Ricky Stevens, chairman of the Blues Foundation’s IBC committee.

Judges for the band competition were Tricia Walker, Jesse Robinson, Shelley Ritter, and Ricky Stevens.