Blues Challenge winners prove that 'blues is global'
The 26th annual International Blues Awards once again dominated downtown Memphis and Beale Street, wrapping up Saturday night with a festive and fiercely fought finals competition at the Orpheum.
This year’s International Blues Challenge -- staged by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation -- was expected to meet organizers’ attendance estimates of more than 9,000 for the four days of performances and related events. “Certainly, everything was packed,” says Blues Foundation president Jay Sieleman. “We had more clubs than ever this year and they were all filled, and the crowds at the Orpheum were the biggest we’ve seen.”
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Photo by Mark Weber
Matt Anderson of Canada took the top spot during the 26th International Blues Challenge solo/duo finals at The Orpheum Theatre.
Photo by Mark Weber
Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry, left, enjoys the sounds on The Orpheum Theatre stage while tuning up with Alphonso Sanders, right, before their performance at the 26th International Blues Challenge solo/duo finals Saturday afternoon.
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A competitive group of more than 100 acts began the competition, hoping to be among last performers standing. After Thursday and Friday night showcases at a variety of venues on Beale, the field was winnowed down and the action shifted to the Orpheum for the finals on Saturday.
The daytime show found a group of competitors vying to take the title in the best solo/duo category.
The southwest U.S. was well represented as Austin, Texas, combo Jimi Lee and PB Shane and Tucson, Ariz., duo Tom Walbank and Arthur Migliazza both made good showings, proving to be crowd favorites. Ultimately, however, it was acts from Canada and the Deep South who emerged in the top spots. The Clarksdale, Miss., tag team of Alphonso Sanders and Bill “Howl-n-Madd” Perry seemed to have the home region advantage, but it was Canadian bluesman Matt Andersen who ultimately walked away with the award.
After an evening break, the competition resumed with the band finals. Female blues artists made a strong showing with the Karen Lovely Band taking second place, and Cheryl Renee and Them Bones, finishing third. But it was Delta blues act Grady Champion of Canton, Miss. who earned the coveted top spot.
For Sieleman, the geographic range of the finalists says much about the state of the blues. “To me it says two things: first, that blues is global -- when someone from Canada can be the best, and indeed (Andersen) was spectacular. But also, the finals also showed that there is a renaissance going on in the Delta, in the birthplace of the blues. And that there are still great bluesmen coming out of Mississippi.”
Other honors given out during the evening included the awarding of a custom Gibson guitar to Matt Kelly of Washington D.C.’s Big Boy Little Band, who was recognized as top guitarist of the event. Judges also tapped two albums in the “Best Self-Produced CD” category with the Laurie Morvan Band’s Fire It Up! and The Informants’ Crime Scene Queen, sharing the honor.
The process for choosing next year’s IBC winners begins anew next week as blues societies across North America will be starting their local competitions to determine who will represent them in the 27th annual International Blues Challenge, set to take place in January 2011.
– Bob Mehr, 529-2517
26th Annual International Blues Challenge Winners
For a complete list of winners, go to blues.org.
Solo/duo winner: Matt Andersen, sponsored by Harvest Jazz and Blues from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Second Place: Alphonso Sanders and Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry from Mississippi's Crossroads Blues Society
Band winner: Grady Champion of the Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola.
Second place: Karen Lovely Band, Cascade Blues Association.
Top Guitarist: Matt Kelly of the Big Boy Little Band, of the Washington D.C. Blues Society
Best Self-Produced CD: Fire It Up! by the Laurie Morvan Band and Crime Scene Queen by The Informants.
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