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Journey to Memphis
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Over
the past three years, the Cascade Blues Association has taken an active
role in participating in The Blues Foundation's yearly International
Blues Challenge, a massive competition held in Memphis, Tennessee that
allows unsigned Blues acts to vie for substantial media attention. Only
authorized musicians representing affiliated societies of The Blues Foundation
are permitted to take part in this event. In order to select the entry to
carry the name of The Cascade Blues Association, our own regional competition,
The Journey To Memphis, was created.
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On Sunday, September 8th, the 2002 Journey To Memphis event was held at the Trail's End Saloon in Oregon City. Contestants included ever-popular full bands Blind Rhino from Philomath and the Richard Day-Reynolds Band. Plus, for the first time in the Journey To Memphis' history, we had not only one, but two, acoustic performers take part, Joe McMurrian and Dylan-Thomas Vance, both from Portland.
All four acts performed brilliantly, every set a winner for sure! Our panel of selected judges most assuredly had a tough decision to make. Those judges were: Jan Celt (owner of Flying Heart Records and local musician who has worked with Jim Mesi, Terry Robb, Mel Solomon and others), Jay Johnson (Burnside Records & Distribution), Tom Addis (KMHD-FM 89.1, The Blues Palace, Fridays 10 pm 2 am) and Michael Osborn (nationally-known solo musician, long-time member of the John Lee Hooker Coast To Coast Band, who has toured with Sista Monica and Robben Ford).
But at the end of the day, it all came down to Dylan-Thomas Vance, with his hypnotic prowess playing the lap-slide guitar.
As the winner, Dylan not only retains the right to represent the CBA in Memphis, but will also receive $500 to help defray travel expenses to the International Blues Challenge. He is also guaranteed an offer to appear at the 2003 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival. Congratulations, Dylan, on a job well done!
Thanks to all the contestants and judges who took part in the 2002 event, the kindness of the Trail's End Saloon for hosting the event, DrumOne.com and to Dick Latimore, Vern Lane and Terry Odor for volunteering their time to help. And special kudos to the Journey To Memphis Committee: Jackson Lee, Greg Johnson and Del Seitzinger — it just keeps getting better every year!