Karen Lovely Takes Second Place at the International Blues Challenge!

Written by Greg Johnson Sunday, 14 February 2010 21:06

    The Blues Foundation’s annual event of bringing in bands from around the world to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete in the International Blues Challenge continues to grow in size and popularity every year. This year saw 110 bands, 82 solo/duo entries and 32 Youth Acts flock to Beale Street for the chance to showcase their talents before fans and industry people that include major recording labels, media, festival buyers and blues societies. Appearing on 19 stages along Beale Street, only one act may advance from each to compete in the IBC finals at The Orpheum Theater.
    This year the Pacific Northwest had probably it’s largest turn-out of representatives in the IBC as of yet. The Karen Lovely Band and Son Jack Jr. & Michael Wilde represented the Cascade Blues Association; Adam Scramstad was sent by the Rainy Day Blues Society; South Sound Blues Association had Blues Redemption and J.D. Hobson; Washington Blues Society sent The Randy Oxford Band; Klamath Blues Society was represented by Cee Cee James; and the Boise Blues Society had Lori B! and The Blue Diamonds as well as The BoDo Brothers. A stellar line-up of acts that in its own way was a showcase for the talent that is so abundant in our region of the country.

Read more: Karen Lovely Takes Second Place at the International Blues Challenge!

Carus Sings The Blues!

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 09 February 2010 22:10

By Ellen Whyte

This past month has been one of the most challenging, exciting, and rewarding lifetime experiences. There's so much to tell you about the artist in residence experience at Carus Elementary School in Oregon City.
 
Let's start from the beginning. Local blue guitarist, Dave Mullany and I kicked off the residency performing for the students at an assembly where we introduced the student body to blues music. We told stories of how the music originated from African roots, and landed here in the US southern regions on farmlands and plantations.  As these were elementary school students, we didn't want to get too deep into the history.
 
But we did want to convey the experience and the feeling in simple, straightforward ways. So we talked about the earliest expressions of blues: "field hollerers,"" work songs,"" chain gangs," and how Africans spirited this music from the soil to the church, and then finally to the stage. Dave gave the kids examples of the early styles of blues style finger picking on guitar.  Dave brought out his resonator guitar and then played the electric guitar demonstrating blues rock. The kids LOVED it!

Read more: Carus Sings The Blues!

Blues Photographers

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 09 February 2010 18:03

Check out the new link section of Blues Photographers, including Baton Rouge, LA resident and Blues Foundation volunteer Jenn Ocken.

Karen Lovely Band takes 2nd, 2010 IBC

Written by Administrator Sunday, 24 January 2010 09:35

Bands

Winner - Grady Champion, Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola
Second Place - Karen Lovely Band, Cascade Blues Association
Third Place - Cheryl Renee and Them Bones, Cincy Blues Society

Solo Duet

Winner - Matt Anderson, Harvest Jazz & Blues

Best Self Produced CD Competition (tie)

The Informants, "Crime Scene Queen", Colorado Blues Society and
Laurie Morvan Band, "Fire It Up!", Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society