Joe McMurrian Chosen for Best Self-Produced CD Competition - 2010/11

For the past several years, The Blues Foundation has been holding a competition with its affiliates to select a Best Self-Produced CD. The discs are first judged amongst the local blues societies and those seclected then go through a series of rounds, being listened to by industry personnel, with the overall winner being named during the finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN on Saturday, February 5th.
The Cascade Blues Association has participated in this event over the years and opens for submissions in late August. This year we received six entries: Local entries included Bolt Upright’s Up For Grabs, Muddy Award nominated Franco & The Stingers’ Can’t Kick Love, Joe McMurrian’s Get Inside This House and the David Samuel Project’s Poison Girl. We also received entries from the Montana-based Kenny James Miller Band’s Revelator and young Australian Stevie Paige’s Welcome To The Big Time which has been receiving a substantial amount of airplay around the world. Each of the entries went before a committee of CBA Board Members who judged the CDs using the same criteria as The Blues Foundation based on Musical Performance, Audio Quality, Cover Art & Design, and Credits & Liner Note Information.
The Cascade Blues Association is proud to announce that this year’s selection to be sent to Memphis as our representative is Joe McMurrian’s Get Inside This House. This is the second time that McMurrian has been chosen to represent the CBA in the Best Self-Produced CD competition. His last solo album Rain Of Days was a top five finalist in 2007.
There are a total of 55 CDs entered this year from Blues Foundation affiliates. Other Northwest entries include: Big Rockin’ Boogie from Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies (South Sound Blues Association);  Let It Rain from The Tommy Hogan Band (Walla Walla Blues Society) and Walk The Talk from Son Jack Jr. & Michael Wilde (Washington Blues Society). Good luck to Joe McMurrian and all the Northwest representatives.

2011 Christopher Mesi Scholarship Application Process

The Cascade Blues Association (CBA) is pleased to offer a musical scholarship in the amount of $500.00. This award is to be used for tuition only by students enrolled in a music degree program at any Oregon or SW Washington College for the 2011 Fall Term.

This scholarship was established in January 1997 in the memory of Christopher James Mesi, who passed away on July 11, 1996 at age 22 months, due to health complications stemming from a rare respiratory condition known as "Tracheal Rings." Funds continue to be raised to promote the life and growth of this scholarship and its contribution to the field of music.

CRITERIA FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

TIMELINE FOR APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Once the application process has opened, two items will be available here for you to download: the Scholarship Info Sheet, which essentially provides a hard copy of the same information found on this page for your reference, and the Scholarship Application Form, which you must download and fill out to apply for the Scholarship.

 

For application, download at: www.cascadeblues.org (see above) or write to: CBA Scholarship Committee P.O. Box 14493 Portland, OR 97293-0493

Send completed application to: CBA Scholarship Committee P.O. Box 14493 Portland, OR 97293-0493

Seeking Volunteer to Help Deliver BluesNotes

Due to the departure of long-time volunteers and several venues that have opened in the recent past, the CBA is seeking somebody who may be able to help deliver BluesNotes in the SE Portland area. The route would include venues Queen of Hearts, Knuckleheads, Mama Maria’s, Gators and Vino Vixens, plus any other spot you may want to approach about displaying the paper. Preferably we would like to have the papers delivered before the first of each month and that would mean picking up the papers from our cabinets located at our office in Tigard (we can give directions and the papers are available 24 hours a day). Or they can be brought to the CBA monthly meeting and picked up from there, though sometimes the meetings occur a week into the month, which means word of several shows may be missed. If you’re interested in helping, please send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . It doesn’t stop there; we can always use other volunteers for various needs. Thank you.

Original Delta Bluesman Honeyboy Edwards Passes On

David “Honeyboy” Edwards, one of the final links to the original Delta blues performers and perhaps the last of those who worked with the legendary Robert Johnson, died on August 29^th at the age of 96. Born in Shaw, Mississippi, on June 28, 1915, Honeyboy taught himself to play guitar in 1929 by listening to Delta icon Tommy Johnson. Throughout his life, he performed with a literal who’s who of the blues history, interacting with the likes of Charlie Patton, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Peetie Wheatstraw, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Magic Sam, and more greats too numerous to list. He was also recorded by Alan Lomax in 1942, cutting 15 sides for the Library of Congress. Honeyboy was most often seen the last couple decades performing with harmonica player Michael Frank who also is the owner of Earwig Records on which Honeyboy made his final recordings. Honeyboy was the author of a well-received autobiography titled “The World Don’t Owe Me Nothing.” It is one of the finest documentations of blues history, coming first-hand from one who experienced it. He was the recipient of two Blues Music Awards for acoustic musician and two Grammy Awards including one for Lifetime Achievement. He was a strong performer and continued touring right up to three months before he passed, cutting his touring short due to health issues and choosing retirement at the time.

A fund in Honeyboy Edwards’ name had been in the works prior to his death, coordinated by The National Blues Museum. Contributions can be made to:

 

Honeyboy Edwards Fund for the Blues

c/o

Robert J. Endicott, President of the Board, NBM

Bryan Cave LLP

One Metropolitan Square

211 N. Broadway, suite 3600

St. Louis, Missouri 63102

 

A tribute show to be held in Portland in November in honor of Honeyboy Edwards is currently being put together. Watch the BluesNotes for further information.