[IBC 2007] [IBC 2005] [IBC 2004]

[The Event]

AIRPLANES, TRAINS AND VANS BROUGHT 15 TO MEMPHIS FROM MINNESOTA FOR THE 2006 INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE.

Blues Hall on Beale Street
Blues Hall
on Beale Street

Tom drove a van down to Memphis and he was the first to arrive to Memphis, via St. Louis. First Roz and then Andrew pulled in right behind Tom, making their trips by rail, via Chicago. The rest of the Minnesota contingent traveled by air and most all of us arrived in time to take in some local music by the Blues Hall house band Wednesday night.

The Minnesota Contingent: from back to front, left to right -
Steve, Andy, Mark, Doug, Cheryl, Dan, Papa John, Polly,
Dwight, Sue, Judy, Roz, Vicky and Jerry.

Solo/Duo category had no less than 49 acts scheduled to play in six venues: The Tap Room, Pig on Beale, Kings Palace Café, Celebrities, Blues Hall and the Shake Shack. Semi-finalist Andrew "Cadillac" Kolstad played at Pig on Beale Thursday and Friday nights.

Semi-finalist Good Time Willy Blues Band played to a full house at Pat O'Brien's on Beale both Thursday and Friday nights. They were a real crowd pleaser and it was fun to watch all the dancin' goin'ons. Applause was generous as the band played and swayed in unison.

Good Time Willy Blues Band
at Pat O'Briens

A total of 80 bands competed, playing in a total of 10 venues. Fans bopped up and down Beale in and out of the 16 venues non stop all night long both Thursday and Friday. There was some awesome talent to be had and it was a treat to see the worlds' largest gathering of blues musicians from all over, including Austrailia, Canada, France, and Italy and Poland. Only one band and one solo/duo act could be selected for first place and they were boogie-woogie pianist Eden Brent (sponsored by Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola) and the Joey Gilmore Trio (sponsored by South Florida Blues Society). Prizes included cash, equipment, interviews, consulting and gigs around the USA. To read more about this year's IBC you can visit the Blues Foundation's website at www.blues.org . Solo/Duo Finals were held at the Center for Southern Folklore and Band Finals were held at the New Daisy Theater.

Cadillac Kolstad playing
at Pig on Beale

Dwight Christenson

Steve Vonderharr

Mark Williams

Roz and Judy attended the Keeping the Blues Alive award luncheon on Saturday. Our society nominated KFAI for the category Radio-Public. This year's public radio award went to KPFT Radio out of Houston, established 1970. We will try again next year! We also nominated the Everett Smithson Blues Band's recent release for the Best Self-Produced CD Award. This year that award went to Michele Lundeen (sponsored by the Reno Blues Society).

Doug Hanson and Dan Wiseman

Attendees of the IBC also had an opportunity to participate in a variety of sessions: a society roundtable, a panel about photographing the blues and a seminar related to Blues-in-the-Schools (BITS). The keynote speaker for this year's luncheon was Dick Waterman. Musicians were invited to attend a session on Friday especially for them: Blues Business 101.

Margolin hosts blues jam,
photo provided by Roz Goldberg

Blues jams were aplenty over the IBC weekend and our musicians played at the Rum Boogie Café jam. Amazingly, many of our group found time for side trips to Graceland and Sun Studio. Tom was very generous, not only as our professional photographer but also as chauffeur with his rented eight-passenger van.

Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale

Andrew and Tom

The longest side trip took place Monday when Andrew and Tom headed further south to see Helena and Clarksdale. Tom then drove the coastline before heading home.

Hats off to all our musicians who have played on Beale in the IBC: Andrew Cadillac Kolstad; Good Time Willy Blues Band; Scott Miller; Rough Cuts; and Joe Cook & John Franken.

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