Hey everybody, we do our best to put together events every month butt sometimes the timing of things just does not work out well. Although we had quite an interest from musicians in the area, there we too many conflicts with personal and professional schedules to be able to have the contest on Sunday. The Blues Board decided there were not enough entries to have a true competition. I am really bummed out about this, butt we are going to postpone BoBB. We will announce the new date next week.

ATTENTION ALL BLUES BANDS! If you want a shot at the big time, them I have got an offer for you. We are looking for the best Blues bands in Alabama to compete in the 2010 Battle of Blues Bands contest. This event will be held at Old Car Heaven on Sunday, July 25, at 2:00 pm. There will be two first place winners that day: one band and one solo/duo act. These winners will be eligible to compete in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis in early 2011. This showcase includes artists from the 150+ Blues societies around the world. The winner of the IBC will get a lot of sponsorship opportunities and will be booked for some of the most prestigious Blues festivals around the country. Many of these artists have used this to hit the national Blues scene.

The winners will be booked for paying gigs, playing for MCBS events. They will also receive a stipend from the MCBS to help offset traveling costs to Memphis. The first place winner of the band competition this year will have their choice to headline the October Phelan Park finale or open up for Blues Ball in December. The second place winner will play the gig that the first place winner does not choose. The third place winner will play for our birthday party in January 2011. The fourth place winner will play for the Alabama Jazz & Blues Federation Labor Day show in Montgomery. The solo/duo winner will have the option to open the October Phelan Park finale or open up for the March Junkyard Juke show in March 2011. We were able to get paying gigs for most of the acts that competed last year.

Now that we know what the Holy Grail is, let’s talk about the rules and eligibility. Click “Read More” to see the rules:

Read More

Last year we introduced a house concert series called Blues Stages which was met with a lot of enthusiasm from our membership. I hate to say it, butt we have not had one this entire year. The Blues business has been too good and it has been hard to schedule a show. Well, we are making up for that by having TWO Blues Stages shows this month. With it being so hot outside, it will be nice to enjoy some “cool” Blues inside for a change. Our first show this
month will be on July 10 – the night after the open acoustic Blues jam.

We are excited to have Alphonso Sanders and Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry from Mississippi open up this year’s house concert series for us.

This duo placed second in the solo/duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January. These two musicians have played individually with some of the finest artists in the business. Now that they are a team, they are blowing peoples’ socks off with their high energy shows. There is more information about these guys in this edition of Blues News.

Our next show will be July 24, featuring the fabulous Will Kimbrough.

Pegged as more of a “roots” artist, Will has shared the stage with a variety of artists from blues to rock to country. He is an acclaimed songwriter and instrumentalist as well. Will’s style is a great example of how the Blues has affected so many other genres of music.

If you have not attended a Blues Stages show before, you may be asking yourself how it all works. You must sign up through email as we keep the location of the show a secret, so that we do not overload someone’s housewith too many people. Seating is always limited, so it is “first come, first served” to reserve your spot. You will receive an email with directions to the venue the week of the show. You will pay a cash donation at the door; this will be $10 per person for the Sander/Perry show and $15 for the Will Kimbrough show. You need to bring your folding chair and the adult beverage of your choice. If you are interested in either (or both) show(s), please email mcbsprez@bellsouth.net and tell me how many will be in your party. Don’t hesitate, because seating is limited. Get ready for some up close and intimate musical experiences!

July 24 - Blue Stages House Concert Series - Will Kimbrough - SOLD OUT!