CALLING ALL BLUES MUSICIANS!

OZARK BLUES SOCIETY OF NWA’S ANNUAL “BLUES CHALLENGE” during BIKES, BLUES & HOT RODS TOO, FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

On September 30, 2010, the Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas will host its Annual Blues Challenge during the Bikes, Blues & Hot Rods Too event. The competition starts at 2:00 p.m. on the Crown Royal Stage, next to the Arkansas Music Pavilion in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The society is seeking submissions from Blues bands and solo/duo artists to compete at this event. The acts will perform 20-minute sets in a randomly-chosen order which will be announced just prior to the start of the competition. Submissions will be juried so that there will be no more than a total of 10 acts in the competition. The September 30 competition will be judged by professionals in the blues music business, such as professional music media writers, blues radio show hosts, and officers from other blues societies surrounding Northwest Arkansas.

Submissions are free, and must be received by September 10, 2010. Submissions should contain a band or solo/duo bio, a CD recording of the act or a website link where videos or songs are posted, and professional-looking photographs in a “jpg” format suitable for press releases and web posting. Submissions must be mailed before September 10, 2010, to Ozark Blues Society, 38 Merritt Drive, Bella Vista AR 72714, or emailed to webmaster@ozarkbluessociety.org. Questions about submissions can also be sent by email.

There will be two winners announced on the same night of the competition -- one band and one solo/duo act. Winners will then compete at the four-day 2011 International Blues Challenge on Beale Street in Memphis on February 1 through February 5, 2011. All expenses are paid by Ozark Blues Society for the winners’ travel and lodging, and a daily food allowance will be provided. Past winners of this local challenge are Kory Montgomery, and The Eoff Brothers. Both of these acts went on to the Top 10 Finals in Memphis. Some of the solo/duo artists sent to Memphis have been Buddy Shute and Adam Posnak.

The 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis will be the 27th year that Blues musicians from around the world will compete for cash, prizes, and industry recognition. This is the world's largest gathering of Blues acts and is produced by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations. At the 2010 competition earlier this year, 110 bands and 80 solo/duo acts entered, filling the clubs up and down Beale Street for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday and the finals at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday. There will be at least that many artists competing in 2011.

Here’s what some artists and attendees have to say about their experience in Memphis this year:

Zac Harmon, the 2004 IBC winner and 2006 Blues Music Award Best New Artist, said, “Winning the International Blues Challenge is better than having a $100,000 publicity budget.”

Matt Anderson, who won first place in the 2010 solo/duo competition, said, “I pushed the whole competition thing out of my head. I didn't want to focus on that. I decided to leave that alone and went and made a point to meet as many people as I could; made a lot of great connections.”

“This was my first year attending the International Blues Challenge and it was better than any festival I have ever attended,” said Eddie Bagwell, vice president of the Tulsa Blues Society.

According to Chick Cavallero of the Colorado and Grand County Blues Societies, “The amount of talent that gathered in Memphis was staggering. I have to admit it sent chills down my spine whenever I looked around and realized I was in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge and that I actually knew some of these performers on stage. Goose bump time! We were able to see 35+ IBC performers and I can honestly say everyone we saw was talented and truly belonged there. Everything we heard was pure blues, and this was one time I was glad I was not judging.”

More information about the Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas can be found at www.ozarkbluessociety.org, and the Blues Foundation’s website is atwww.blues.org.