The following acts have entered the 2011 OBS Blues Challenge this year in the Solo/duo and Band categories. One winner in each category will be chosen on the night of the Challenge.

Solo/Duo:

Steve Jones - Steve Jones has played clubs, festivals, events and street corners in Eureka Springs since 1987. His bands have included The Jones Brothers, The Eureka Street Buskers, Opal Fly and the Swatters, Eureka Swings and The Hogscalders. He has opened and shared the stage with, Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Nashville Bluesgrass Band, Albert King, Sam Carr, Frank Frost, John Hammond and many others. 

Brick Fields - The resonating sound and honest lyrics of Brick Fields music does what all good music should. It crosses the lines that divide us, giving each listener or member of the audience something in common with each other ... Jennifer Downing Burleigh. Brick Fields are vocalist/ guitarist/flautist Rachel Fields, and guitarist/ vocalist Larry Brick. The married couple based out of Eureka Springs, AR have been living music for a combined 80 years and many more to come.

Ray Bonneville - Ray Bonneville is a Canadian born, US raised, blues influenced singer, songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player, who is known for his loose, bluesy, swampy vibe. He now lives in Austin TX after having lived many places in the US, Canada and Europe. Ray is the recipient of a Juno award, (Canada's Grammy) and has released seven recordings. His latest, Bad mans blood came out in August 2011. Says Ray about his early influences, "I remember going into the Boston area night clubs in the late sixties and early seventies, listening to Muddy Waters, John Hurt, James Cotton, Lightning Hopkins, Junior Wells and many more...these guys were still relatively young...man what a thrill that was!" 

Buddy Shute & Kathy Cole - Buddy Shute was lucky enough to be born in Memphis & started playing the bars when he was 16.  He spent the 70's in New Orleans playing with everybody. Buddy played on a riverboat, with Southern Komfort out of Ozark, AR, and with Roundhouse who represented the Maine Blues Society at the 2005 IBC. Lately Buddy has been playing in the Northwest Arkansas area.
Kathy Cole grew up outside of Detroit where she fell in love with Motown, R&B, southern soul & the blues. She sang as much as she could at church and at school. In 1991 Kathy produced and hosted Redeye R&B at WUNH; for 17 years she played R&B & blues - vintage 1939 to 1975 - to a very supportive Seacoast community.

Kyle Lee - I'm a local blues artist. For the past five years the steps of the Walton Art center has been my venue. My style is very raw, and gritty. Much of the music I play is in the old original style of the old delta bluesmen.

Bands:

Nathan A & Max R.P.M. - Sixteen year-old Nathan Aronowitz is a junior honor student at Rogers High School. He is a versatile R&B artist who sings and plays piano, guitar, and harmonica. For the past three years, Nathan has performed at numerous venues with many of Northwest Arkansas most accomplished musicians. He attended the Pinetop Perkins Master Piano Class in 2010, which culminated in a performance with Bob Margolin at Ground Zero in Clarksdale, MS. Nathan has represented OBS at the IBC Youth Showcase in Memphis, and appeared on the King Biscuit Radio Show, impressing host, Sunshine Sonny Payne, with his mastery of the harmonica. On stage, Nathan is joined by Max R.P.M. (Dan Robinson, Matt Perrine, and Severino Myers).

Mississippi Fever - Formed by former Studebaker John (Blind Pig Records) Bassist Ted May, former Walker Texas Ranger Session Guitarist Brent Barker, and veteran drummer Tom May (played with early Allman Brothers bassist), Mississippi Fever members have shared the stage with blues greats such as Ike Turner, Little Milton and Chuck Berry. Brent and Ted both were featured in Guitar Player magazine for their inspired playing. The sound of the band has influences as diverse as Buddy Guy, 70s-era ZZ Top, and Cream. They produce a sound steeped in the tradition of blues, but performed with the aggressive energy of rock.

Blind Trust Blues Project - Blind Trust Blues Project was formed in 2005 as a Father/Son act and was formed for the sole purpose of keeping the Blues alive and takes the influences of blues, rock, soul and R&B and creates a sound that respects the roots of the blues but also pushes it's contemporary bounds. The band's stage show is filled with an entertaining set of original songs that showcase the talents of all of the band members. Over the years, Blind Trust Blues Project has shared the stage with several great artists from Stanley Banks, Michael Burks, Johnny Allen, Richie Cannata, Clarence Spady, Sophia Urista, Lucious Spiller and many other great musicians. 

The David Kimbrough Band - David Kimbrough Jr. was born on both the 3rd and the 4th of January in 1965. He lived with his mother Magnolia Malone and father Junior Kimbrough in Holly Springs, Mississippi, right down the road from Junior's birthplace, Hudsonville. David began singing with his father as a young child at home. He remembers singing for the first time with his daddy in front of a crowd at age six. By the time he was 15, David began playing drums in his dad's band. After playing in Chicago and living in the fast-lane of the Chicago streets for many years, David moved back to his roots in Mississippi for several years. Now, he says he has achieved a new way of life with his new family, and is happy to be relocated to Northwest Arkansas. And with his past several years of recording and performing, he’s definitely fulfilling his legacy as a Mississippi bluesman.

The GroundScore - The GroundScore was formed August 2011. Consisting of Jimmy Wayne Garrett, a NWA singer/songwriter/guitar player, Gabby Langlais of Brooklyn, Lucas Hinch and Jake Shcaeffer of the Arkansas Delta. We all have performing backgrounds ranging from dance to even trumpet. But, The GroundScore focuses on Roots Music with tones of blues, gospel, R&B, and folk. We have a very simple setup. Acoustic guitar and a cajun drum. It still works. We are currently trying to get more recordings and exposure.

Trickbag -  Trickbag is a three piece blues rock band that plays around the Nothwest Arkansas club circuit.("the bayou of rogers, joses streetside, the rockin"pig of eureka, etc.) The members of the bandare Eric Ray of Garfield (guitar) Wes Bolin of Rogers (drums) and Jeff Myers of Fayetteville (bass).   Our shows consist of mostly covers that are blues founded, such as "Cross Cut Saw”, “She caught the Katy",  "Matchbox", etc. with a few tunes from Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy and of course Stevie Ray Vaughan.  The youngest member in the band is 40, so we’ve all been around a while. We just try to have fun.

The Eoff Brothers Band -Touring since 2005. One CD released in 2007 and another one in works right now.  Multiple O.M.A., NAMMA, & Battle of the Bands wins.