International Blues Challenge 2008 Semi-finals and Finals

by Val Scott (text) and Dusty Scott (photos).

The 2008 International Blues Challenge came to a climax at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 2. First place in the Solo/Duo category went to Lionel Young and second place to Ben Prestage. In the Band category, first place was won by Trampled Under Foot, second place awarded to Shakura S'Aida, and the Lil' Ray Neal Blues Band captured third.

This year's International Blues Challenge included 159 acts from 36 states, 10 countries and 6 continents competing for a variety of cash prizes, professional services and appearances at top blues festivals. The annual event is sponsored by the non-profit Blues Foundation (www.blues.org) and its 145 affiliated organizations.

The photo essays below include images from the semi-final round on Friday, February 1 and the Blues Challenge Finals on February 2. Images from Thursday night's semi-finals can be found here.

Photo Galleries

Friday, February 1, International Blues Challenge Semi-finals (second day)

Saturday, February 2, the International Blues Challenge Finals

Solo/Duo Finals

Lionel Young (First place winner)
Lionel brought a new sound to the solo/duo competition with a finger playing electric violin. Lionel’s impressive musical studies and tutelage include Anastasia Jempelis at the Eastman School of Music, Herbert Greenburgh then with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Josef Gingold at the University of Indiana and Fritz Seigal at the Carnegie-Mellon University. Lionel channels his musical background with the blues to produce a unique electric sound and story. Lionel represents the Colorado Blues Society and maintains an impressive list of symphony accolades.

Ben Prestage (Second place winner)
Ben lays down a raw electric stomp that could set a Mississippi juke joint on fire. The devilish sound and haunting beat is a must to hear and see. Ben has mastered the cigar box electric guitar, along with a foot snare drum and harmonica trio. Ben represents the Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast.

John-Alex Mason
John won the Telluride Acoustic Blues Competition in 2001 and has only gotten better over the ensuing years. John’s influence by the acoustic masters of this blues genre have seeped deeply into his psyche. I have witnessed John’s performance many times across the country and he channels from deep within at each performance. John-Alex has recorded five full-length albums and his latest, Town and Country, was released in January.

Dan Stevens and Chris D’Amato
Dan and Chris performed traditional finger-style blues and originals that spoke of the early masters. Dan and Chris have merged their respective styles to create arrangements that reflect spirit, presence, and originality with a deep reverence for authenticity. Their set belied their passion for the blues.

2blu
2blu represented the Magic City Blues Society of Birmingham, Alabama. They played a set of their special adaptations of blues songs and gave a compelling and visually stunning set. They like to call their music Americiana but admit they still are not sure what that means.

Robert Sampson
Robert grew up as a foster child in the hard times of East St. Louis, but was exposed to blues very early on. Robert eventually graduated from the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired and has had to rely on a gift of playing by ear. He started piano lessons at four years old and eventually progressed to drums and guitar at 9, then added harmonica by age 12. Robert put forth a high-energy set that was sonically and visually delightful. He was a true performer in every sense of the word.

Band Finals

Trampled Under Foot (1st Place Winners)
Guitarist Nick Schnebelen: Albert King Award for the Most Promising Guitarist
A three piece family band with two left-handed guitarists, Trampled Under Foot has been playing music for most of their lives as they are a product of a musical household. Danielle is a powerful blues singer and bassist, with Chris on drums. Nick Schnebelen is an accomplished guitarist, playing a Gibson Thunderbird guitar. Nick also won the Albert King Award for the Most Promising Guitarist and was presented with a Gibson Custom ES-335 guitar and a Category 5 Amp. Originally from Kansas City, the band frequently tours the East Coast and Midwest. Trampled Under Foot represented the Kansas City Blues Society.

Shakura S'Aida (2nd Place Winner)
Second in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Shakura is indeed the most international of artists. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Switzerland (speaks four languages), and a resident for the last 20-odd years of Toronto, Canada, Shakura was delighted with the results of the finals. Her classic R&B style, along with a wonderfully soulful voice and an enthusiastic personality, set Shakura apart. I tried to see her in semi-finals on Friday, but the word was out and you could not get close to the front door of B.B. King’s club during her set.

Lil' Ray Neal (3rd Place Winner)
Lil' Ray (Raful Neal, III) is the son of bluesman Raful, Jr., and brother of Kenny Neal. He is known as the gentle giant of the blues. Ray plays traditional blues with such soul and power. Ray is the third of 10 children and hails from the small village of Ervinville, LA, near Baton Rouge. Ray represented the Baton Rouge Blues Society and gave a wonderfully strong performance. Being exposed to his father’s music along with so many visiting musicians, Ray began his blues journey at a young age and has never looked back. His motto is "nothing but the blues.”

Awek
Awek represented the Blues Sur Seine Blues Society. They have six albums to their credit and have been together for more than 12 years now. Awek always play authentic but very deep and personal blues. They were elected the Best Blues Band in France in 2005 plus their recent CD release Just Pick Up The Pieces was the Best Blues album of the Year in 2005. Their finals performance was exceptional and the crowd roared with approval through their entire set.

Doghouse Daddies
Representing the MO Blues Association, the Doghouse Daddies had a dynamic finals performance. They were rock solid and combined powerful vocals with well-blended harmonies that proved the bands many years of working together. They had a passion in their playing tha5t inspired the Orpheum crowd and pushed themselves the entire set.

Delta Wires
Delta Wires won the Sacramento Blues Society competition and their high energy set with harp and horns gave a reckoning of that victory. The band formed as a college anthology of the blues project in Oakland, CA and for years have played with numerous visiting national blues acts. They carry a three piece horn section that put forth both Chicago and Delta influences. The Delta Wires left their heart, soul and sweat on the stage of the Orpheum.

Pryor Baird and the Deacons
The Deacons played traditional, roots and original blues and came to the stage with fire in each member’s heart. Their guitar player, Pryor Baird, played some mean slide licks and had solid vocals in their finals set. Their bassist, Robert Chetwood, put down an amazing fat hollow sound that drove the band along.

Laurie Morvan
I caught Laurie and the band during the semi-finals after the Venue Coordinator for the Blues Foundation advised they were the band that truly impressed him from the first night of semi-finals. Laurie has been feature in issues of Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar and was on the cover of Southland Blues in July of 2007. Laurie and the band represented the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society. Laurie’s self-penned lyrics were exceptional. Her guitar playing and intensity propelled the entire set along. This is a band to catch if you are ever in California and they are playing anywhere near.

The Mike Crandall Band
This band, which along with a finals entry in the Solo/Duo act represented the Connecticut Blues Society, proved that the Northeast is a hotbed of the blues. Mike and the band played a potent set of traditional blues, an up-tempo jump blues and a swing number that displayed their originality and versatility. Mike had deep gritty vocals and a lush chromatic tone on harmonica that showed influences by the past masters. Rick Harrington on guitar laid out a mean slide and some truly scorching leads. On drums, they had a 14-year-old phenom named Danny Brooks who kept their set kicking and who has played for David Letterman.

Little Roger and the Cheap Thrills:
Hailing from the Blue Ridge Blues Society, Little Roger and the Cheap Thrills are one of the premium blues bands of Southwest Virginia. They laid down a high-energy set of blues and swing with just a touch of rock 'n' roll tossed in. Roger Crowder on vocals and harp was intense the entire set and Reid Doughten on guitar complemented the band's playing with the perfect mix of blues solos.

Related Link
International Blues Challenge 2008 Semi-Finals (Thursday night)
The Blues Foundation

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