International Blues Challenge 2012

Finals

The Orpheum Theatre

Memphis, Tennessee

February 4, 2012

Photography by Mark Goodman

The finals of the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge were held on February 4 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee. After days of stiff competition the finalists were found in the two categories of Band and Solo/Duo to be:

Band Finalists

Mikey Junior & the Stone Cold Blues (Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation)
Noah Wotherspoon Band (Dayton Blues Society)
Sherry Pruitt Blues Project (Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society)
The Bart Walker Band (Nashville Blues Society)
The WIRED! Band (Washington Blues Society)
Selwyn Birchwood Band (Suncoast Blues Society)
Taylor Scott & Another Kind of Magick (Wyoming Blues & Jazz Society)
Paula Harris (The Golden Gate Blues Society)
The Lefty Collins Band (Magic City Blues Society)

Solo/Duo

Lucious Spiller (Arkansas River Blues Society)
Randy McQuay (Cape Fear Blues Society)
D’Mar and Gill (Central Mississippi Blues Society)
Robert Sampson (Illinois Central Blues Club)
Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers (Montreal Blues Society)
Ray Bonneville (Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas)
Spoons & Abel (Sonny Boy Blues Society)
Dr. Don’s Double Dose (Sydney Blues Society)

For one week each year, Beale Street in Memphis become the Boulevard of Dreams for blues artists around the world. Many great blues careers have been made at the International Blues Challenge. We congratulate every one who made the Road To Memphis to participate in the IBC. All are great artists who have passed the test and they are they were all winners, but there could only be one winner in each category. And the winners are…

Band

The Wired! Band

From The Washington Blues Society

AND

Solo/Duo

Ray Bonneville

From The Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas

Of course BluesWax’ Mark Goodman was there taking photographs and two weeks ago he shared some photographs from the Band finals and on this week’s Photo Page, Mark shares some of his shots from the solo/duo finals. Please note that two weeks ago we inadvertently failed to include the photographs of the Bart Walker Band in the band finals. We have included them this week.

As always, our photographers share there photographs with you for your enjoyment. If you wish to share or use the photographs in any other way, please contact us first.

Enjoy!