The Blues Foundation Announces 160 Acts for IBC 2008

The Blues Foundation Announces 160 Acts to Compete in 2008
International Blues Challenge

A total of 160 acts will participate in the 24th International Blues
Challenge on historic Beale Street. This year, we will see 100 bands
and 60 solo/duo acts competing in Memphis, TN. Make sure that your
face is in the place-- January 31-February 2, 2008.

[I've stuck in comments if I know anything about the bands]

The finals will take place at the ornate Orpheum Theater at the top of
Beale on Saturday and Cassie Taylor and Gary Clark, Jr. will be the
co-hosts of the Band finals in the afternoon.

For information, tickets and IBC shirts contact: http://www.blues.org

Bands
1. Arkansas River Blues Society, Cosmic Biscuit
2. Asociacion Civil Amigos Jazz Ensamble, MO' BLUES - Argentina
3. Atlanta Blues Society, Tommy Brown
4. Baltimore Blues Society, Nothin' But Trouble

*5. Baton Rouge Blues Society, 'Lil' Ray Neal Blues Band - one of the
great Neal clan

6. Billtown Blues Association, Black~n~Blues
7. Black Swamp Blues Society, Chris Shutters Band
8. Blue Ridge Blues Society, Little Rodger & The Cheap Thrills
9. Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast, The Nouveaux Honkies
10. Blues Blowtorch Society, Kim Massie Band
11. Blues for Peace, Roy Young-Israel
12. Blues in Britain, Oli Brown Band - Untited Kingdom
13. Blues Lovers United of San Diego, Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz
14. Blues Society of Central Pennsylvania, Don Johnson Project
15. Blues Society of Northwest Florida, Darren J Trio
16. Blues Society of the Ozarks, A.B.S.Blues Band
17. Blues Society of Tulsa, Little Joe McLerran & The Big Three Trio
18. Blues Society of Western New York, Blueshounds
19. Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania, Jill West and Blues Attack
20. Blues Sur Seine, Awek - France
21. Blues, Jazz and Folk Music Society, The Jimi Vincent Band
22. Boise Blues Society, Hoochie Coochie Men
23. Boston Blues Society, Bruce Marshal Group
24. Canal Bank Shuffle, Fathead - Canada
25. Cape Fear Blues Society, Chickenhead Blues Band
26. Capital Area Blues Society, 6 Hands Down
27. Cascade Blues Association, Franco and the Stingers
28. Charlotte Blues Society, WSNB
29. Cincy Blues Society, Jon Justice
30. Colorado Blues Society, Erica Brown Band
31. Columbus Blues Alliance, Patrick McLaughlin
32. Connecticut Blues Society, The Mike Crandall Band
33. Creekside Blues Society, Big Gil's Blues & His Funky All-Stars

*34. Crossroads Blues Soceity of Mississippi, John Horton - a great
long time veteran from the Delta. Plays like Albert King and sings
like the Wolf.

35. Crossroads Blues Society (IN), The Paxton Norris Band
36. DC Blues Society, Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings
37. Detroit Blues Society, Front Street Blues Band
38. Diamond State Blues Society, Lower Case Blues
39. Frederick Blues Society, Blues on Board
40. Friends of Rentiesville Blues Inc., Jennifer Marriott
41. Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society, Cadillac Kolstad and the
Flats
42. Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, Garrett Mason & The Vibrations
43. Houston Blues Society, Thrill Hill and the Real Deal
44. Illinois Central Blues Club, Darrein Safron and the Soul Sensations
45. Iowa Blues Societies, Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts
46. James River Blues Society of Sedalia, Clarence "The Blues Man" Turner
47. Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation, Moose & The Bulletproof
Blues Band
48. Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association, TC & the Roadmasters
49. Kansas City Blues Society, Trampled Under Foot
50. Kentuckiana Blues Society, Velveeta Jones Band
51. Kentucky Blues Society, The Fender Benders
52. Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society, Johnny G and The All Stars
53. Lehigh Valley Blues Network, Sarah Ayers Band
54. Long Island Blues Society, JP Blues Band
55. Madison Blues Society, Bobby Bryan and The Original Downtown Players
56. Magic City Blues Society, Todd Simpson and Mojo Child
57. Mahoning River Blues Society, Willie Phoenix
58. Maine Blues Society, Matt & the Barnburners
59. Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, Jaimi Faulkner Band - Australia

*60. Memphis Blues Society, Eric "Scrappy" Hughes Band - an internet
friend of mine from back in the West Tennessee woods.

61. Mid North Michigan Blues Society, Big Daddy Fox & The Krewe

*62. Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola, Mickey Rogers and
the Soul Master Band Featuring Barbara Looney - long time veterans
from the Delta

63. MO Blues Association, Doghouse Daddies

*64. Monterey Bay Blues Festival, Volker Strifler *****North Bay's own!

65. Natchel Blues Network, The Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark
66. North Central Florida Blues Society, Used Blues
67. North Texas Blues Society, James Hinkle
68. Northeast Blues Society, Tas Cru and the Slow Happy Boys
69. Oklahoma Blues Society, Snakeshakers
70. Orange Blossom Blues Society, Smokin' Torpedoes
71. Ozark Blues Society of NW Arkansas, Drawing Back Featuring Daniel
Conti
72. Paris Blues Soceity, The Triptones
73. Phoenix Blues Society, Big Daddy D and The Dynamites
74. Piedmont Blues Preservation Society, Big Road
75. River City Blues Society (VA), RYLO

*76. Sacramento Blues Society, Delta Wires - from S.F. and Northern CA

77. San Angelo Blues Society, The Jeff Strahan Band
78. San Luis Obispo Blues Society, Pryor Baird and The Deacons

*79. Santa Barbara Blues Society, Blue Stew - Hard working SoCal
bluesperson

*80. Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society, Laurie Morvan Band

*81. Sierra Blues Soceity, Leah Tysse - wonderful vocalist from S.F.

*82. Sonny Boy Blues Society, Big Red and The Soul Benders - an
internet friend of mine said to have a huge voice.

83. South Florida Blues Society, J.P. Soars & The Red Hots
84. South Sound Blues Association, Red Hot Blues Sisters
85. Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation, Train Wreck
86. Southern California Blues Society, Andy Walo Band
87. Spa City Blues Society, The Brethren
88. Space Coast Blues Society, Josh Miller and the Bad Mules
89. St. Louis Blues Society, Marquise Knox
90. Suncoast Blues Society, Sack O' Woe
91. Sydney Blues Society, Ray Beadle Band - Australia
92. Texarkana Blues Society, Diddley Squat
93. Toronto Blues Society, Shakura S'Aida - Canada
94. Triangle Blues Society, Contagious Blues Band
95. Vicksburg Blues Society, Scott Albert Johnson
96. Washington Blues Society, Hudson Blues Band
97. West Michigan Blues Society, Crossroads Blues Band
98. West Virginia Blues Society, Billy the Kid & the Regulators
99. Wichita Blues Society, RKO
100. Yesterday & Today's Rhythm & Blues Society, CJ Vaughn & Highway 58

Solo/Duo
1. Arkansas River Blues Society, Dan and Al
2. Atlanta Blues Society, Nathan Nelson
3. Baltic Blues of Eutin, Ian Parker-Germany
4. Billtown Blues Association, Brennon John
5. Black Swamp Blues Society, Pat Lewandowski

*6. Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast, Ben Prestage - second two
years in a row. Internet friends rave about him.

7. Blues Blowtorch Society, Barb Hamilton Band
8. Blues Society of Central Pennsylvania, Matt Wigler & Mike Aubin
9. Blues Society of Northwest Florida, Memphis Annie
10. Blues Society of the Ozarks, The Cotton Boys
11. Blues Society of Tulsa, Perry Thomas/James Watts
12. Blues Society of Western New York, Cale Hawkins
13. Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania, Jeff Kelley
14. Blues Society on Taiwan, Mike Officer and Kory Montgomery
15. Blues Sur Seine, Mountain Men-France
16. Cape Fear Blues Society, Tony Rogers

*17. Cascade Blues Association, Alice Stuart - a great veteran

18. Charlotte Blues Society, Wicker and Jones
19. Cincy Blues Society, Ricky Nye
20. Colorado Blues Society, Lionel Young

*21. Columbus Blues Alliance, Walter Tore's Spontobeat - former Sonoma
county resident

22. Connecticut Blues Society, Dan Stevens and Chris D'Amato
23. Creekside Blues Society, Woody Pines
24. Detroit Blues Society/ Canada South Blues Society, Mike Espy &
Yakity Yak
25. Downstate NY Blues Association, Jon Short
26. Friends of Rentiesville Blues Inc., D.J. White
27. Grand County Blues Society, John-Alex Mason
28. Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society, James Samuel "Cornbread"
Harris Sr
29. Houston Blues Society, Stevie DuPree and Jack Saunders, The Delta
Flyers
30. Illinois Central Blues Club, Robert Sampson
31. Iowa Blues Societies, Willie Mac & Alan Smith
32. Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation, The Dalton/Feiles Duo
33. Kansas City Blues Society, Rich Berry
34. Kentucky Blues Society, Michael Gough and John Martin

*35. Klamath Blues Society, Doctor Mongo & Harry Harpoon - from just
over the Oregon line

36. Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society, Howell and Eis
37. Lehigh Valley Blues Network, Donovan Roberts
38. Long Island Blues Society, Steve Robinson
39. Magic City Blues Society, 2blu
40. Mahoning River Blues Society, Kristine Jackson
41. Maine Blues Society, Pat Pepin
42. Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, Miss Suzannah Espie & Big
Boy Lemonade-Australia

*43. Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola, L.C. Ulmer and
Chase Holifield - favorites of internet friends of mine.

44. Mojo Station, Rude Blues - Italy
45. Natchel Blues Network, Bobby "BlackHat" Walters and Larry B.
46. North Texas Blues Society, KM Williams
47. Ozarks Blues Society, Adam Posnak
48. Paris Blues Soceity, Diamond Jack and Johnny C. Lately
49. Rowan Blues and Jazz Society, Blazin Blues Bob

*50. Sacramento Blues Society, Ron Cook & Pinkie Varner - Northern
California duo.

51. Santa Barbara Blues Society, Karen Tyler with Bruce Krupnik
52. Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society, Cody LePow
53. South African Blues Society, Clark and Steel - Africa
54. Spa City Blues Society, Jelly Brown
55. Suncoast Blues Society, AL "Coffee" McDaniel
56. Texarkana Blues Society, Mark Searcy
57. Toronto Blues Society, Danny Brooks
58. Triangle Blues Society, Andy Coats
59. Vicksburg Blues Society, Sherman Lee Dillon
60. West Virginia Blues Society, Izzy & Chris

Peace
Bluezman