40th International Blues Challenge
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) was held January 7-11, 2025 on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee (USA). The IBC is the world’s largest gathering of blues musicians and represents the worldwide search for blues bands and solo/duo.
Everything started on Tuesday with the International Showcase with only non-US-acts in several clubs on Beale. Sadly the clubs were nearly empty- in “Wet Willies” only 6 up to 29 visitors watched the excellent shows. However- the acts had a lot of fun!
Umberto Porcaro Band – Int Showcase – Photo Helge Nickel
The Challenge itself started on Wednesday with the first quarter finals: 73 bands in 7 clubs and 65 solo/duo in 6 clubs has to perform 25 minutes in front of three judges. The acts came from USA, Canada, Australia, Korea and Europe (France, Netherland, Italy, Swiss, Poland, UK, Finland, Belgium and Germany). The next day the second quarter finals were held at the same places and same way, but with other judges. Also at the quarters the clubs were only half filled and upcoming snow didn´t make the situation better. After the last shows the big waiting for the results started: 4 acts from every club will go ahead. Who will reach the semi finals?
The semis offered 28 band acts in 5 clubs and 24 solo/duo in 3 clubs. Again 3 judges at each club, but the performing time extend up to 30 minutes. But the pressure for the acts rises: only 1 band from every club will reach the finals and 2 from every club in the solo/duo category.
Finally 5 bands and 6 solo/duo reached the finals (6x USA, 2x Australia, 1x Canada, Netherlands, Germany) to perform 20 minutes at the great, sadly only half empty, Orpheum Theatre. After about 6 hours of fine Blues the winnes were announced:
- Band First Place Winner: Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal
- Band Second Place: Ra’Shad The Blues Kid
- Band Third Place: Dylan Salfer Band
- Solo/Duo First Place: Joce Reyome
- Solo/Duo Second Place: 2 Blues for You
- Most Promising Guitarist: Dylan Salfer
- Solo/Duo Guitar Award: Nick Charles
- Best Harmonica Player: Jock Webb Sr., Ra’Shad The Blues Kid
- Best Self-Produced CD: Revelation by Piper & The Hard Times
Resume:
In total this years the Challenge served the highest quality of acts in the last 15 years! Only sad point was the 2nd placed bandact at the finals: an obviously specially for the IBC casted showact, with “nice” dancing backingvocals and only low musical skills should not be placed in the rankings.
Alarming is the trend of the every year sinking number of visitors! The reason was and is not only the pandemia or the snowy weather. Beside structural problems of such an organization, a lot of club owners show only low interest in Blues/IBC, and the change to a date in early January. In total it costs a lot of audience- and most of them are lost forever…
Helge Nickel
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