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NEWS  FROM  THE  BLUES  FOUNDATION

WWW.BLUES.ORG

Our Mission: To preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form.

Greetings from Barbara
 

Hello Blues Friends,
January was such a busy month that my head is spinning a bit and I'm not sure where to begin. I cannot believe that February is already here. I guess the saying really is true - "time sure flies when you're having fun." And boy, are we having fun while we are working hard for this genre at The Blues Foundation.

We are now just a few weeks past the International Blues Challenge and there is still a lot of work to be done as we complete our post-production and debriefing work. Further down in this Newsletter, you can enjoy some highlights from the week.

Please allow me to congratulate not only our winners, Keeshea Pratt Band and Kevin "B.F." Burt, but also our runners up, Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis, Artur Menezes, and Daniel Eriksen along with our Best Self-Produced CD Winner, Jontavious Willis, our Gibson Guitar Winner, Artur Menezes, and our Solo/Duo Cigar Box Guitar winner and Lee Oskar Harmonica Winner - Kevin "B.F." Burt. Now that these musicians have been internationally discovered via the IBC, watch for them at festivals and clubs around the world and listen for them on radio. I think we will be hearing a lot more from them in the future. Even as they are celebrating their IBC successes, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge every single musician who represented their local blues society in Memphis in mid-January, and we are talking about over 800 musicians in total. Each one of you who put yourself out there to compete at the local level and then won the right to stand on a Beale Street stage and perform your heart out is a winner in my book. You are investing your time and your energy to create music that matters and to share your song with music lovers who you inspire. I hope you will use your experiences at the 2018 IBC to continue developing  your craft with great hopes for the future of the blues. 

The IBC is a true labor of love and takes more than just a village to pull it off - it takes hard working and dedicated volunteers the world over to descend upon Memphis in the midst of snow, ice, and cold to make sure that musicians are checked-in, venues run on time, bands are judged fairly, scores get to the scorekeepers, passes are picked up, merchandise and cds are sold, panels and workshops offer valuable information, films are screened, memorabilia is shared, and guests are warmly welcomed. There are just too many volunteers to thank you all individually, so please allow me to publicly send a huge THANKS to everyone who gave of themselves to ensure that the IBC went off without a hitch.  The names I can and will share are The Blues Foundation Staff:  Joe Whitmer, Elizabeth Montgomery Brown, Addison Hare, and Stephen Whitney, who braved the weather, denied themselves sleep, and gave 110% of themselves to ensure a successful IBC for all. I know that my three hours of sleep each night  were sound because of my trust in these four individuals. They are my rocks and I hope that each of you will thank them directly when you get the chance. Nothing that happens at The Blues Foundation would happen without them. So from me to my staff - BIG THANKS!

This is also a good time to let you know that after 5 years as an intern, production assistant, and our Membership Coordinator, Stephen Whitney has decided to use the skills he developed at The Blues Foundation to move on to new opportunities. Having recently been selected as one of The Memphis Flyer's "20 under 30," Stephen has just begun to make an impact on our community and we wish him well.  His shoes will be hard to fill, but I hope to have a replacement for him in the next few weeks, and as soon as we know who our new Membership Coordinator will be, we will send out an announcement to welcome him or her. In the meantime, if you have any membership needs, we ask that you be patient during this transition and we will be there to assist you as soon as possible. Of course, I am always just an email away if you have an urgent request. 

Just a few days ago, The GRAMMYs® announced their big winners. On behalf of The Blues Foundation, I send words of congratulations to Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' on winning Best Contemporary Blues Album for TajMo, and to The Rolling Stones on their win for Best Traditional Blues Album for Blue and Lonesome. Big congrats go out, as well, to all of the nominees in each category.  For details and the full list of GRAMMY® blues nominees and winners, please scroll down further in this Newsletter. 

And now, with the calendar turning to February, we turn our attention to the Blues Music Awards. The nominees were announced in early January and the ballot has gone out to members.  If you are not yet a member of The Blues Foundation, it is not too late to have a voice in who receives a BMA on May 10th. For as little at $25 per year, you can become a member, support the mission of The Blues Foundation, and receive a 2018 ballot. If you are a member, and have not yet voted, all you need is your login credentials and password. And if you have already voted - thank you for being a part of the process. BMA tickets are now available on The Blues Foundation's website and there are links in this Newsletter as well.  You do not have to be a nominee or a member of the blues industry to attend.  The BMAs are open to all and we encourage you to join us for the biggest night of blues music and celebration of the year. I  hope I'll see you in Memphis on May 10th.

Best Regards,

Barbara Newman