First of all, the Outlook gave Lionel Young a standing ovation when he walked through the door for the blues jam Sunday night.  He seemed a tad surprised, almost as if he momentarily had forgotten about his Memphis win.  Oh, and by the way, thank you all for getting so dressed up for him (typed with unreserved sarcasm, since NO ONE did but me).  It was a fun night, with some really talented people taking the stage after Lionel’s celebratory set.  And, yes, Lionel is still adorable.  Amy is still in agreement as well, so it’s unanimous. 

I have BIG news!  For those of you new to The Blues Letter, here is what I wrote about Catfish and the Crawlers last November: 

“Customarily, first dates are about investigating whether or not one wants a second.  November opened on my second date with Catfish and the Crawlers, and I do believe we’re en route to true love…So, it’s fairly evident I’m looking for a third date with Catfish and the Crawlers.  I hope they call soon.” 

THEY CALLED!!!  We’re having a THIRD DATE!  And not just any date, no.  It’s VALENTINE’S DAY!!!  Ok, I’ve got to lay off the cappuccino; clearly I’m too upper case happy today.  But having six dates for Valentine’s Day is news.  [NOTE TO SELF:  set mani/pedi appointment, pick out stockings, shave legs.] 

I love me some Catfish and the Crawlers, and I can’t think of a better way to spend February 14^th.  They are high energy, inspiring lots of dancing.  See you there.  I wonder if they’ll bring me flowers.

The following evening, we have Flexigrass with Pete Wernick, and here’s the description on their site:  Pete Wernick (“Dr. Banjo”) has been described by Bluegrass Unlimited as “among the most creative and just plain fun musicians in (blue, new, jazz) grass.”  And then there’s this: In multiple appearances at major festivals from Merlefest (NC) to Winfield (KS) to Strawberry (CA) to Johnny Keenan (Ireland), FLEXIGRASS has thrilled audiences with its unparalleled blend of American music forms. Entertaining, original, high-energy. tradition-based --FLEXIGRASS makes musical waves!  http://www.flexigrass.com

Saturday night we have Boulder’s own Organic Roots Band.  Here’s a concise depiction of them from their site:  Based in Boulder, Colorado, the Organic Roots perform an eclectic blend of acoustic and electric rock, country, folk, blues, Americana and R&B. With influences from Hank Williams to the Beatles and from Willie Nelson to the Clash, the Organic Roots mix guitars and vocal harmonies into an authentic blend of original and cover music.

Should be a great weekend, and I’m looking forward to all three nights. 

Speaking of great weekends, Erica Brown wrote a tremendous recap (I cried) of the IBC.  With her permission, we post it here.  Enjoy it.  Get tissues.                                        Honey Sepeda

[Memo to Dan follows]

International Blues Challenge Recap!!

Hey all!  Well, we’re back, and can I just say WHAT A TRIP!!  LITERALLY!!  Firstly, Major props to Mr. Lionel Young, who won FIRST PLACE in the Solo/Duo category!!  He’s just such an original act, and really brought it!!  Later that evening, Lionel and I wound up on stage at the Rum Boogie Café with Bob Margolin and other blues stars at his late-night Jam, and Lionel showed everybody just exactly why he deserved to win!!  Okay, here’s a recap of the rest of the weekend…!

Wednesday evening:  After the hotel check in (I highly recommend the Convention Center Marriott!!)  I took the Trolley (what an experience!!) and went to a Meet and Greet at the New Daisy Theatre for all the acts sponsored by the Merchants of Beale Street!  I met some wonderful folks, and re-connected with some old friends!  I took it upon myself to introduce myself to Ms. Laurie Morvan, (www.lauriemorvan.com) red-hot blues guitarist, and had a good long chat about touring, routing, and the amazing sacrifices we make to be able to play this music we love so well.  Look out for Laurie in the region as soon as we can get her thru here with an EBB double-bill!!  I’ll keep you posted!

Met up with old friends Pryor Baird and the Deacons!!  (www.dothedeacons.com)  I met Pryor (guitar and vocals) and Robert (bass) last spring at the Rum Boogie (where it seems everyone goes after any function in Memphis!) at the New Daisy, then caught up with Curtis (drummer-with whom I shared some kind of amazing slurpee-like Rum drink after their set on Friday evening-Curtis, my head still hurts!!-grin) George (trumpet and flugelhorn) and Rene (tenor and alto sax) Friday at Wet Willie’s after their second set of the weekend.  They made it to the Finals, and we were all SO proud of them-one of their judges was Ms. Janiva Magness!!

Lastly, David McIntyre (of our own Colorado Blues Society!) introduced me to a Blues legend:  Dick Waterman.  I cannot even describe the genius of this man, who has so passionately been capturing the blues in so many mediums for so many years.  He was wonderfully personable, and graciously took time out to talk to us for awhile.  If you are not hip to Dick, go to his website at www.dickwaterman.com and be as amazed as I have been. 

 Speaking of Photographers, I was also introduced to the illustrious Mr. R.J. Whetstone of RJ Whetstone Images, (www.whetstoneimages.com) who let me know that he came to the Competition to photograph Colorado acts in particular.  I can’t wait to see what he got on film, because the pix on his site are awesome!! 

I then took some time to peruse the fantastic Program that was designed by Ms. Jen Taylor of VividPix Design, who also captures many of the photos you see at functions like the Blues Music Awards. If you want to see the Program, go to the Blues Foundation’s website at www.blues.org, then click on the link that says “IBC Schedule Now Available” (but be warned-its super graphics-heavy, so have a high-speed connection!!)  Found out that we were scheduled to go on at 9:55 pm on Thursday evening, and 7:20 pm Friday evening, and the bands, which were broken up into ten bands per venue, had 25 minutes to show the judges their stuff each evening.  Went back down Beale Street (unfortunately, it was quite cold that evening, so I didn’t stop too much!!) to once again take the Trolley back to the hotel, and had a great dinner, then chilled out for the evening. 

I was up early Thursday Morning to go get the Band registered and obtain our Artist Passes for the weekend’s activities at the Doubletree Hotel, and to find out that I needed to be back at 3:00 pm for the Artist Orientation.  The Silent Auction was already set up, and I wandered through it wishing I had much more money to bid on some of the super-cool artwork and other items laid out in the Lobby.  It was still very cold, so I didn’t stay outside too much, although I did do some shopping!!

The Artist Orientation at 3:00pm was hosted by Joe Whitmer of the Blues Foundation.  He told us all the do’s and don’ts of the competition, we were welcomed by a representative of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, and then we had a Q&A, and found out we ALL had to be in our designated venues twenty minutes before the FIRST band kicked off.  They kept it short and sweet, knowing how we were all chomping at the bit to get on with the evening and get onstage!!  He did, however, let us know that even if we didn’t win, we were being watched by many of the country’s premier festival bookers and agents, and told us a great story about a gentleman who also didn’t place or win the year he competed, but was so admired that he was picked up by a label and just last year was nominated for SIX Blues Music Awards for his latest CD titled The Wheel Man: Watermelon Slim.  It really put a lot of stuff into perspective for all of us, and I like to think we all left the room feeling good about being there.  And indeed, we were approached by at least two Festivals in other states after our performances, and will be talking to them this year. 

Our venue was Club 152, right across from B.B. King’s.  The diversity of the event showed right at the beginning, as the first act up was from Sydney Australia, the Ray Beadle Band.  Frankly, I loved just hearing Ray talk-and his singing just knocked me out!!  The bands competing in our venue both nights, though at different times each night, were:

Ray Beadle Band, Matt and the Barnburners, Chickenhead Blues Band, Moose and The Bulletproof Blues Band, TC and the Roadmasters, Franco and the Stingers, Eric Hughes Band, EBB, Doghouse Daddies (who went on to the Finals), Fathead

Since we didn’t go on until 9:55, I hopped down to Alfred’s to catch some of Laurie Morvan’s set.  Ran into Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records and talked a little while as we watched Laurie.  He let me know he’d come down to catch some of our show, and by then I had to go and get dressed, so I left.  It was amazing just walking down the block, because every venue had some type of Blues coming out the door or over the loudspeakers.  It was like being in Blues Music Heaven!!

I think we made quite an impression, as we wound up being the only act to wear white Thursday, and Scotty and I matched up our Turquoise and white outfits to give some intense color in the middle of the band.  I knew my job was done when a gentleman came up to me and said…”Girl, you made me cry!!”  What higher praise than that can a vocalist be given?  At that point, whether we won or not, I felt I had done my job, and the rest of the weekend was a bonus!!  After the competition, one of the Judges found me and let me know that they really enjoyed our show.  So I knew we were on the right track, even if we didn’t win!  My beaded and sequined Dress and Jacket from Rockin’ Robin’s drew quite a few fellas to the edge of the stage, and many compliments later!!  It was a hit!!  I’m really hoping somebody got a couple of shots of Scotty’s shoes too (ordered from a company in South Carolina) …they were amazing!!

 Meanwhile upstairs on the Third Floor, the Solo/Duo competition was going on.  I got to check out a couple of the acts, including John-Alex Mason, (who also made it to the Finals in Solo/Duo!)

 We were so warmly received by everyone working in the venue.  I felt right at home, and the waitresses didn’t even balk at my request for Hot Water!!  

Friday:  Okay, now you know if I hit town, food WILL be eaten, and a lot of it!!  I was blessed enough to have my sisters, Althia, Lora and Kay, with me on this trip, and we sampled as much of the Memphis cuisine as we could!  We made a special trip back to The Four Way Restaurant (I try to go there every time I’m in town!) to sample some of the true Soul Food of my childhood.  Neck Bones, Catfish, Chittlins’ Fried Green Tomatoes, Greens, Corn, Apple or Peach Cobbler Cornbread (okay, I’m stopping here…I’m getting hungry!)  I don’t realize how much I miss this food that is prepared so well until I have it again, and I have to send much love to those folks, and promise that I’ll be back!  We also drove by the Masonic Temple where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “Mountaintop” speech and were silently awed by the history of this City. 

 That evening the weather was wonderful and I donned an outfit designed for me by noted Colorado designer Carol Mier (www.carolmierfashion.com).  Carol chose her fabric carefully; the outfit really complimented my skin tone, and was wonderful to move in!  I’ll be posting pix from the fitting of that outfit soon and hopefully later some of the pix in performance!  The band gave a powerful show once again, and the line to the table to get CD’s, autographs and chat us up afterward let me know we had done what we came there for, and made a legion of new fans to boot! 

Now, it may be just me, but it felt like the energy in the room Friday evening was much more intense than the previous evening, and I like to think we had something to do with that, because we turned that room upside down Thursday!! 

 Later in the evening, we went over to B.B. King’s to hear the announcement of which bands were going on to the Finals, and after that, back to the Hotel to catch some MUCH needed sleep! 

 Saturday, we took our time getting it together since I was essentially done for the weekend (almost).  I knew Bob Margolin was expecting me at the Rum Boogie that evening for the All-Star Jam, so I rested up for what I knew would be a late night!  We briefly stopped in at the Band Finals (it was absolutely PACKED in the Auditorium, so we didn’t stay) then walked down Beale and got a chance to really visit and eat some of the Street’s cuisine.  (My tip:  The Pig on Beale!  The Dry Rub Barbeque is to DIE for!!  Their Motto is “Pork with and Attitude” and I completely see why!!  I never thought I’d like Dry Rub Cue’ cause’ the word “Dry” just turns me off.  However, can I just say out loud:  I WAS WRONG!!  It was some of the tenderest, tastiest barbecue I’ve ever had!  We loved it so much we bought some of the Rub to bring home and cook with!! (and uh, we ate there TWICE over the weekend!)

 First Place in the Band Category was won by a family trio called Trampled Under Foot, and Second Place by Ms. Shakura S’Aida.  Both young blues artists.  I have to be honest enough to say I was a little annoyed at first until I thought about it.  If we as a blues community don't nurture our young artists and help them see that blues can be a financially and commercially viable art form, they may not be persuaded to follow their hearts!  Besides, the bands that won are really SMOKIN' performers, and do what they do really well.  So I'm content. 

We did go to the Solo/Duo Finals at 8:30 that evening, to support Lionel.  Every one of the artist was world-class, and held us all enraptured with their talent!  It was quite a comfortable house, not the craziness of the Band Finals, and the music came thru loud and clear without all the extra chatter.  Everyone gave the artists a respectful silence as they performed, and then went nuts when we could all applaud!  The Orpheum Theatre is truly a one-of-a-kind venue, and I like to hope that one day I’ll perform on that stage.  Second place was taken by Mr. Ben Prestage, who I thoroughly enjoyed.  If I remember correctly he sang a really moving song about a relative of his who had served time in Partchman Prison long ago.  Such vivid musical imagery from all the artists. 

 And besides, the night wasn’t over yet!! 

 Bob Margolin's late-nite jam on Saturday after the Solo-Duo finals was a who's who of blues stars!!  Bob’s ”house” band featured Richard Rosenblatt (founder of Tone-Cool Records-now partnered with Bob on Vizztone Label Group) on harp, Willie“Big Eyes” Smith on drums, and Old School Blues prodigy Matt Walsh on bass and guitar.  Bass legend Calvin "Fuzz" Jones also sat in, reuniting Muddy Waters'  19'70's rhythm section!  Add to the mix Fiona Boyes, Watermelon Slim, Super Chikan, Rich DelGrosso, Bob, Gary Clark Jr (one of the stars from the new movie The Honeydrippers) Cassie Taylor, and artists from the competition who came from France!  Bill Wax of XM’s Bluesville seemed to be all over Beale Street that weekend!   And so many others I'm missing…in an ironic twist of fate, when I got onstage, I wound up singing next to Mr. Ryan Stiles, a young Baritone Sax player with a band called the Fender Benders. He played his heart out, and gave me a really good feeling about the direction the blues is heading.  I also got a quick hug from Roger Naber, the founder of the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise who stopped by, and got a chance to enjoy the lineup with me and Lionel onstage!  I was so incredibly honored to be included in such an event, and I thank Bob from the bottom of my heart!! 

We got in about 3:30 am, just in time to catch about two hours sleep and get back up to get packed and out to Memphis International Airport for the flight home.  In closing, I have to say that this was one of the most amazing opportunities for the EBB in our career, and we deeply thank EVERYONE who helped us get there.  Even though we didn’t win it all, it was an experience that every band should have at one time or another.  The camaraderie and love shown by all the bands, venues, the Foundation, and especially the FANS filled our hearts to overflowing and gave us strength to keep on keepin’ on in the Blues.  We fully intend to continue representing Colorado as best we know how (and we think that’s pretty darn good!!)…love to all!!...E