(LAKE COMO, NJ) -- The 38th Annual International Blues Challenge (IBC), the largest gathering of blues bands in the world, will be held by The Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN from January 24-28, 2023. As an affiliate of The Blues Foundation, the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation will again choose representatives to participate in the IBC Memphis Challenge through a local competition on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at Salty's Beach Bar in Lake Como, NJ.  The past year's winners were the Shadetree Mechanics band, and James Dalton as a solo act.

This year is a rebirth of the JSJBF and the IBC Challenge. With newly installed IBC Chairman Mike Feniello, the JSJBF is committed to get the best JSJBF member band and solo/duo act to Memphis.

Mike Feniello is a veteran music professional, soundman, engineer and musician. His input this year will create an outstanding event that will be judged by local and international professionals (judges are included in the link below). Another update was to eliminate the maximum times a band can compete at the local level.  

All member bands or solo/duo acts are invited to register to compete in a one-day event for a shot at Memphis 2023.  The registration deadline is September 15, 2022.  Your band is eligible if it, or any member of the act, has NOT competed in a Memphis IBC more than twice and has not appeared on a finals Blues Music Award ballot in either or those two Memphis events.  Also, if you've competed in Memphis twice, those two appearances cannot have been in consecutive years.  To be eligible for the local event requires that you 2022-2023 band dues for JSJBF must be current at the time of your performance.  Please note, there's no longer any limit on the number of times you've competed on the local level. 

Acts with a participating home affiliate within 250 miles of the JSJBF Red Bank headquarters may compete in the event only if they've been unsuccessful in no more than two other affiliates' 2022 events previously. Nearby affiliates include the Hudson Valley Blues Society in Patterson, NY; the Long Island Blues Society in Magnolia, DE.  If you are unsure of your home affiliate, please contact the Blues Foundation for clarification.

This year's judging panel will include Deb Callahan, a seasoned blues vocalist with a 20-year legacyof national tours and outstanding recordings; Jack Daley, an in-demand session bassist, producer and local studio owner who regularly tours and records with several national acts; and Marc Swersky, a Grammy-winning songwriter, musician, and producer with a 30-year legacy of artist development and tv/film song placement.

As in the past, scoring will be based on the Blues Foundation's model: a maximum of 10 points per category with the foundation's scoring multipliers (4x for Blues content; 3x for originality; 2x for instrumental, vocal talent and stage presence).  You will have an assigned time slot, and lateness will affect your score so be prepared - on time - and mindful of the stage manager's direction.  Set length will depend on the number of bands competing, but it will be 30 minutes maximum in any case. Set times will be assigned and announced shortly after the September 15, 2022 registration deadline.

On October 2, all attendees other than judges, band members, and children under 12 will be charged a cover at the door: $10 for roadies and Foundation members and $15 for everyone else, inluding friends and family. Please consider hearing protection for children.  Food and alcohol will be available for purchase at Salty's, located at 1705 Main Street in Lake Como, New Jersey.

Please not, the JSJBF reserves the right to cancel the October 2nd event if too few acts register to compete.

The Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation (JSJBF) is a non-profit organization open to anyone interested in supporting Jazz and Blues! The foundation has a mission to “To preserve, promote, and perpetuate jazz, blues, and other indigenous music forms here in New Jersey“.