The winner of the 2nd Annual Youth Blues Challenge...

Zoe Zielinski, a seventeen year old student at Allegheny Community College and Hope Academy in East Liberty, PA. Zoe will represent the Blues Society of Western PA at the 2014 International Youth Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN during the 2014 International Blues Challenge. Zoe was chosen from a group of very talented contestants. The judges had their work cut out for them.

Congratulations, Zoe!!! 

This year's BSWPA Blues Challenge winners are:

• Solo/Duo: Gary Prisby & Matt Barranti.
• Band: Billy the Kid and the Regulators.
• Jim Weber Guitar Award: Cheryl Rinovato.

Congratulations and good luck in Memphis!!!

We thank our fans for coming out and supporting the bands and our efforts. A big thank you to all the judges and volunteers.

Stay tuned for photos and videos.

The Blues Society of Western PA will host their 2nd Annual Blues Youth Challenge on Sunday, April 28 at the Venue at Harmony Ridge, Ambridge, PA.

Single, duo and bands are welcome to enter our Blues competition. The deadline for submissions will be March 10, 2013.

\You must still be under 21 years of age by February 10, 2014 to be eligible to enter.
What is at stake? Your act has the opportunity to win $350 and a slot to enter the 2014 Youth Showcase at the 2014 International Blues Challenge
in Memphis, TN.

Download the application >

The Blues Society of Western PA is proud to announce that their 9th Annual Blues Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2013 at the Clarion Hotel, 401 Holiday Drive, Pittsburgh, PA (Greentree area).

Applications are now being accepted. There will be fifteen slots available. The deadline for submissions will be February 10, 2013.

We challenge you to enter our competition. Once the slots are filled...and they fill early...a wait list will be started.

What is at stake? The winning band will win $1000 and a slot in the 2014 International Blues Challenge. The winning solo/duo winner will receive $500 and a slot in the 2014 International Blues Challenge. Each act will be able to introduce our members and blues fans to their music and perhaps develop new fans of their own.

Download the application >

(Special thanks to Bob Corritore)
The Blues Foundation will honor 15 individuals and organizations with its 2013 Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Awards during a recognition luncheon Friday, February 1, 2013, in Memphis, Tennessee. Each year, The Blues Foundation presents the KBA Awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to blues music. The KBA ceremony will be held in conjunction with the 29th International Blues Challenge (IBC), which begins January 29 and features the final rounds of the world’s largest and most prestigious blues music competition, as well as seminars, showcases, and receptions for blues societies, fans, and professionals.

The KBAs are awarded on the basis of merit by a select panel of blues professionals to those working to actively promote and document the music. Committee chair Art Tipaldi (who is also the editor of Blues Revue Magazine) states “The fifteen recipients represent an outstanding cross-section of blues boosters. We are pleased to honor these people and organizations as a tribute to the years each has given to supporting the blues."

The 2013 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards recipients are:

Affiliate – Colorado Blues Society
Art – Stan Street, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Club – Boulder Outlook Hotel, Boulder, Colorado
Education – Nat Dove, Bakersfield, California
Festival: International – Festival International du Blues De Tremblant, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Festival: U.S. – Mount Baker Rhythm And Blues Festival, Bellingham, Washington
Historical – Shelley Ritter, Clarksdale, Mississippi
International – Vicente Zumel, Barcelona, Spain
Journalism – Bob Margolin, High Point, North Carolina
Literature – I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy by Bob Riesman, Chicago, Illinois
Manager – Marty Salzman, Chicago, Illinois
Print Media – Blues News, Oslo, Norway
Radio: Commercial – Gil Anthony, Dothan, Alabama
Radio: Public, Scott Mullins, Baltimore, Maryland
Record Label – Telarc, Cleveland, Ohio

Tickets to the KBA ceremony are available online at http://www.blues.org/ or by calling 901-527-2583.

Save the date! Our 9th Annual "Rhythms of Life" Fundraising Concert to benefit "Music Smiles"--live music in hospitals! Fab venue, top tier talent, amazing night! Be there!

Check out the photos from this years Pittsburgh Blues Festival at Hartwood Acres HERE.

BLUES FROM THE BURG 3 hit the blues stands Friday July 20th, 2012!!!!!

Thanks to all of the musicians who made this compilation CD possible. Want to hear what Pittsburgh has to offer....give it a listen! Great music...Pittsburgh has a treasure box full of music to share with the world. This CD is only a small representation of what we offer in Western PA! Look for details on the upcoming CD release party.

To everyone involved in the 8th Annual Blues Challenge, the Blues Society of Western PA thanks everyone for making it a great day of music.

Congratulations to the 2012 BSWPA winners: The Jimmy Adler Band (best band), Miss Freddye and Greg 'G-man' Castille (duo) and Cheryl Rinovato ( best guitarist).

Thank you to all of the outstanding musicians that shared the day. There were 15 acts that accepted our blues challenge and worked hard to hone their acts in preparation for the competition.

Thank you to all of the blues fans for their continued support.

A big thank you to the workers who worked tirelessly to prepare for this event and to those who worked the long hours yesterday to help provide a stellar challenge. 

It takes an army to make an event like this happen and be successful...

 Read the past BSWPA Bluesletter issues on your mobile device. Use your smartphone's Barcode Scanner app to scan the image to the left, or point your phone's browser to
http://bswpa.blogspot.com/?m=1

The PITCH Program (Putting Instruments in the Children's Hands) would appreciate the donation of instruments in good working condition to enable the fulfillment of this program.
 

Listen to Samples

Recording company offering 3 hours of time for $30.
Interested? Email Don Vecchio, our VP, at: donv21@yahoo.com