The Blues Society of Western PA has the priviledge of partnering with Ron Esser (Moondog's) to host the 2007 International Blues Challenge Winner and Albert King Guitarist of the Year...Sean Carney on June 8 at Moodog's, 328 Freeport Road, Blawnox, PA.

Blues Guitar Workshop...with Sean Carney (4 pm - 6 pm).  This is a new opportunity for the BSWPA in their effort to keep the music moving forward.  This session is open to anyone who is interested. Sean is a friendly, down to earth performer who easily connects with his audience and fellow players.

The Blues Guitar Workshop is an all ages, all skills gathering that will be conducted in a relaxed, creative format.  Local players are also invited to this event and askedto work together to share an afternoon of music.  Sean will also share his experiences about playing, writing, and performing. Jimmy Adler, the 2013 International Blues Challenge BSWPA representative, will join the gathering.  Together, Sean and Jimmy, will deliver an unforgettable afternoon of sharing.  

• Reservations for the workshop would be appreciated for preparation but not necessary. 724-888-6183
• A show featuring Sean Carney with the Jimmy Adler Band will follow in the evening at 8 pm. 
• Workshop and show for adults $7
• Workshop and show for students $5

Sean Carney and the Jimmy Adler Band will provide a aizzling evening of blues at Moondog's starting at 8 pm until ?????
A jam will follow.  Come out and enjoy.
Admission to show: Public $7, Blues members $5

Need to know more about Sean????
The following are two reviews about Sean Carney following his win in Memphis in 2007.  Sean las lived up to those statements in the years since and continues to deliver a tremendous show in his extensive, worldwide travels.

"Rave reviews, praising the singer-guitar player from Columbus, Ohio, had reached us beforehand, but he and his terrific rhythm section even surpassed these shy high expectations.  The young man, still only 35, has been playing for ages, or so it seems.  The man simply has it all:he is a gifted, stylistically consistent guitar player who's absorbed the old style blues, swing, jump & jive, jazz, not forgetting the shuffle, let's say, everything between Robert Lockwood, Jimmy Witherspoon and Willie Dixon, a pond wherein the great Duke Robillard  also likes to fish nowadays.  Carney is a good singer, but most of all a source of endless energy, having excellent communication throughout with his audience.  The man has the capacity to build up tension by taking out tempo and volume in the middle section of a song, to continue almost whispering, forcing hte people to listen...He even unplugs for awhile ....Just to finally let the song explode in an orgy of woderfully creamy guitar chords."
~Antoine Legat Bobtje

Blues Sean Carney is the real deal....echos of T Bone Walker and Pee Wee Crayton permeate his tasty guitar solos while his songwriting and singing reveal an artist of depth and class.  He has played our festival twice in the past five years, to exceptional crowd response. Highly recommended."
~Cam Hayden
Producer, Edmonton Blues Festival
Announcer/Producer, CKUA Radio Network

Many of us have been priveledged to attend Sean Carney's shows.  Hands down...no one has walked away disappointed.

See you on June 8!!

P.S. Besides being a very busy guitarist/ showman/vocalist....Sean hosts an annual Blues Camp for children.  He also hosts the Blues for a Cure concert that is coming up on June 29.  Sean also gathers a tremendous amount of talent annually to produce Blues for a Cure CDS to aid i nthe fight against breast cancer. Way to go Sean!!!    

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 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