WOW !! That was the most amazing International Blues Challenge (IBC) ever, 2010. With 111 bands and 83 solo/duo acts from around the world, performing in 19 different venues, this was truly an amazing event to be a part of. The Blues Foundation with it's hundreds of volunteers, pulled it off in world class style. There were so many great bands this year making the judging very difficult and they delivered some great results. You can read all about the 2010 IBC results at www.blues.org and also become a member of the Blues Foundation. We strongly encourage you to become a member if you are not one already.

The IBC was very successful for the Randy Oxford Band,representing the Washington Blues Society (WBS). We made countless new contacts for new Venues, Festivals and Tours. It was amazing how many venue, festival and tour agents were at our shows and how many of them came up to us after our shows, wanting to do business. Now this is what the IBC is all about !!

We also enjoyed playing the role of " Pacific NW Blues Ambassadors' as we talked up the entire NW music scene any chance we got, while networking day and night. The Ground Zero Blues club where we performed, also nominated us as their favorite pick for "The Kings of Beale Street" title. Not connected to the IBC but still a great honor for us. Be sure to take in a show at Ground Zero next time you are in Memphis. Truly a first class venue to see live music in.

Besides all of the workshops, seminars, the Keynote speaker luncheon and the Keeping the Blues Alive brunch, I found myself hosting the last part of the Jam at the Rum Boogie Club on Thursday night,taking over for Zack Harmon. In walks Jumpin' Josh at the right time and I got him right up on stage with Rafael Tranquilino, JD Hobson, Joe Hendershot and scores of other musicians from around the world. The PNW was well represented at the Jams and at their scheduled performances. I was able to see one of Blues Redemption's set's and I must say, that was one of the best performances that I have seen at the IBC in all of my years of going there.

I first went to the IBC in 2001 with Junkyard Jane, representing the Cascade Blues Association.(CBA)We even made it to the finals that year. I then returned with the Randy Oxford Band in 2006, representing the South Sound Blues Association (SSBA). The contacts made that year resulted in a Midwest tour including shows in Chicago and Michigan. I then returned to the IBC in 2008 representing the SSBA as a top 5 Finalist for best Self produced CD for my "Memphis to Motown" CD. That resulted in even more national air play and CD sales while bringing further attention to the PNW Blues scene. Now after returning to the IBC for a 4th time representing the WBS, we once again were able to talk up the PNW Blues scene and tell everybody what we got going on up here.

Taking on the "PNW Blues Ambassador" role at the IBC, I was able to talk to so many Blues lovers from all around the world about PNW events like, Dave Brown's monthly Blues Vespers,Gary Grape's (SSBA) Gray SkiesBlues Festival in April and his Freedom Fair in July,The two annual Mt.Rainier Music Festivals in April and September in Mineral,WA., The Rainier Arts Festival in Ashford every October now bringing in great Blues music as well, Ken and Susan Johnson's Blues By The Sea Festival on the Oregon Coast in September,The Safeway Portland Waterfront Blues Festival in July, The two annual Sunbanks R&B Festivals in May and September, Dave Nichols Untapped Blues Festival in May, Dennis Walckers 1st annual Blues and Dance Festival in Chelan this coming April,The Couer D' Alene Blues Festival is back this coming March,The WinthropR&B Festival every July,The Rockcut Blues Festival every July following Winthrop,The Rendezvous Blues Festival every Labor Day weekend,The Mt.Baker R&B Festival in August,The Ritzville Blues Festival in July,Ted Browns Old Town Blues Festival in July, The 1st annual Big Sky Blues Festival in Noxon Montana coming this August,The Blues for food festival, labor Day weekend, Raven's annual Jam for cans, The on going amazing Kids Jams, Mariano Silver's and Dominique Stone's new Puget Sound Youth Music group,Curley Cooke's Blues in the Schools program, Countless PNW weekly adult jams, the countless benefit concerts that we all put on for so many causes throughout the year, my youth instrument give away program, John Sybert's two annual Friends of the Holiday's benefit concerts, The WBS musician's relief fund, Tony Frederickson's 'Shiver and Quiver with the Blues Foundation" The strong PNW presence by musicians at my Blues Cruise Jams on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise each October, Barbara Hammerman's Wurlitzer Manor Foundation, Amanda Gresham's Delta Experience Music Project, Big Blues For Little Bill Tribute Concerts and the CD with all proceeds going to the Dystonia Foundation. Then throw in world class Blues Photographers,graphic artists and web site designers like Ricki Peto, Jef Jaisun, Phil Chesnut, Lawrence Williams, Tom Hunnewell, The Blues Boss, Dennis Dudley, Michelle and Tim Burge, Mike Muncy,Brook and Guy and so many more people in the Blues and so many more events that we have going on up here in the PNW. These were just a few off the top of my head when I talked about the PNW Blues scene at the IBC. When I mentioned to people attending the IBC, that this was just a small sample of what we have going up here,some looked at me in disbelief.

Going down to the IBC in Memphis with all of this to share is really what the IBC is all about. Connecting our world class PNW Blues scene to the rest of the Blues World, any chance that we get, is what we need to continue to do at events like the IBC. There was a large group of PNW Blues lovers at the IBC this year to support the performing bands and to help spread the word about the PNW Blues scene. I strongly encourage everybody to join the Blues Foundation and attend the IBC asoften as possible and take advantage of the great networkingopportunities that it presents to us.

Thank you to the thousands of Blues lovers who supported all of our IBCMemphis fundraiser's over the last 6 months for the WBS, The SSBA andthe CBA. You made it possible for your Blues Ambassadors to go down toMemphis and spread the word about this world class Blues scene we havehere in the PNW !!

Sincerely,

Randy Oxford

The Randy Oxford Band

Join THE RANDY OXFORD BAND on their journey to Memphis -- Competition and Fundraisers. Then, join the band in Memphis, either physically or virtually through this web site.	Click HERE see the fun at our first fundraiser.with 6 band and other guests.
Competitions to be chosen WBS's representative in Memphis is below:
Click on each picture below to see all the action for that night.
1st Competition	Final Competition
Fundraisers will be SOON! Stay tuned for some of the best blues in the NW.

The Randy Oxford Band was chosen by the Washington Blues Society (WBS) to represent the entire state of Washington at the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, TN. on January 20-23, 2010. Many fans are traveling with the band to cheer them on.

The IBC is the largest gathering of Blues Bands in the world in one weekend.

Bands from around the globe are chosen to represent their states and countries to compete in the only International event of it's kind. Last year over 100 bands competed. Each band plays in front of an international panel of music industry professionals who will judge the event over 3 days.

This will be Randy Oxford's third appearance at this event. The third year is CHARM! He was there with the band Junkyard Jane in 2000 representing the Cascade Blues Association (CBA) out of Portland, OR. In 2006 his band represented the South Sound Blues Association (SSBA). This year Randy's band represents WBS.

Every band in this competition gets national attention and the ones who do very well have the chance to advance their music careers on a national level with appearances all around the country at major Blues Festivals, Blues cruises and venues. Scoring Criteria and Official Rules

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