Music On The Couch

Below, you will find the links to each show during the International Blues Challenge.  These links will open the live show during live steaming or will open pod-casts afterward.

All show times listed are Central Standard Time - US.  To get a conversion for your city, check out the World Clock Here.

In 2009 Little Joe McLerran came to Memphis for the IBC for the fourth time and this time he walked away with the top spot!

From the time he was a mere lad, Joe knew music was going to be his career. he and his brother would busk at the local mall and come home with pocket-loads of money.

How did the IBC change his career path and how is his career moving along at this time? Joe explains.

Nathan James has created a musical identity with his homemade instruments and self taught skills.

He came to Memphis with his then musical partner Ben Hernandez and took first place in the Solo/Duo Challenge.

What has driven Nathan since his childhood to become a musician?

Grady Champion and his band won the 2010 Band Challenge at the IBC.

Growing up on a farm outside Canton, MS, Grady was exposed to the sounds of church choirs and the music from his family.

His musical career began as a rapper and evolved into the blues star he is today.

JP Soars & The Red Hots won the Band Challenge at the IBC in 2009. Soars also individually won the event's Albert King Award, which established him as the best guitar player in the competition

JP Soars, is a musical melting pot, with influences from all genres of music, including heavy metal, which is where his professional career as a musician got it’s start.

In 2008, Danielle, Kris and Nick Schnebelen made their way through the Kansas City IBC prelims and made their way to Memphis.

Children of parents who had been busy in the KC area blues scene for years, the three who make up the band Trampled Under Foot took the town by storm and won the whole thing. Nick was also won the Albert King Award.

Sean Carney had traveled to Memphis with Teeny Tucker twice for the International Blues Challenge. Both times they made it to the finals.

Both times they came in Third Place and both times Sean was a Finalist for the Albert King Most Promising Guitarist Award.

Only 21, Hanson is quickly following the path laid out by artists such as John Mayer, Jonny Lang and Jason Mraz.

Having opened up for major acts like Hootie & The Blowfish and JoJo, Ethan is a true artist and creator of music.

Over the past 10 years, Shane Dwight has performed over 2,000 live shows, released seven CDs, been a repeat performer on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise (West Coast and East Coast), and performed at some of the biggest music festivals around the world.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Clarence Bucaro left his hometown relocating to New Orleans to follow his mentor, the Crescent City music icon Anders Osborne.

Since then he has traveled the world and seen many wonderful and many horrid sights. These experiences shape his music and has certainly shaped the music due out on his next album, Walls of the World, which is scheduled to drop in April 2012.

After spending time as band leader and guitarist for the lengendary Hubert Sumlin, Sean Chambers is continuing to make a name for himself in the blues world.

Sean was named one of the Top 50 Blues Guitarists by Britan's Guitarist Magazine.

From Australia, Anni is a talented songwriter, singer and bass guitarist.

We explored her beginnings and performing in Australia. We discovered it is not all that different than performing in the USA!

Nicole Hart had an impressive beginning: she was the featured female performer of Jacksonville Beach, Florida's “Springing the Blues” and the featured female headline act of Laconia and New Hampshire's Big Three Motorcycle Week.

She is a hard working musicians playing with multiple lineups, singing jazz and also giving vocal lessons.

Nicole talks about how blessed she has been in her career and discusses her life and musical journey.

We also listened to cuts from her album Treasure, a collection of sweet tuneage.

NICOLE HART WEBSITE

NICOLE HART FACEBOOK PAGE

TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE - CLICK HER
Nicole comes on at the 53:20 Mark

Harmonica player, lyricist, and singer Sugar Ray Norcia has been leading bands since the late 1970s.

This fact is evident on his recordings, as his singing is deep and heartfelt, and his harmonica playing is that of a seasoned blues club veteran.

Sugar Ray and I discussed his life, his musical journey including his time with Roomful Of Blues and his newest release Evening.

What a fun gentleman Sugar Ray is and his humor and love of music is so strong you can not help but wish him well.

Check out the interview and see what I mean.

SUGAR RAY & THE BLUETONES WEBSITE

SUGAR RAY FACEBOOK PAGE

TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE - CLICK HERE

Robbie Laws hails from the Portland area. He has been killing crowds with his stellar guitar playing for over 15 years.

In that time he has released 5 albums and has appeared on stage with some of the best the blues world has to offer.

Imagine getting up to sing in public for the first time and having major stage fright. Then imagine not performing for some 20 years and finding a blues jam and being called on stage (well, maybe it wasn't you they were calling, but you jumped up anyway.

Then imagine recording an album that receives rave reviews and for your next album you receive nominations for some of the highest honors in blues.

Charlie Morris first sat on The Couch back in March of 2010.

On this night he came to talk about his latest release The Forest, a collection of songs steeped as much in country music as much as the blues.

Hope Waits brings her difficult childhood and loss of parents to her music. Having to leave home at 15 to escape the turmoil, Hope moved to S. Carolina to be with her older sister.

During our chat, Hope expounded on the difficulties in her home and the how the loss of her mother brought music deep into her life.

Having lived in Japan and Spain for much of her life, Rahe developed a musical style that truly is world-music.

This talented young lady sat with me on The Couch and discussed her life, her music and her dreams for the future.

The tandem of Suzanne Foschino and Sly Geralds are the creators of the F&G Band featuring Edlene Hart.

They put the band together and write all the music for this band that captures your musical ear with a combination of blues, funk, soul and R&B.

Both came and sat on The Couch for an entertaining visit where we explored their pasts and how they put the F&G Band together, while checking out some cool cuts from the album Greasing Up Yo Strutt

F&G BAND WEBSITE

TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE - CLICK HERE