The inaugural Mississippi Valley Blues Challenge kicks off Sunday, April 28 with the first of three preliminary rounds to be held at sponsoring venue The Muddy Waters, 1708 State Street in Bettendorf. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. and features four competing bands – Harris Collection, the Chris Avey Band, the Jared Hughes Band and the Rock Island Rollers. Admission is $10, $7 for any blues society member.

Additional preliminary round competitions will be held at The Muddy Waters on Sunday, May 5 and Sunday, May 12. The participants at the May 5 round are Serious Business, Wheelhouse and the Mississippi Misfits. One band from each preliminary round will advance to the Blues Challenge finals, which will be held Friday, July 5 at 3 p.m. at the LeClaire Park Bandshell in Davenport during the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. The blues challenge will be a double elimination competition. Those bands that do not advance from the first two preliminary rounds have the opportunity to participate in the third preliminary round on Sunday, May 12 and play their way into the finals.

The 2009 International Blues Challenge winner J.P Soars will be playing a show sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society on Wednesday, March 27th at Martini's On The Rock, 4619 34th Street Rock Island. Showtime is 7:00; admission is $10, $8 for MVBS members.

J.P. Soars and his band The Red Hots not only won the International Blues Challenge in'09, but that same year J.P. got the coveted Albert King Award for "Most Promising Guitarist". Since then the raves have continued to roll in with Mr. Soars garnering a Blues Music Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Artist of 2012, based mostly on his new release More Bees With Honey.

And if you'd like a little taste of this year's upcoming MVBS Fest 2013, make an effort to come to Martini's and give a listen to this guitarist extraordinaire, who will be teamed with slide guitarist Damon Fowler and pianist Victor Wainwright in an All-Star band called Southern Hospitality who will headline the Tent Stage on Friday, July 5th at 10:00.

And if that still isn't enough to entice you, come see J.P. play his homemade, 2-string cigar box guitar for some very old-time blues.

Your Mississippi Valley Blues Society will present, in concert, guitarist extraordinaire Bobby Messano on Sunday, March 10th, at The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf IA) at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10, only $8 for Mississippi Valley Blues Society members.

Messano, hailing from New Jersey, is best known for being the guitarist who toured for a year as Steve Winwood's guitarist as well as being the only guitarist with a featured solo on a Clarence Clemons' (Bruce Springsteen's sax player) release. He also was the lead guitarist for Frankie and The Knockouts and recorded with Peter Criss (of Kiss). Messano's latest release, in 2012, That's Why I Don't Sing The Blues, even made it through to the first round of a Grammy nomination.

We'll be catching Messano on his way to Nashville to record his new, but yet-to-be-named CD on March 19, which will feature Deanna Bogart (who will then tour with Messano as part of his band), Ivan Neville, Shaun Murphy, Seymour Duncan (yes, the "pickup" guy), Jimmy Hall (the harp player for Wet Willy and Hank Williams Jr.) and maybe even Mr. Winwood himself—Messano said he's still working on that.

Don't miss your chance to catch this blues-rocker in his first appearance in our neck of the woods.

--- Steve Brundies

The MVBS Holiday Party will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at the Renwick Mansion, 901 Tremont in Davenport, just up the hill from River Drive, and will feature the soulful blues of The Candymakers. The party will start at 7:00pm with the music kicking off at 8:00. Food will be provided, and since the Membership Committee is running on a shoestring budget, we'll be charging $5.00 for members and $10.00 for non-members to help defray the expense of the food and music. A fully stocked cash bar with reasonable prices will be available.

The Candymakers won the local round and the state finals of the Iowa Blues Challenge in 2011, which earned them the right to represent the Iowa Blues Societies at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis earlier this year, where they made it into the semi-finals. Their set list includes a tasty blend of blues, soul and R&B, featuring strong vocals, tight rhythms, intricate arrangements and top-rate musicianship.

The Renwick Mansion is, well, it's a freaking mansion! Built in 1877 in the Italian Villa Style and immaculately restored, it sits on four acres and features fourteen-foot ceilings, a four story tower with panoramic river views, magnificent woodwork, eight marble fireplaces and ample parking. Y'know, all the standard mansion stuff. It's available for meetings, seminars, weddings, receptions, banquets and other social events. And there are rooms available for those who want to spend the night. Call 563-324-9678.

So the question will inevitably arise, after years of having our parties at bars, clubs, lounges and assorted dives, why a mansion this time? Well, we just got to thinking that the MVBS is such an elite, upscale, high-brow organization that ... not buyin' it, huh? OK, turns out that the Renwick Mansion is owned by Iowa State Senator, veterinarian, club owner, musician, blues fan, MVBS member and former Director, and all-around renaissance man Joe Seng. Joe offered the mansion to us at very reasonable terms, and we jumped at the opportunity. Joe's assistance and support has been valuable to the MVBS, and we thank him for all his help, including this most recent offer, particularly considering he made it shortly after he didn't get re-elected to the Board of Directors. (My guess is it was out of gratitude for not having to deal so closely with this bunch of yahoos for another year.)

Anyhow, it'll be an evening of great music, great food, and great company in a great location, and we hope you can join us.

-- Steve Pedigo