River City Blues Challenge closes out on a high note
Each year the competition sponsored by the Blues, Jazz and Folk Music Society of Marietta attracts artists from across Ohio and West Virginia
Mary Ann Osborne, a member of the society, said the Marietta competition sends its winner to the international competition in Memphis, Tenn.
“Since the international competition for 2017 has already passed, the winners here have a year to practice,” she said. “We will send a band this year to represent us.”
Chris Sutton, of Huntington, a past winner in Marietta, had just returned from Memphis in time to see this year’s River City Blues Challenge.
“This year I knew all the people in the solo and duo category from the area,” he said. “It was like a big party, there was between 20 to 30 of us.”
Sutton said he got in blues and jazz because of the instrument he decided to learn.
“When you learn guitar it’s all rooted in there,” he said. “I was working on a solo blues CD around the house and my wife found out about the Marietta competition in 2003. She entered me and I got to go to the International and I’ve kept doing it since then.”
Ella Shaffer, also known as Miss Ella, Sister to the Blues, said the challenge is very important in the blues world. She is also a judge at the international competition
“It is important to each artist to be their very best to go the blues challenge in Memphis, Tenn.,” she said. “There are 260 artists from all over the world there. But they also compete with artists from across the United States.”
Ed Shaffer said they have been coming to Marietta for at least a decade.
“Some friends asked us to come 12 years and I had a misconception about the blues and I thought it was going to be boring,” he said. “I got down here and I found out the blues can be anything from one person with a guitar to a 10- or 12-piece band and I loved it.
“That year both of us fell in love with the blues, we never miss it.”
The cash prizes for Saturday’s competition were $1,000 for first, $500 for second and $300 for third. The winner will also receive an additional $500 when they register for the International Blues Competition. The Marietta event is the is the oldest and largest blues talent competition in Ohio.