Motorin' to Memphis

Anyone who attended the Ann Kerstetter Band's "Motorin' to Memphis" gig at Jeremiah's (the upstair music venue of the Bullfrog Brewery) last Saturday (Jan. 31) has to have a pretty good feeling about Ann and the boys making a good showing this week at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

The band  ripped the place up and had the crowd whipped into a sweaty lather. If they can duplicate that feat Thursday and Friday night on Beale Street in Memphis, whatever band they are up against is going to get pulverized.

Here's how the competition works: Local blues associations from all over the world may send a band and/or solo-duo act to represent them at the international challenge. Each band or solo-duo performer competes at a music venue on Beale Street on Thursday and Friday nights. Bands perform a single 20-minute set each night at the same venue and are judged on things like originality, musicianship, stage presence and blues content. The winners of each venue goes on to compete in the finals on Saturday.

The Ann Kerstetter Band won the right to represent the Billtown Blues Association in Memphis by winning the Billtown Blues Challenge at the Genetti Hotel last March. They also performed as the opening act at last year's Billtown Blues Festival.

Just making it to the finals on Saturday can do a lot for the careers of these folks because the audience is packed with the shakers and movers of the blues industry, including blues festival organizers, music venue owners, promoters, record company people and the music-buying public.

Why do I think the Ann Kerstetter Band will do well this week? Because Ann is a throwback to everything that is good and exciting about the legendary women of the blues like Etta James and Koko Taylor. She's got a tremendous voice and a bigger-than-life stage presence ...  shaking her "stuff" and testifying the blues non-stop. When she's done,  every last ounce is left on the stage ... you gotta see it to believe it.

Needless to say, I'm a fan, but not only of Ann, but the whole band: Grammy-winning drummer Steve Mitchell, pianist-singer-songwriter extraordinaire Greg Burgess,  bassist-vocalist-musical director Andy Seal, and a guy who is going places some day (and probably very soon), guitarist Sean Farley. They are already winners in my book.

The Billtown Blues Association has sent some pretty good talent to Memphis. Last year it was Black-N-Blues (featuring Mr. Farley on guitar), the year before that, the Blind Chitlin Kahunas (band) and Jonah Gregory (solo). Nate Myers and the Aces won in 2006. I thought all of those bands had potential to make it to the finals.

This year looks good ... real good. Stay tuned.

Yours in the blues,

Dave Thompson