The Boston Blues Society is immensely proud to announce the long-awaited return of James "T-Model" Ford to Massachusetts, Thursday February, 25 at PA's Lounge in Somerville. This will be Ford's first appearance in the Boston area in seven years.

Some people say that T-Model is 85 years old. Others say he is 90 or somewhere in between; nobody knows for sure. What is certain is that he is one of the last men standing in the cast of Mississippi Hill Country blues legends.

To make a very long story short, Ford was born sometime in the 1920s in Forest, MS. He spent most of his life working manual labor and having run-ins with the law, including a two-year stint on a Mississippi chain gain on a murder conviction.

Ford didn't start playing guitar until his 50s, but that still means he has been playing for somewhere between 30 and 40 years. In the last dozen years he has recorded seven albums that have helped define the Hill Country sound, toured the world and established himself, along with R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, as the standard-bearers of the genre.

Opening the night is Boston's own Ten Foot Polecats. One of the hardest-working bands in the city, the Polecats are heavily influenced by the Hill Country sound, but add inflections of other blues forms and punk and garage rock. Nobody else in this city sounds quite like them.

The BBS would like to thank F Nice Records, PA's Lounge and the Ten Foot Polecats for making this a reality on such short notice. T-Model was going to start this tour in New Haven, CT, but we were all able to coax him up the coast a day early and 125 miles northwest.

Do not miss this rare opprtunity.

Friday Feb. 26 8 PM until close

T-Model Ford and the Ten Foot Polecats

PA's Lounge
345 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA
Ph: 617-776-1557

[Memphis, TN]The Blues Foundation's 26th International Blues Challenge ended on Saturday January 23rd, 2010 with two packed shows at the Orpheum Theatre. Out of 224 bands that competed for top honors throughout the weekend, only two can be the winners in the solo/duo and band competition.

The solo/duo winner was Matt Andersen, sponsored by Harvest Jazz and Blues from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and second place honors went to Alphonso Sanders and Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry from Mississippi's Crossroads Blues Society.

The top prize in the Band competition was awarded to Grady Champion of the Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola. Second place honors were earned by Karen Lovely Band, Cascade Blues Association, and the third spot went to Cheryl Renee with Them Bones, hailing from the Cincinnati Blues Society.

Other honors given out at the Orpheum included a beautiful blue custom Gibson guitar featuring The Blues Foundation's logo which was awarded to Matt Kelly of the Big Boy Little Band (DC Blues Society), as the finals top guitarist.

The winner of the guitar raffle is Michel Germain from Quebec City, Quebec who won the Gibson Little Lucille autographed at the 2004 Blues Music Awards.

In the Best Self-Produced CD contest, the judges determined that two CDs were the best: Fire It Up! by the Laurie Morvan Band and Crime Scene Queen by The Informants.

The finalists in the solo duo category were: Becky Boyd & Tim Matson (Cleveland Blues Society); Jimi Lee with PB Shane (Austin Blues Society); Sherman Lee Dillon (Central Mississippi Blues Society); Tom Walbank & Arthur Migliazza (Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation); Ken "The Rocket" Korb (Long Island Blues Society); and Steve Cohen (Grafton Blues Association).

The finalists in the band competition were: Mojo Theory (Pomeroy Blues & Jazz Society); R&K Brew Co (West Virginia Blues Society); Big Boy Little Band (DC Blues Society); Sonny Moorman Group (Columbus Blues Alliance); Jesse Greene Band (Ottawa Blues Society); Jackie Scott & the Housewreckers (Baltimore Blues Society); Labron Lazenby and LA 3 (Smoky Mountain Blues Society); and The Avey Brothers (Iowa Blues Societies).

Blues societies all over the world will soon be starting all over again as they begin their own competitions to determine who they will send to the 27th International Blues Challenge, scheduled for February 5, 2011.

It's not every day that you get the opportunity to bear witness to an "idiom-expanding artist."

That's what All Music Guide calls Chris Beard, as well as "a dynamic, inventive guitarist who seems to be at his happiest when dazzling an audience." Please join the Boston Blues Society and Smoken Joe's BBQ in welcoming him back to Boston on Friday February 26, 2010.

Like his peers Lucky Peterson, Bernard Allison and Bill Morganfield, Beard is the son of a blues legend. Chris’ father, Joe Beard, performed with the likes of Matt “Guitar” Murphy, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, James Cotton, Buddy Guy, and Sonny Boy Williamson. The Beard home witnessed a steady stream of blues luminaries as houseguests during Chris’ formative years.

A young Chris Beard absorbed the musicianship and wild showmanship that is all but lost in the current generation of blues players. He may not be as high profile as the other famous sons, but he is every bit as exciting on stage.

Local artist Barrett Anderson will kick the evening off with an 8PM dinner set. Supporting Anderson, a Ronnie Earl protégé, will be Per Hanson on drums, Washtub Robbie on bass and Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt on harp. Barret’s debut disc was recorded in Como, MS in conjunction with famed songwriter/producer Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Buddy Guy, Elvis Costello).

Friday Feb. 26 8 PM until close

Chris Beard Band and Barrett Anderson Group feat. Rosy Rosenblatt, Per Hanson and Washtub Robbie

Smoken Joe’s BBQ
351 Washington St. Brighton, MA
Ph. (617) 254-5227

Advanced reservations are strongly suggested for this special show consisting of an amazing double bill. Head chef, Joe Dodd, is planning special menu items.