The Journey Continues
The Journey to Memphis doesn’t end when the winners are announced.
Representing the Cascade Blues Association and the Pacific Northwest at the International Blues Challenge is an incredible honor, but it also comes with significant travel expenses. Every fundraiser, donation, volunteer, and community partner helps make that journey possible.
Here’s how you can help send this year’s winners to Memphis.
Attend a Journey to Memphis Fundraiser
Join us throughout the summer and fall for live music, great food, raffles, and community events benefiting the Journey to Memphis program. New events are added regularly, so check back often for the latest schedule.
Donate an Auction Item or Experience
Help us create an unforgettable online auction by donating restaurant gift cards, concert tickets, vacation stays, spa packages, unique experiences, or professional services. Every donated item helps raise funds for our musicians.
Every contribution, large or small, helps offset travel, lodging, meals, and other expenses for the artists representing our region at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Donation Link
Join the Fundraising Team
Have ideas, connections, or simply a desire to help? We’re looking for volunteers to assist with fundraising events, sponsorships, auction donations, promotions, and more. We’d love to have you on the team.
Together, we’re not just sending musicians to Memphis, we’re showcasing the incredible talent of the Pacific Northwest while keeping the blues alive for future generations.
J2M Schedule
ROUND 1 COMPETITION – 10 ACTS, 1 STAGE
Sunday, June 7 2026
11:30AM-4:30PM (Doors 11:00AM)
Mekong Bistro, 8200 NE Siskiyou St, Portland, OR 97220
Suggested Donation to cover event expenses $5-$15
FINALS
Friday, July 3 2026
3:00- 5:00PM (Boards at 2:30PM)
Waterfront Blues Festival Cruisin’ to Memphis Blues Cruise
Ticket Information
Journey to Memphis Finals + Allstars
Festival admission is not included or required with a Blues Cruise ticket.
Summer Party at Beach Hut Deli
Wednesday, August 12 2026
6:00-8:00PM
12436 SW Main St, Tigard, OR 97223
Suggested Donation $10-$20
Sunday Afternoon at Billy Blues Bar & Grill
Sunday, October 18 2026
1:00-4:00PM
7115 NE Hazel Dell Ave, Vancouver, WA 98665
Suggested Donation $10-$20 at the door
Send-Off Party at Hoku Events on Madison
Sunday, January 3 2026
1:00-4:00PM
1125 SE Madison St, Portland, OR 97214
Suggested Donation $20 at the door
INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE
January 19-23 2027
Location: Over 20 venues along Beale Street in Memphis, TN
The Journey to Memphis: A Year-Long Blues Adventure
Every January, blues musicians from around the world descend on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, for one epic purpose: to compete in the International Blues Challenge (IBC) and represent their home scenes on a global stage. It’s more than a competition—it’s a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues.
Since the early 2000s, the Cascade Blues Association (CBA) has proudly sent some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest talent to this renowned event. From up-and-coming artists to seasoned soul-stirrers, our winners carry the spirit of Portland (and beyond) straight to Memphis, sharing the Northwest’s unique sound and energy with blues lovers from around the globe.
But here’s the truth: our Journey to Memphis is not just one night of music or a single contest. It really is a journey. Each year, it begins with our local competition in late spring, where solo/duo acts and bands compete for the honor of representing the Northwest. The finalists take the stage in July, at the Waterfront Blues Festival, bringing their best to one of Portland’s biggest music celebrations. In 2025, the festival moved the competition from a stage to a Blues Cruise, and we all had a blast!
Once the winners are determined, the real journey begins. From August through January, the CBA rallies behind them, hosting fundraisers, raffles, and live shows to help cover the costs of traveling to Memphis. These events aren’t just about raising money, they’re about building community, celebrating our artists, and sending them off with all the love and support the Northwest can give.
Just before the International Blues Challenge kicks off, we host a special send-off party to cheer on our challengers before they head south. And when they return, we welcome them back in style, often featuring them at a Monthly Showcase, giving local fans a chance to hear the stories and sounds they brought home from Beale Street.
By March, we’re already planning the next year’s journey—because the cycle never really ends. The Journey to Memphis is a rhythm of community, music, and perseverance, and it’s at the heart of the Cascade Blues Association’s mission to preserve and promote the blues.
So, when you hear “Journey to Memphis,” know this: it’s not just a competition. It’s a year-long adventure, powered by the passion of our musicians, the dedication of our volunteers, and the unwavering support of the blues community right here in the Pacific Northwest.
Click the following link to read the International Blues Challenge Rules & Guidelines for local affiliated Blues Society/Associations Challenges.
OFFICIAL RULES & SCORING CRITERIA
IBC judges are Blues professionals and aficionados with a deep understanding and historical perspective of all blues forms. Any given three-judge panel will include members with varying opinions of Blues, covering the spectrum of Blues from the most traditional to soul/blues and rock/blues.
Scoring Categories and Definitions
- Blues Content: The sound and feel of the music should be true to any of blues sub-categories: traditional blues, country blues, soul blues, blues rock and/or contemporary blues. Judges will be listening for inspired and original song selections or new takes on blues standards. Creative reach is encouraged.
- Originality: Original work is encouraged. Cover tunes are allowed but playing the recorded rendition lick by lick is discouraged, will not be looked upon favorably by the judges, and will be reflected in scoring.
Acts must indicate if their songs are their own original material (this can be done at the start of the set or before each song as appropriate) and/or identify the covers that they are playing and acknowledge the originator.
- Vocals: The act’s vocal skills to include concepts of tone, musicality, meaning, and expression.
- Instrumental Talent: Ability level on all instruments featured within the act.
- Stage Presence: The ability to command the attention of the audience by the impressiveness of one’s manner and appearance on stage. Judges will consider how an act connects with and engages the audience in the music. Proper use of microphones and amplification will be considered.
SCORING SYSTEM FOR JUDGES
- Each judge will indicate his or her Raw Score, between 1 and 10, in each category and turn that information over to the Scorekeeper using the following scale:
- 1-3 – Typical of a beginning blues band
- 4-5 – Typical of a local weekend band
- 6-7 – Typical of an advanced local band but not yet ready to headline a major blues club
- 8-9 – Typical of the quality of blues artists who headline major clubs
- 10 – Typical of those who play the main stage at major festivals2. The Scorekeeper will multiply the Raw Score in each category by the established multiplier to get each judge’s Individual Weighted Score in each category for each act
Basic Scoring Calculation
Judges will score acts on a 10 point scale, with 10 points being the highest score received and 1 point being the lowest. The following weights will be used in calculating final scores:
- Raw scores for Blues Content will be multiplied by four
- Raw scores for Originality will be multiplied by three
- Raw scores for Talent and for Vocals will be multiplied by two
- Raw scores for Stage Presence will be multiplied by two
The maximum Total Weighted Score an act may receive is 130.
Penalty Points
An act will be penalized one point from its Total Weighted Score for each of the following:
- Missing the online application deadline or not completing online application steps completely or accurately by the deadline.
- Missing act check-in or act registration.
- Excessive time loading-in before and/or loading out after a competition performance
- Failing to acknowledge that a song is a cover and/or not giving credit to its originator
- Each ten seconds that it runs overtime during a competition performance.
- Finishing 3 or more minutes before its allotted performance time expires.
- Showing up late and/or not being ready to perform on time at the Finals
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Evelyn Silverman2026-06-13 05:05:312026-06-17 22:15:44Finals to be held aboard the Cruisin’ To Memphis Blues Cruise
