INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE #35 YOUTH SHOWCASE

4 Past Midnight guitar is Alfonzo who has influenced guitar with a full- LOWCOUNTRY BLUES CLUB lived for the blues for the blown horn section. They past two years and is going honor their hometown blues 4 Past Midnight is proud to stronger than ever at age 15. heroes like , Junior represent the Lowcountry On bass is Jeremiah who has Wells, , and Blues Club from beautiful played and created music for Charleston, South Carolina. almost a decade. Finally, there is Elizabeth on drums who began playing music at a very young age. Inspired by artists like Skip James, How- lin’ Wolf, Memphis Minnie, Otis Rush with some James Brown, Ray Charles, and Kaleo thrown in. The band includes Sal Defillipis, age 16, guitar; Hunter Olshefke, age 16, bass; Logan Lake, age 16, drums; Tim Wilcox, The band members’ friend- age 14, trombone; and Phil ship and love for blues music Pistone, age 15, trumpet. developed during the club’s weekly open jams. They are honored to have been B to the 6th GRAND COUNTY named by blues master Billy BLUES SOCIETY “Big Daddy” Cade while he B to the 6th is a six-piece was complimenting their and John Lee Hooker, Alfonzo band from Colorado. The performance the first night & Redwater Blues strives to members, aged 14 to 18, they ever played together play a passionate, funky, and have unique music influ- publicly. The band’s influ- a pure sound of blues while ences spanning from musi- ences include greats like also innovating the genre cals to marching band and B.B. King, , with new concepts. Chuck Berry, the Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix. 4 Past Mid- night is excited to showcase Ax & the their songwriting, diversity in Hatchetmen WINDY CITY BLUES skills, youthful energy, and SOCIETY bluesy soul! 16-year-old singer and guitar- ist Axel Ellis returns to the everything in between! Corrie Alfonzo & IBC with his new band, the and Chris are vocalists, Julian Redwater Blues Hatchetmen. No strangers to is on keys, Jack is on bass, PIKES PEAK BLUES the stage, they play old- Michael is on guitar, and AJ is COMMUNITY school to modern blues, , the drummer. Their co-lead Alfonzo & Redwater Blues are and rock. You’ll hear Chi- singers combine with B to the a blues trio from Longmont, cago’s raw and raucous 6th’s diverse musical palette Colorado made up of all southside blues as well as to create a modern blues multi-instrumentalists. On the west side’s more jazz- band that is funky and fun!

INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE #35 YOUTH H 129