BLUES ON BEALE: Documentary Chronicles The Last International Blues Challenge Before The COVID-19 Pandemic

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Filmed during the 2020 International Blues Challenge (IBC), the blues music documentary,(Amazon link) BLUES ON BEALE (via Amazon Prime), features interviews and performances from a variety of acclaimed artists, including Grammy Award winner Bobby Rush, Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland, and award-winner Castro Coleman, among others.

Here’s everything that you need to know about the acclaimed blues music documentary, BLUES ON BEALE.

BLUES ON BEALE Captures The Soul Of The International Blues Challenge Before COVID-19

Filmed entirely in the various blues music clubs along the famed Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, the blues music documentary, BLUES ON BEALE, captures the excitement and heart of Memphis blues music scene.

The timing of the production is especially poignant. BLUES ON BEALE was filmed pre-pandemic, in January 2020, around the 36th International Blues Challenge (IBC), an annual event organized and staged by The Blues Foundation. This was perhaps the last major blues event staged before the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on “hold.”

How Blues Artists Were Selected For The International Blues Challenge

Starting in the early fall of 2019, various blues societies from across the globe held local competitions for blues music bands and solo/duo acts. The winners of these competitions then qualified to travel to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge in late January 2020.

The high-stakes competition is a career defining event for many blues artists, as they compete for medals, recognition and possible record contracts.

Memphis Blues Clubs Bring Out The Best Blues On Beale Street During The International Blues Challenge

One of the most celebrated locations for blues music in the world, is Beale Street, in Memphis, Tennessee. The legendary strip is so important to the blues music genre, that it was chosen as the central location for the annual International Blues Challenge.

During the 5-day competition, 20 acclaimed Beale Street blues clubs participate. Some venues featured in the film include, the Hard Rock Café, BB King’s, Alfred’s, King’s Palace, Blues City Café, Club 152, Jerry Lee Lewis Caféand Honky Tonk, and Rum Boogie.

The gathering of talent for the competition brought some of the best blues on Beale Street of the year and made an ideal setting for the blues music documentary.

“Blues musicians from around the world competed on Memphis stages where music greats like BB King and Elvis Presley cut their teeth and became stars,” said Cecily Truett Lancit, co-producer and writer of the film.

The Blues Musicians Featured In The Documentary

Although not all 200+ artists from the International Blues Challenge were featured in the blues music documentary, the artists that were selected were chosen for their talent, passion, and dedication to blues music.

The film features a mix of interviews and performances with Grammy winner and Blues Hall of Famer, Bobby Rush; Muddy Waters‘ daughter, Mercy Morganfield; Blues Music Award winner Shemekia Copeland; BB King Entertainer of the Year, Janiva Magnus; Maples Blues Award Female Vocalist of the year, Shakura S’Aida; and a host of Blues GRAMMY Nominees, Blues Music Award winners and Blues Hall of Famers such as Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp); Annika Chambers, Paul Deslauriers, and Grammy winner and Blues documentarian, William Ferris, Ph.D.; former president & CEO of The Blues Foundation, Barbara Newman; and Blues Foundation IBC production consultant, Joe Whitmer; Alligator Records founder & president Bruce Iglauer, and historian and author, Richard Folsom.

BLUES ON BEALE also profiles a series of challengers from around the world, captures their personal stories, and looks at what motivates them to compete.

About The Film’s Production & Distribution Teams

The 80-minute blues documentary was produced, written and directed by Emmy and Peabody award winning team Cecily Truett Lancit and Larry Lancit, of Lancit Digital Media.

Co-Executive Producers are Lynne Brenner Ganek, Jeffrey Ganek, and Stephen Zink.

“BLUES ON BEALE is a music filled journey, rich with the sounds of The Blues and the heartfelt stories behind the people who make the music,” said Sandro Gohoho for for the film’s distributor, Echelon Studios. “It is a classic perspective on the genre that can be enjoyed many times over because of its very human and personal view of the music.”

BLUES ON BEALE Reviews

BLUES ON BEALE has impressed critics and audiences alike. The blues documentary currently has a 90%+ approval rating on the review site, Rotten Tomatoes.

“highly entertaining, captivating, inspirational, informative, insightful, well-paced”
– SUN THISWEEK

“This film makes your ears happy. . . you’ll see and hear enough to lift you ten feet off the ground.”
– Kyle Osborn, ENTERTAINMENT OR DIE

“Where this film really stands out is in its ability to capture the energy, the nuance, the soul and the passion that goes into blues music.”
– THE WASTELAND REVIEWER

Where To Watch The BLUES ON BEALE Documentary

The documentary film does an incredible job at capturing the people, soul, and music of the 36th International Blues Challenge. It is a must-watch movie for all blues music fans, and the next best thing to having a front row seat at International Blues Challenge week.

BLUES ON BEALE, is distributed by Echelon Studios and can be viewed on a variety of video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, including Amazon Prime, Vimeo, StagePlayer+, Tubi, Plex, Hoopla, Overdrive, LocalNow, Mometu, TCL, Fawesomeness, MX Players, and more.

The blues documentary, #BluesOnBeale, immerses viewers in the last major blues competition before the #COVID19 pandemic shut down the world. #bluesmusic #BealeStreet #memphisblues #documentaryfilm Share on X