JP SOARS & THE RED HOTS win Blues Foundation’s 25th International Blues Challenge

With the mission to find the best unsigned blues band, this annual competition is held worldwide on a regional level by The Blues Foundation's 150 Affiliated Organizations around the world. Semi-finalists, the winners of these regional competitions, head to Memphis for the national finals held on historic Beale Street, and the opportunity to compete for over $20,000 in cash and prizes. In 2009, over bands and solo/duo acts participated, drawing an audience of many thousands to Beale Street in downtown Memphis.

JP SOARS, of Boca Raton, lead his band through the regional competition sponsored by The South Florida Blues Society back in November and two nights of semifinals on this past Thursday and Friday. They placed in the top ten competitors that vied for the title of BEST UNSIGNED BLUES ACT IN THE WORLD on Saturday afternoon. The band members are Chris Peet on drums and Gary Rimmington on bass.

JP SOARS also individually won the Albert King Award which establishes him as the best guitar player in the competition this year.

The champion set was comprised of 1) CALL MY BABY, 2) GYPSY WOMAN and 3) WHERE DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT? JP played his Ephiphone "Joe Pass" Emperor for the first two songs and brought out his Diddly Bow for the last number. Chris Peet was on a house kit and Gary Rimmington was wielding his Fender Jazz Bass.

JP SOARS & THE RED HOTS play extensively in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade area and regularly around the state. They can be heard this month at Boston’s on the Beach and City Limits, both in Delray Beach, The Orange Door in Lake Park, and frequently at The Back Room Blues Bar in Boca Raton.

Details of their schedule, samples of the music and video clips can be found at: MySpace.com/JPSoars.

Booking arrangements can be made by calling: (561) 667-5481.

PHOTO CREDIT: JAMES NOBLE, THE ORANGE DOOR