MEMPHIS Feb, 6, 2009 - Little Joe McLerran performs in the W.C.Handy Blues Tent on Beale St. during his twenty-five minute performance that would precede the Finals, where he appeared in the 25th Anniversary of the International Blues Challenge - winning the Finals in the Solo/Duo category. This was his forth trip to Memphis to compete in the annual IBC event, sponsored by the Blues Foundation. On February 7th, at the Orpheum Theatre on famed Beale Street and Main, judges selected Little Joe McLerran as this year's 1st Place Winner for the 25th Anniversary Edition of the 2009 International Blues Challenge ...all by himself along with a bunch of followers,supporters, family & friends (new and old)

SPECIAL EDITION: IBC RoundUP!


March/April 2009 BLUES NEWS - The Blues Society of Tulsa has released a Special Edition: IBC Roundup! - Twelve pages of news, insight, terrific articles, interviews, book and CD reviews, plenty of photos, and a lot more...

Contact the Blues Society of Tulsa to obtain your copy & membership details

Mar/Apr 2008 - - "...he sounded just like an old Blues 78' record! I could notbelieve just how chronologically perfect this guy and his resonator sounded! This guy is 25 years old! It was like watching Robert Johnson or Son House in the flesh! I mean, the blues this guy plays is too old for even the old timers! English blues researchers will love this man, mark my words. Unbelievable!" >>more

Little Joe's Live At Last CD is now available
at Amazon.com

Damprock Blogger - A recently published Blog article observation of the 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, a spectacular event made even better by witnessing Little Joe McLerran win 1st Place in the solo/duo category that took place at the historic Orpheum Theatre on Main St. and Beale
on Feb. 7th, 2009 .....(article / blog)

Blues Festival Guide for 2009
Be sure to obtain a copy of the upcoming publication, Blues Festival Guide available Spring 2009. This represents Little Joe's first shot with small advertisement (a gift from the Blues Foundation) in a publication that distributes over 100,000 copies...Check it out, it's free! (Visit Blues Festival Guide for details)

Tulsa World - Jennifer Chancellor,
World Scene Writer

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Brookside Blogger Speaks Up...

Litttle Joe McLerran - Blues God
- By Lamont Cranston

Nov. 17, 2008 - "Lest I give Tulsa totally short shrift on the artistic achievement scale, I really should take a moment out to praise Little Joe. Joe is by far the best living acoustic blues musician that I have ever heard. He is like a collection of 78 rpm records come to life, but he is much, much more than a nostalgia act. He plays Tulsa quite a bit, of course, but he gets around a bit too. You can catch him in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge Feb.5th -7th, 2009." (link to Brookside)

MAY 1, 2009 - The 7th Annual Blues Festival Guide for 2009 is currently being distributed around the country, additionally a digital version is now available online. Featured on the cover this year is the amazing Bonnie Raitt.

Blues fans and Festival lovers are receiving a magazine through their local blues societies, blues festivals, blues clubs, record stores, music stores, etc. Several mentions of Little Joe are noted in this issue.

A limited production of only 100,000 magazines will be made available to the public, however the "Guide" will also be available online, in a special digital format. Given the nature of all print media, you may see more publications utilizing digital distribution. [2009-Online Digital Magazine]

From Tulsa to Italy

Parma, Italy

Wednesday, June 17, 2007 - Little Joe flies to Italy today for his four concert appearances in and around Parma. With a seven hour stop-over in Atlanta followed by a nine and a half hour trans-Atlantic flight, he will arrive (5440 miles later) in Milan, IT. A real Roots'n'Blues Festival in the deep country along the PO River in Parma Province, the land of the parmesan cheese and ham. >>more photos from Italy>>

	Little Joe at Rootsway
Little Joe and Robbie Mack in the Italian Province of Parma, IT -photo by Giovanni Grilli >>more photos from Italy>>

Simply the Blues Fest
Fort Madison , Iowa
May 8 & 9, 2009

BLUES BLAST REVIEW - ..."Kicking off the main stage on Saturday was the 2009 International Blues Challenge solo/duet winner, Little Joe Mclerran. Joe and his bass player was so tight they were squeaking. He gave the crowd a clear picture of why he won!"

"Little Joe plays Piedmont Blues, and since the death of John Cephas [3/4/09], may be the heir to the crown of "the best" around. For a guy that is only 24 years old, this guy oozes with talent. Surely another artist you want to make a point to see."

"Following Little Joe was the 2009 International Blues Challenge Band winner, JP Soars and the Red Hots...." - - Review and Photo by Blues Blast editor Bob Kieser

McLerran's Blues takes 1st
By Judy Lambert
Herald Assistant Editor
Sapulpa Herald Online
Tues., April 21, 2009

SAPULPA HERALD ONLINE - Bringing life back to an "old style" of Piedmont Blues music is one 25-year-old Sapulpan [OK] who picked up his first guitar at the age
of 5 or 6.

To look at Joey McLerran on the street you might think he was your average "boy next door," and it's doubtful you would match the music on his CD to the guy looking you in the face.

Like one gifted Blues guitarist, Johnny Long, did when Joey, at the age of 10, picked up Johnny's guitar and began to play... you would most likely have to do a double take...(complete article)

International Blues Challenge winner
coming to Des Moines

DES MOINES, IOWA - After four consecutive attempts at the International Blues Challenge, the first two times as a duo act with his dad, bassist Robbie Mack, the third with his whole band, Little Joe McLerran finally took home the crown, all by himself. Little Joe's three stunning performances in Memphis against a field of 64 solo/duo performers from all over the United States and as far away as France, Italy and Croatia lead to Little Joe's triumph. Following his set in the finals, held at the Orpheum Theater on Beale Street, Joe could only wait for the decision of the judges. It was unanimous, Little Joe was Champ. (...the whole story)

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Keeping quiet pays off for guitar picker

TULSA WORLD -2/18/09 - Little Joe McLerran knows what it feels like to wake up in Memphis after not making it to the finals of the International Blues Challenge. He's done it three times...but this year was different...
>> more

Little Joe and Eden Brent on stage together at the Chautauqua Hills Blues Fest

Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival 2009

Sedan, KS -Four years previously (2006) Eden Brent and Little Joe McLerran performed on the same stage at the W.C Handy Blues Hall stage along Beale Street during their competing performances at International Blues Challenge in Memphis. That year Eden won the Solo/Duo category for 1st Place. This year, 2009, Little Joe McLerran won 1st Place at the IBC performing in the semifinals in the W.C. Handy Blues Tent, with Eden Brent in attendance, cheering and giving her enthusiast approval of his

Little Joe at the Chautauqua Blues Festival

performance. Since their first meeting in 2006, Eden has become a strong supporter and friend to Little Joe. Four years later their paths cross again where they where reunited on-stage for the second time in four years, at the 2009 edition of the Chautauqua Blues Festival. It was Little Joe's fifth consecutive appearance at the festival and Eden's first. Eden has enjoyed an incredible year where she has been awarded several prestigious awards by the Blues Foundation: Acoustic Album of the Year - Eden Brent Mississippi Number One Acoustic Artist of the Year; Best New Artist Debut; Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year. August 7,8,9th they will meet again at the Heritage Music Blues Fest in Wheeling, West Virginia....