MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The harmonica wizard from Coralville, Iowa, a brassy blues band out of Houston, a Brazil-born guitar master, and a 21-year-old “wunderkind.” These are the acts that rose to the top of the pack at The Blues Foundation’s 34th annual International Blues Challenge Awards ceremony, which took place at Memphis’ historic Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, January 20.
Kevin “B.F.” Burt was the big man of the evening as the bluesman representing the Central Iowa Blues Society, picking up three awards: First Place Solo/Duo, Best Solo/Duo Guitarist, and the Lee Oskar Award for Best Harmonica Player. The Keeshea Pratt Band, from the Houston Blues Society, stormed out of Texas to grab First Place Band honors with judges universally rating them ready to headline major festivals and take the international blues scene by storm. The local band…
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For more than 25 years Kevin “B.F.” Burt has been electrifying audiences throughout the Midwest dispelling the myth that true blues has no roots in Iowa. His soul-inspired presentation is unique which consistently get him compared to a range of artists like Bill Withers and Aaron Neville, with the ability to build an audience rapport that has been compared to B.B. King.
Kevin is a self-taught musician (vocals, harmonica, and guitar) whose smooth, warm vocal presentation sets a mood of relaxed exhilaration, with a welcome mixture of serious music and infectious humor audiences of all ages seem to enjoy. His voice and presence are powerful. His unique delivery ranges from the sweetest, fullest, juiciest come-on to the most playful growl. Though he performs between 325 and 400 shows a year, he holds nothing back night after night and audiences leave knowing that.
Written by blues artist Kevin “B.F.” Burt and piloted throughout the U.S. by over 300 students and 7 teachers, this six-lesson method is designed to introduce students grades 5-8 to playing basic cross-harp blues harmonica. The sequential, easy to understand and visually appealing curriculum covers breathing exercises, short familiar melodies, 4-part harmonica ensemble based on the 12-bar Blues.
No previous experience with harmonica is necessary for teachers or students. Unique color-coded notation system, sound zones, special effects words, a digital download link for 24 play-along tracks, and other innovative teaching tools help students experience very quick success on this classic, extremely affordable, cross-cultural instrument.