The St Louis Blues Society is an organization that preserves and fosters blues music in St. Louis, Missouri, the city being one of the historic cradles of the blues. It has been in operation since 1984. The society funds local musicians, concerts, and educational events as well as features articles on such initiatives in their bi-monthly magazine, the Bluesletter. The organization is governed by officers and a board of directors, which includes the son of legendary blues artist, Henry Townsend.
Initiatives The St. Louis Blues Society has three funds they created. This includes The Mission Fund, The Archive Project, and the Alvin Jett Blues Education Initiative.
The Mission Fund The Mission Fund was created to support Blues and R&B musicians in times of need including health issues or unforeseen problems. This fund was especially beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the St. Louis Blues Society gave over $90,000 to support artists.
Archive Project St. Louis is one of the richest cities in the United States in terms of music history, and the Archive Project works with other publication companies to preserve the music and artists from this region. The end goal of this project is to create a central repository that houses both physical and digital content.
Alvin Jett Blues Education Initiative The Alvin Jett Blues Education Initiative focuses on educating people about the music and artists of St. Louis. This is meant to highlight the talent that St. Louis has produced, share the legacy of the blues in the city, and inspire new artists to emerge. Its namesake, Alvin Jett, is a St. Louis Blues musician who regularly donated to the St. Louis Blues Society. This initiative is also funded by the Atomic Blues Festivals held by the society.
Preliminary International Blues Challenge rounds The Road to Memphis is a regional preliminary International Blues Challenge competition hosted by the St. Louis Blues Society. Road to Memphis crowns a Solo/Duo Act and a Band Act champion, both of which represent St. Louis at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
Albums
According to its website, the St. Louis Blues Society has produced six annual compilation CDs and one CD of an archive project featuring two local musicians. Each album can be purchased online and is available to stream on Spotify and Amazon Music.
+ Albums Title Year Notes St. Louis Blues Society Presents: 14 in '14 2015 St. Louis Blues Society Presents: 15 in '15 2016 St Louis Blues Society Presents: 16 in '16 2017 Most played album on KDHX FM in 2017 St. Louis Blues Society Presents: 17 in '17 2018 Most played album on KDHX FM in 2018 St. Louis Blues Society Presents: 18 in '18 2019 Dedicated to St. Louis native DJ Gabriel St. Louis Blues Society Presents: 19 in '19 2020 The St. Louis Blues Society Archive Project Presents: Leroy Pierson and Tom Hall Live at the Schlafly Tap Room Bluesfest 1993 2024 Instead of featuring a wide array of artists, this work features two St. Louis steel guitar players The St. Louis Kings of Rhythm 1986 European Tour Showcase recorded in the Netherlands 2026 (unreleased)
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