St. Louis, July 27, 2005 - Just when you thought it couldn’t get any hotter, the competition for the Blues Royale talent showcase heats up even more! After an evening of standing room only crowds, the “American Idol” style talent showcase prepares for its finalists at the regional Blues Royale competition. Enthusiasts of all levels continue to enjoy the soulful sounds of acoustic and electric band categories at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups in downtown St. Louis. Exciting evenings of entertainment, the 1st Annual Blues Royale features emerging talent during incremental minute sets before five (5) judges. The overall audience consensus represents the vote of one (1) judge. Tuesday, August 9th is the fifth and final week of competition with eight (8) band performances. The finalist line-up for the evening is listed below:

The winning group in each category will be awarded a 10 song album from 12 Bar Productions with 100 retail ready CDs (Value: $6,000 each), and a public relations media package from DeBlaze & Associates PR (Value: $750 each). Just added, the electric division winner will be awarded two performance slots at the King Biscuit Festival, one of the largest blues festivals in the country (Emerging Artist Stage & Main Stage). In addition, both category winners receive a CD of the week review and placement of their album image on the STLBlues.net’s “Parking Lot.” All finalists win a four (4) song demo CD of their band.

RED 104.1 FM and STLBlues.net, host the talent showcase. Sponsors include 12 Bar Productions, STLBlues.net, RED 104.1 FM, DeBlaze & Associates PR, and BBs Jazz, Blues & Soups. The event promises to highlight your summer calendar. Don’t miss this opportunity to judge a talent showcase, sample superb music, and gather with friends!

Arrive early to guarantee audience participation at a mere $5 cover charge per person. BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups is located at 700 S. Broadway in downtown St. Louis (314.436.5222). For more information about Blues Royale and its sponsors, call (314) 378-0659 or visit stlblues.net/bluesroyale.htm or www.red1041.com