Pam Craven of the Bella Birds. Gifrants croons some soulful Haitian Blues. ~Photos by Andrew Firestone Andrew Firestone It was a night of beauty and revelation at Bloc 11, as fifteen of the previous "winners" of the weekly coffeehouse award came forward, guitars in hand, to compete for $75 gift certificate. Showcasing the vast diversity of Somerville, the performers, of all walks of life and styles, each played two sets in front of a silent panel of judges with hopes of being crowned king of the roost, which was eventually presented to Dan Blakeslee, auteur blues guitarist. Colin Kelly of Somerville put it as basically as it could be put, "I'm just going to try to play the best song I've written in the last couple months." In a twang reminiscent of later period Bob Dylan, Kelly was as cool as could be, even reaching the three-man semi-finals with co-competitor Peter Bertrand. Sam Beyer who was emphatically "ready" before his performance noted that in his craft, this model for success was a bit of a mystery. "I've written songs for a long, long time and I still don't know where they come from," he said. "I'm convinced that the song fairy comes and lays them under my pillow." The night was rife with inspired and original performances. These included soul-master Alex Pashion's rendition of "Don't you be so Cruel, Baby Don't you be so Kind" in classical howlin' style, the Haitian-blues artist Gifrants and his unique and permeating Island brand of blues and the Bella Birds with their harmonizing soft, delicate melodies. Innovation, skill and technique took center stage, as the many artists played their hearts out. When asked where the pain he drew upon came from, Pashion responded laconically, "the music business will surely provide you with a lot of pain." One of the most unique performances came from local Max Jackson, who, unable to find the harmonica-duo who planned on playing, improvised a rapturous medley on a spare didgeridoo which happened to be lying around. Combining circular breathing with beat-boxing, Jackson produced an unforgettable effect, hinting influence of blues, middle-eastern music, and dance hall. "I'm trying to create my own sound," said Jackson.

Others like P.J. Shapiro, used their songs to personal effect. "Breaking strings feels like breaking free," he sang in his original "Weigh Me Down." Peter Bertrand, as well, gave a masterful touch to "Angels in my Backyard" with a subtle yet poignant air of gratitude. As Gifrants said, stage presence was key. "You will be able to connect with people, and help them feel you. Take them to your level and gain a sense of togetherness."

Of these hidden jewels and their motivations, Pam Craven of the Bella Birds perhaps said it best. Being on stage, she said is "the most fun I have. I felt like everyone was watching us, pretty intense, like 'hey what are they doing?'" MC Christine Ford, who was responsible for the entire contest, noted that "that was the quietest I'd ever seen this place" after their performance, which utilized the empty spaces between their sounds to maximize effectiveness.

Blakeslee was magnetic, and put as much of himself and his personality into the songs. A kind, focused young man, Blakeslee wowed the audience was the delicacy and skill of his guitar technique. A professional musician with orange juice as his drug of choice, Blakeslee said that he just enjoys Somerville because of the great atmosphere for artists and musicians.

Ford was thrilled with the turnout, and hopes to turn this first tournament of champions into a commonly-held event. While beat-boxing on the microphone to the tune of "Jeopardy" while the judges made their final decision, Ford declared in perfect rhythm, "There were a disproportionate number of men performing at this competition, so next time it will be a battle of amazons."