Our USPS Mailing address is:
Central Delaware Blues Society
P.O. Box 155
Magnolia, DE 19962
The Central Delaware Blues Society (CDBS) is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization based in Kent County Delaware. Our mission is to preserve and promote a musical style originated in America called the Blues. We keep this roots music alive through sharing and supporting live Blues music performances and artists.
We are a totally volunteer based organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and the support of our membership. CDBS began as a loosely organized group of local Blues fans who had come together at Blues events and jams organized by Founder Craig Coffield at Jonathan’s Landing Clubhouse in Magnolia Delaware. (see CDBS History below). This small group began to envision a more formal way to bring more Blues music to Delaware’s lower two counties.
The Central Delaware Blues Society began its first full year as an organization in 2014 and hasn’t slowed down since. We continue to fulfill our goal of sponsoring a Blues Band at the International Blues Challenge held each year in Memphis Tennessee in January. We have hosted a Blues Festival since 2014.
What we do:
- Support and Host live Blues music: Weekly jams held on Thursday evenings at 7:00 and concert shows as talent and venue arrangements can be made.
- We hold an annual Blues Festival, featuring national acts. This is currently a one day festival.
- We host an International Blues Challenge competition. We provide each winner with a $1500 (or more) stipend prize to help them get to Memphis and they are guaranteed a slot at our next Roadhouse Festival.
- We hold an IBC winner "Going to Memphis" benefit in December or January to assist in sending the winners to Memphis for the competition in late January. Several CDBS members attend the Blues Foundation IBC to support our band entries and scout new talent in Memphis.
- We sponsor a youth group showcase at the IBC in Memphis.
- We partner with local performance venues such as the Blue Earl Brewery to host local, regional and national acts.
- We participate in community events like Dover’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and Smyrna at Night.
- We promote CDBS with booths at Old Dover Days, the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival and other regional Blues events.
- We hold fundraising events to support members in need.
- We are a proud supporter of the Toys for Tots and the USO and take food and other contributions at each jam and show.
- We also offer discounted tickets and merchandise to all active service personnel.
- We are an all-volunteer organization and always looking for volunteers to help us out.
- We have approximately 200 members now and continue to grow.
- We offer two types of memberships; annual ($25.00) and Lifetime ($250.00).
CDBS History:
Craig Coffield, our Founder, saw a need to have more blues music in the local area. There are several venues and another blues society in New Castle Delaware that support blues music but few in the lower two counties. Staged at Jonathan’s Landing Golf Course, where he was the general manager and golf pro, Craig began holding a few national acts back in 2011.
He saw that working and building interest and in April 2013 he began holding blues jam sessions, hosting local talent and scheduling additional national touring acts on a more frequent basis. At that point a formal blues society was not a true entity, it was still a thought in Craig’s mind.
During those early times Craig did have the foresight to establish a website and create a name for our organization; the Central Delaware Blues Society.
In the beginning of 2014 Craig called together a few interested blues aficionados and we began forming the rough layout as a group and began setting direction for a long-term commitment of holding more blues shows, holding a festival and most importantly sending a band to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. We also started working more closely with the Blues Foundation located in Memphis.
Come See What We’re All About:
If you don’t do anything else, get out to listen and support your local musicians and the venues showcasing them. Chances are that the music you listen to has a background and a history of the Blues.
If you don’t know about the Blues and you want to learn a little more we invite you to please come out to one of our free Thursday night jams or shows. Your ears, your mind, your heart and your soul will love you for it.
