Orbert Davis won the night at the Disc Makers Independent Music World Series (IMWS) Midwest finals held at the Elbo Room in Chicago. As the grand prize winner, Davis took home over $35,000 in prizes, including recording gear, instruments, CD manufacturing services, DJ equipment and more.
“We just came to play music,” said Davis. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized among so many talented musicians tonight. It shows us that jazz is alive and well. The Independent Music World Series and all it represents is a blessing for the future of music.”
Davis was one of six finalists who competed at the event before a panel of 12 judges, including representatives from The Grammy Awards, ASCAP, Billboard magazine, the Illinois Entertainer, Shure, The Chicago Tribune, Q-101 radio station and Warner Bros. Over 1,300 unsigned bands and individual artists submitted entries for the Midwest region of the IMWS. The other finalists included Stephanie Dosen (Waukesha, Wis.), Smokin’ with Superman (Madison, Wis.), The Response (Milwaukee), The Lancaster Sound (Yukon, Okla.) and Phat Punktion (Middleton, Wis.).
Produced by Disc Makers, the IMWS is a live music showcase series that provides musicians with a unique opportunity to showcase their talents, make valuable industry contacts and compete for over $35,000 in prizes. Showcases are held in each of four regions throughout the country (Midwest, Southeast, Northeast and Southwest), and is open to all musicians unsigned to a major record label and to all styles and genres of music. Professional music screeners from TAXI selected 100 semi-finalists from the entries and the editors of Billboard magazine chose the six finalists.
For more information on the Independent Music World Series, visit www.discmakers.com/imws.
