John-Paul Jones Group Brings Heavy Blues to the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge

John-Paul Jones Group Brings Heavy Blues to the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge

Camaraderie, original music and a memorable response from Iowa’s blues community

Prof. Jp performing with John-Paul Jones Group at the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge. Photo by Mark Lage.

The 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge brought musicians, blues fans and members of the Central Iowa Blues Society together on Sunday, October 4, at xBk LIVE in Des Moines. For John-Paul Jones Group, the afternoon was never simply about a scorecard or who advanced. It was about showing people what the band does, reconnecting with the Iowa blues community and sharing a stage with musicians the group respects.

Central Iowa Blues Society holds the annual Iowa Blues Challenge to showcase Iowa band and solo/duo acts, with the winners earning the opportunity to represent Iowa at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. This year’s free event ran from 12:30 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. and featured nine acts throughout the afternoon.

“It wasn’t about the competition for me personally. It was about the camaraderie and a chance to introduce—or reintroduce—what we do to Central Iowa Blues Society members.”— Jp

The event was presented by Central Iowa Blues Society at xBk LIVE, 1159 24th Street in Des Moines.

John-Paul Jones Group onstage at xBk LIVE during the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge. Photo by Mark Lage.

A Full Day of Iowa Blues

The lineup moved between band and solo/duo performances throughout the day: Dogtown Rhythm Band, Steffen Heins, TrashKat & the AlleyRats, Dave Zollo & Brian Cooper, KAT Blue & the True Believers, Dewey Cantrell, John-Paul Jones Group, Ernie Peniston Duo and Fabulous TruTones.

John-Paul Jones Group took the stage at 4:30 p.m. for its 20-minute set. Jp handled guitar and vocals, Jon B was behind the drums, and Joe A held down the bass. From the opening number through the final note, the band used every minute to mlake its identity clear.

The Response That Mattered Most

One of the most memorable parts of the day came after the set. Members of the other bands came up to John-Paul Jones Group with words that meant a great deal because they came from fellow musicians who had just shared the same stage.

“You were our favorite set.”

“You were so freaking amazing.”

During the performance, one CIBS member called out from the audience with a line that summed up the room’s reaction:

“This is what real Blues-Rock is all about!”

Respect from other musicians goes a long way. Having peers come up after the performance and tell the band how much they enjoyed the set became one of the highlights of the entire day.

“All the musicians showed us so much love after our set. It was great.”— Jp

Prof. Jp and Joe A during John-Paul Jones Group’s Iowa Blues Challenge set. Photo by Mark Lage.

“CIBS Needs You to Keep Doing What You Are Doing”

Jp also had an extended conversation with CIBS administrator Suzanne Cantrell. Her message was direct and encouraging:

“CIBS needs you to keep doing what you are doing.”

She also described Prof. Jp as “east side edgy,” a phrase that fits the hard edge, attitude and guitar-driven character John-Paul Jones Group brings to blues music.

For a band that has always preferred to let the music define the category, the comment landed. John-Paul Jones Group is rooted in blues, but it does not try to sand off the rock, soul, grit or volume that makes the sound its own.

Sharing the Stage With Family and Friends

The afternoon carried another personal meaning for Prof. Jp: he got to perform on the same stage as his best friend and dear cousin, Ernie Peniston. Ernie and his partner Hal competed in the Solo/Duo division and won the category.

The event also brought familiar faces back together, including friends Eli, Jason and John from Other Brothers. Those reunions, new introductions and conversations between sets were part of what Jp meant when he talked about camaraderie.

Joe A on bass during John-Paul Jones Group’s performance at xBk LIVE. Photo by Mark Lage.

A 20-Minute Tour Through the JPJG Sound

The set itself told the story of John-Paul Jones Group in a compact 20 minutes: traditional roots, deeply personal original material, Iowa stories, funk, shuffle and a heavy guitar finish.

“John the Revelator.” Prof. Jp opened with a deeply moving version of the traditional song, giving the set an immediate sense of weight before moving into original material.

“Blood Sugar Blues.” The funky original, from Jp’s latest album Broke In Bridge City, chronicles the journey of dealing with diabetes. It turns a difficult subject into a groove-driven blues song without losing the reality behind it.

“Broke In Bridge City.” The title track is a kicking shuffle about Jp’s hometown of Ottumwa. The details are rooted in one Iowa town, but the feeling reaches beyond it; anyone who has spent time in an Iowa river town can recognize something in the song.

“Ballad of the Nine.” The band then slowed things down for one of the set’s most personal moments. The song is about Jp’s grandparents and family, drawing its title from his great-grandmother having nine children, with Jp’s grandfather among them.

“Day of the Eagle.” For the final number, John-Paul Jones Group tore into Robin Trower’s classic. The performance had the crowd hollering, and the band approached the song the same way it approaches every cover: not as an imitation, but as something to be played with the band’s own weight, dynamics and attitude.

Prof. Jp with Jon B behind the kit during the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge. Photo by Mark Lage.

Heavy Blues Is the Best Description

The performance proved again that Heavy Blues is the best description for what John-Paul Jones Group does. Blues is the foundation, but the band brings a heavier guitar sound, rock dynamics and an aggressive live energy to it.

Fans of heavier blues-driven artists such as Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Healey, Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher will recognize the territory. John-Paul Jones Group draws from that tradition while bringing its own songs, family stories, Iowa roots and personality to the stage.

If that kind of heavier blues is your thing, John-Paul Jones Group is a band to get out and see live.

John-Paul Jones Group in front of the Central Iowa Blues Society crowd. Photo by Deb Bodson.

More Than the Competition

The Iowa Blues Challenge may have been structured as a competition, but the strongest memories for John-Paul Jones Group came from the community around it: the musicians who offered praise, the CIBS members who responded during the set, the chance to perform alongside family, the friends who showed up and the conversations that continued after the music stopped.

Video clips from the performance will be posted, and Central Iowa Blues Society is also sharing material from the Challenge. Those clips will give people who were not at xBk LIVE a chance to see and hear some of what happened onstage.

Thank You

JPJG thanks Central Iowa Blues Society and xBk LIVE for making the day possible, and Mark Lage, Steve Vasquez, Deb Bodson and Debbie Miller for capturing photos and video throughout the event.

Thanks also to Julie Spong and her crew for all of their hard work, and once again to Bill, Brendon and the entire xBk crew for being such gracious hosts.

Most of all, thanks to the musicians and blues fans who showed John-Paul Jones Group so much respect and support. That was the highlight of the day.

JPJG Team