Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn. is rich with history. From the early 1900s through the '40s, it was swinging - every club and restaurant was filled with solemn saxophone, upbeat piano, gritty, soulful voices and even the occasional jug band. Jazz artists were fusing with blues legends like B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Louis Armstrong to help birth the style of "Memphis Blues," and music was evolving the way it should - organically and beautifully.

But, just like the muse of the blues, Beale Street had its own period of down-and-out. By the '60s, the area was riddled with vacancies and tension. In an effort to revamp the street in 1977, congress initiated an act declaring Beale Street as the official "Home of the Blues."

Since then, the famous street has been home to many music festivals, including the International Blues Challenge (IBC). Since 1984, the IBC has helped showcase hundreds of talented artists, awarding them cash, prizes and industry recognition. Several blues artists have launched their careers at the IBC, including Susan Tedeschi, Michelle Willson, Michael Burks and Tommy Castro.

In Tacoma, after battling in the South Sound Blues Association's (SSBA) Eighth Annual Back to Beale Street Blues Preliminary Competition, four bands are vying for the opportunity to perform at the IBC in January 2014.

The preliminary competition took place June 2 at Jazzbones in Tacoma, where 10 competitors rocked the stage for 25 minutes each. Three were solo/duo acts and seven were bands. Talent, vocals, blues content, originality and showmanship marked the criteria, with Arthur Migliazza winning the solo/duo act.

The top four band winners are as follows, ranked from 4th to 1st place respectively: Cody Rentas Band, Palmer Junction, Randy Oxford Band and Crazy Texas Gypsies.

The Back to Beale Street Blues Competition Final Round is set to take place at the Tacoma Freedom Fair and Air Show July 4 at Duke's Chowder House Blues Stage.

"It is a sincere pleasure and compliment to be included with such great talent in this competition," said Cody Rentas, who turns 21 this summer. "This is my fourth time competing, and I am hoping this is our year. I have many favorite blues artists that I draw inspiration from. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Freddie King, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, just to name a few. But one of my personal favorites is Robben Ford. His guitar playing is masterful, full of tone, and very unique. He paints a very colorful picture with his music."

The competition is saturated with talent. In addition to the Cody Rentas Band, Palmer Junction has made it to the finals; two musicians in the band Crazy Texas Gypsies made it to the IBC last year with another band, Blues Redemption.

"There is very stiff competition," said Gary Grape, president of the SSBA.

The SSBA funds up to $1,000 to the solo/duo winner and up to $4,000 for a band to make it to Memphis.

Judging will be on a 25-minute set, but for the next 20 minutes, the bands just get to jam and have fun, says Grape.

"But, we follow the rules to a T," he said. "That way, if they are lucky enough to get to Memphis, there won't be any surprises."

The July 4 lineup is as follows: Palmer Junction, 3:30 p.m.; The Crazy Texas Gypsies, 4:45 p.m.; The Cody Rentas Band, 6 p.m.; and The Randy Oxford Band, 7:15 p.m. The winner will be announced at 8:15 p.m.