They’re singing the blues, and they’re pretty happy about it.

Lori Russo and the Uppercuts, made up of predominately Butler County musicians, won the recent Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania 17th annual Blues Challenge and a chance to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn., in January.

The group is made up of Lori Russo of Butler, singer; George Kalantzi of Portersville, guitar; John DeCola of Slippery Rock, keyboards; Bob Insko of Apollo, bass; and Brendan Kennelty of Cranberry Township, drums.

While Kennelty just graduated from Slippery Rock University as a percussion major, Russo, Kalantzi, Insko and DeCola are veteran musicians.

“I met John when he was in a band with my brother (the late Tony Russo), who was a famous singer in Butler before he moved to Los Angeles,” said Russo.

“I started playing in rock ‘n’ roll bands when I was 15 years old,” she said.

Kalantzi said, “I met John when I played in different blues groups. Lori is the best female singer around. She also plays bass, guitar, drums and cymbals.”

DeCola, Russo and Kalantzi met when they were members of the group Midnight Express. They said they have been playing together on and off for years.

Putting together a band on a permanent basis proved harder. “We’ve been trying to do this for years. Then COVID hit,” Kalantzi said.

Lori Russo and the Uppercuts came together with the addition of Insko and Kennelty.

“We got a couple of new members. We came together and started practicing,” Russo said. “We were practicing once a week for a few weeks. The instrumentalists are very good.”

Insko said, “John DeCola contacted me. John and Lori were in a band together, and they wanted to get a group together to do original tunes. I suggested drummer Brendan Kennelty. He’s a great, great drummer.”

Practicing in a studio at Russo’s house, the Uppercuts focused on learning original songs for April’s competition at Moondog’s Pub in Blawnox.

“It’s better to have more original tunes than covers for this competition,” Russo said.

The group took on eight other bands April 24. The groups were graded by four judges on blues content, vocal talent, instrument talent, originality and stage presence.

The Uppercuts performed four original songs during their 20-minute set and came away with the victory.

“We had about three rehearsals, then we went in, played and we won. The level of the compositions were extremely high. Lori is a fabulous singer. The chemistry worked,” Insko said.

The win got the group a chance to compete in January against 200 blues bands from around the world during a five-day event taking place from 4 p.m. to midnight in clubs along the city’s famed Beale Street. The winner gets a $25,000 cash prize and a recording contract.

DeCola said the winner of last year’s competition was a band from France that included an upright bass and an accordion, which illustrates the breadth of the blues genre.

“Blues encompasses so many different kinds of music; rock ‘n’ roll blues like Stevie Ray Vaughn, funk blues,” he said. “It’s a platform that allows you to go in so many directions.”

Russo said, “Blues can rock, funk, traditional, jazz, swing.”

Kalantzi said of the blues, “It’s a very improvisational framework. You can do whatever you want.

“With any music — blues, jazz — there’s a framework harmonically, and you can take it in different directions,” he said.

Russo, who had a jazz CD that sold well in France in 1997, said, “With the blues, I can put more of an edge, my jazz licks take on a rougher edge.”

Whatever they call it, the band hopes to play a lot between now and the competition.

Russo said, “This is the first band I’m in that actually does their homework. They go home and do the homework.”

That’s the difference between a rehearsal and a practice, she said. In a rehearsal, the band learns new songs. In a practice, the band members are practicing their instruments to become more proficient.

DeCola said, “Once you win you’ve got to market yourselves.”

While Lori Russo and the Uppercuts are slated to play a blues and roots festival in Harmarville July 31, Slippery Rock’s North Country Brewing Sept. 10 and a festival at Cooper’s Lake Oct. 8, they’re looking to get in more gigs and practice.

“We’re booking ourselves now, but we’re looking for somebody (to help with bookings),” said DeCola.