December 2011 – Onstage at Ziggie's Live Music in Denver on Saturday, December 3, Blues Torch announced that it has changed its name to "The Encounters" to better reflect the group's sound. All shows will now be performed under "The Encounters" name and logo, and a new website will launch in 2012. n the meantime, fans and friends can still find us under the old Blues Torch name during a transition period. Members of the band have remained intact, and the name change has been made for marketing purposes. "A surprising number of people think 'blues' equals 'sad songs' and that the name tended to limit our groups marketing," The Encounter's band-mates said in announcing the change. Our set-lists are anything but "sad"! Our sound is high-energy, very danceable and covers a wide spectrum of popular music.

The Encounters are a tribute to the legends of Motown, R&B, Soul and Rock, from Aretha Framklin to (Led) Zeppelin. Our trademarks are powerful, soulful vocals backed by crisp guitar, big organ and piano sounds, and the unmistakable sound of harmonica, plus great vocal harmonies and a tight rhythm section that delivers our audiences polished, professional and exciting performances.

Blues Torch material covers a wide range of influences from BB King, Junior Wells, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Susan Tedeschi and other masters to “rock” artists like The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and others. Plus, we add Motown, R&B and Funk influences like Aretha Franklin, Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone and more – plus original tunes – to deliver an upbeat and highly entertaining show that fans equate with their "favorite songs" from the 1960's to today.