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Chicago Blues Events: Blues University Events Calendar
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A.C. Reed
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Rooster Blues & BBQ, 811 W. Lake St.
|
AC Reed is an old-school honker sax player with an attitude, who is preferable to many of the same type players you might hear in hotel lounges, but a bit more flash than substance in comparison to some of the younger players on the circuit. Still, he's a veteran performer who won't disappoint you, and since this is booked as an open jam session, it's likely that some of the many people he's played with over the years will stop in to participate.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Rockin' Johnny
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division
|
|
These Blue Monday sets are important as much for who you might find sitting in as for their musical authenticity. While he's been derided for mixing idioms in his sets, this "kid" (by blues standards, anyway) has paid his dues playing behind pretty much every active West Side bluesman out there, including many little-or-no-pay gigs at tiny lounges, where he certainly picked up some changes and bawdy humor. His shows are still evolving at this point, but his respect for blues veterans and increasingly spare playing behind them indicate that he's learned a great deal from their experience, and like Devil in a Woodpile, he's a white peformer who's got the idiom and dynamics right, and bridges the gap for young rockers. Good place to start a journey into the blues, and should become a better and better one as time goes by.
Recommended CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000006AH9/bluesniversityA/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNB4/bluesniversityA/
|
Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage
|
Longtime Rosa's mainstay Taylor has a worldwide following now among those less-traditional blues fans, many of whom consider Stevie Ray Vaughan recordings to be the root of the tree. Despite his obvious appeal to young rockers (Hendrix and SRV as well as the Kinks slip into his sets), he manages to put new fire under old blues classics like Crosscut Saw, and in recent years has started to write promising material of his own. If you want to see a hyperfast guitarist whose approach to guitar approximates the wall-of-sound style of Eddie Van Halen, etc., this is the guy for you. Like the Kinsey Report, and Sugar Blue, he is one of a group of blues performers whose approach is based as much on creating a pastiche of sound as on replicating blues patterns. The result is often stunning, occasionally over the top, but clearly unique.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004S96D/
|
Albert Collins, born Leona, TX, 1932
|
Albert Collins, one of the most influential and popular modern Texas guitarists, nicknamed "the Iceman", was born in Leona, Texas, October 3, 1932.
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Billy Branch born Chicago, IL 1951
|
Veteran harmonica player Billy Branch was born in Chicago, IL , on October 3, 1951
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"Blind Jim" Brewer b. 1921, Brookhaven, MS
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"Blind Jim" Brewer, whose folk repertoire spanned a wide variety of regional blues styles, was born in Brookhaven, MS, October 3, 1951.
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Film: Genghis Blues
Time:
12:15pm
CST
Location:
Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., 312-846-2800
|
This 1999 film features Paul Pena, a San Fran based blind blues guitarist, making a pilgrimage to the tiny Repulblic of Tuva, on the border of Mongolia, to explore the sounds of Tuvan throat-singing. For those of you who haven't experienced the wonders of chant recordings, this film promises to offer an insight into this rare folk art, as well as the pleasures of seeing a bluesman in a situation where he's not the most arcane artist present.
|
Sam Cockrell & the Groove blues jam
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 South Harlem Ave., Berwyn
|
Soul/blues man Cockrell falls into the Robert Cray category, a hybrid of Memphis Stax influences and more traditional urban blues. He's a bass player, so things get a bit funky when he's of a mind, and the band can get a lot of sound out of trio. It's a danceable set, and if you're a lucky female audience member you might get to dance on stage with Sam. Jammers should be ready to sit through a set before playing.
|
Johnny B. Moore & Mary Lane
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Blue Chicago, 536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Checkerboard Lounge, 423 E. 43rd St.
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Eric Noden
Time:
11:00am
CST
Location:
Bone Daddy, 551 N. Ogden
|
Fierce acoustic guitar player who re-creates some formidable blues material with impressive skill. He has some original material as well, which neatly embodies the musical tenets of the classics while retaining relevant to today's audience. This is part of a Sunday brunch here, sort of a Devil's Music Church, so cross yourself and pass the barbecue sauce.
|
Live Gospel Brunch
Time:
2:00pm
CST
Location:
Koko Taylor's Celebrity, 1233 S. Wabash St.
|
Muddy Waters always said you can't sing blues unless you've been to church, and there is a significant amount of the blues tradition that is either based upon or a mirror image of the spiritual tradition. The Foundations of Soul is the choir usually present for this friendly Sunday event, which includes a full "Tennessee Style" buffet along with the food. It's very near the museum campus downtown, as well as the relocated Maxwell Market, so you could make a day of it and get a full cultural smorgasbord along with the gastronomic one. $15 includes the food and cover charge. Call 312-566-0555 for full details.
|
Harmonica Hinds Acoustic Jam
Time:
6:00pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
|
This weekly jam session turns the sound down, but not the energy level. Hinds is a good interpreter of the Chicago harp traditions, sort of what it would have been like to see Little Walter unplugged. There's also a wealth of acoustic blues talent in Chicago at this juncture, and one must assume that some of that pool will show up for this series to play with the amiable Hinds. Also the early start time won't make you miss work on Monday morning.
|
Johnny B. Moore with Shirley Johnson
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Joanna Connor
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn, 708-484-3610
|
While the talented Connor's been around a while, she still has an occasional newcomer's tendency to overplay, perhaps trying hard to prove that a woman guitarist doesn't have to be wimpy. Connor has a sweet demeanor that suggests Bonnie Raitt's earth-mother moments, but she's a more aggressive guitarist and has the advantage of studying the legends first-hand here in Chicago. Blues U. recommends that you attend this show and decide for yourself whether she has internalized the lessons yet or not.
|
A.C. Reed
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Rooster Blues & BBQ, 811 W. Lake St.
|
AC Reed is an old-school honker sax player with an attitude, who is preferable to many of the same type players you might hear in hotel lounges, but a bit more flash than substance in comparison to some of the younger players on the circuit. Still, he's a veteran performer who won't disappoint you, and since this is booked as an open jam session, it's likely that some of the many people he's played with over the years will stop in to participate.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Rockin' Johnny
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division
|
|
These Blue Monday sets are important as much for who you might find sitting in as for their musical authenticity. While he's been derided for mixing idioms in his sets, this "kid" (by blues standards, anyway) has paid his dues playing behind pretty much every active West Side bluesman out there, including many little-or-no-pay gigs at tiny lounges, where he certainly picked up some changes and bawdy humor. His shows are still evolving at this point, but his respect for blues veterans and increasingly spare playing behind them indicate that he's learned a great deal from their experience, and like Devil in a Woodpile, he's a white peformer who's got the idiom and dynamics right, and bridges the gap for young rockers. Good place to start a journey into the blues, and should become a better and better one as time goes by.
Recommended CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000006AH9/bluesniversityA/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNB4/bluesniversityA/
|
Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage
|
Longtime Rosa's mainstay Taylor has a worldwide following now among those less-traditional blues fans, many of whom consider Stevie Ray Vaughan recordings to be the root of the tree. Despite his obvious appeal to young rockers (Hendrix and SRV as well as the Kinks slip into his sets), he manages to put new fire under old blues classics like Crosscut Saw, and in recent years has started to write promising material of his own. If you want to see a hyperfast guitarist whose approach to guitar approximates the wall-of-sound style of Eddie Van Halen, etc., this is the guy for you. Like the Kinsey Report, and Sugar Blue, he is one of a group of blues performers whose approach is based as much on creating a pastiche of sound as on replicating blues patterns. The result is often stunning, occasionally over the top, but clearly unique.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004S96D/
|
Wade Walton, b. October 10, 1923, Lombardy, MS
|
Wade Walton, whose barber shop nearly became a blues singers' town hall in Clarksdale, was born in Lombardy, Mississippi, on October 10, 1923. Despite an early partnership with Ike Turner to form the Kings of Rhythm in the early 50s, Walton settled in as a barber in Clarksdale (ground zero for Delta blues) in the late 50s and continued to entertain, often in his shop.
|
Sam Cockrell & the Groove blues jam
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 South Harlem Ave., Berwyn
|
Soul/blues man Cockrell falls into the Robert Cray category, a hybrid of Memphis Stax influences and more traditional urban blues. He's a bass player, so things get a bit funky when he's of a mind, and the band can get a lot of sound out of trio. It's a danceable set, and if you're a lucky female audience member you might get to dance on stage with Sam. Jammers should be ready to sit through a set before playing.
|
Johnny B. Moore & Mary Lane
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Blue Chicago, 536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Checkerboard Lounge, 423 E. 43rd St.
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Robert Cray Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Vic Theater, Sheffield & Belmont
|
Personally, mr. big finds Cray's trio unable to fill a larger venue enough to generate excitement, but his Memphis-like take on modern life is certainly a good example of "relevant" modern blues that isn't just good-time bar music. I would prefer to see him in someplace the size of Buddy Guy's Legends, but the 1000-seat or so Vic will have to serve for intimacy at this heightened stage of his career, I guess. Cray's vocal prowess is well-regarded and he generally tours with a horn section that packs a punch.
|
Eddie C. Campbell
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn, 708-484-3610
|
Longtime Chicago blues veteran guitarist whose career has included many stints as a sideman to some of the biggest names in blues. He is a strong performer on his own as well, and many will tell you he was the backbone of some of the best Chicago blues recordings of yore.
|
Charlie Musselwhite/Corey Harris/Steve Arvey
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St.
|
One of the great harp players of his generation, he still puts on an energetic show although he's getting up in years. Expect some bikers at this show for sure. For harmonica fans, if you've never seen him, it's a must-see, as he takes the Chicago styles and twists them a bit. Would be a great comparison to say, Billy Branch.
Expect a large crowd, best to get there early, and don't be surprised at seeing a diverse crowd which includes, for example a number of bikers as well as hippies.
The two opening acts, Corey Harris (9 p.m.) and Steve Arvey (acoustic set from 6:30 to 9) should make it not so painful to arrive early and stake out a good seat. Harris has toed the line between pop R&B and acoustic folk blues for a long while, and he's pleasant if not revelatory. Arvey's a talented and jovial guitarist who's been around a while, providing great sidework for a lot of local performers, and has also released a polished solo CD.
|
Eric Noden
Time:
11:00am
CST
Location:
Bone Daddy, 551 N. Ogden
|
Fierce acoustic guitar player who re-creates some formidable blues material with impressive skill. He has some original material as well, which neatly embodies the musical tenets of the classics while retaining relevant to today's audience. This is part of a Sunday brunch here, sort of a Devil's Music Church, so cross yourself and pass the barbecue sauce.
|
Live Gospel Brunch
Time:
2:00pm
CST
Location:
Koko Taylor's Celebrity, 1233 S. Wabash St.
|
Muddy Waters always said you can't sing blues unless you've been to church, and there is a significant amount of the blues tradition that is either based upon or a mirror image of the spiritual tradition. The Foundations of Soul is the choir usually present for this friendly Sunday event, which includes a full "Tennessee Style" buffet along with the food. It's very near the museum campus downtown, as well as the relocated Maxwell Market, so you could make a day of it and get a full cultural smorgasbord along with the gastronomic one. $15 includes the food and cover charge. Call 312-566-0555 for full details.
|
Harmonica Hinds Acoustic Jam
Time:
6:00pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
|
This weekly jam session turns the sound down, but not the energy level. Hinds is a good interpreter of the Chicago harp traditions, sort of what it would have been like to see Little Walter unplugged. There's also a wealth of acoustic blues talent in Chicago at this juncture, and one must assume that some of that pool will show up for this series to play with the amiable Hinds. Also the early start time won't make you miss work on Monday morning.
|
Johnny B. Moore with Shirley Johnson
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
A.C. Reed
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Rooster Blues & BBQ, 811 W. Lake St.
|
AC Reed is an old-school honker sax player with an attitude, who is preferable to many of the same type players you might hear in hotel lounges, but a bit more flash than substance in comparison to some of the younger players on the circuit. Still, he's a veteran performer who won't disappoint you, and since this is booked as an open jam session, it's likely that some of the many people he's played with over the years will stop in to participate.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Rockin' Johnny
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division
|
|
These Blue Monday sets are important as much for who you might find sitting in as for their musical authenticity. While he's been derided for mixing idioms in his sets, this "kid" (by blues standards, anyway) has paid his dues playing behind pretty much every active West Side bluesman out there, including many little-or-no-pay gigs at tiny lounges, where he certainly picked up some changes and bawdy humor. His shows are still evolving at this point, but his respect for blues veterans and increasingly spare playing behind them indicate that he's learned a great deal from their experience, and like Devil in a Woodpile, he's a white peformer who's got the idiom and dynamics right, and bridges the gap for young rockers. Good place to start a journey into the blues, and should become a better and better one as time goes by.
Recommended CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000006AH9/bluesniversityA/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNB4/bluesniversityA/
|
Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage
|
Longtime Rosa's mainstay Taylor has a worldwide following now among those less-traditional blues fans, many of whom consider Stevie Ray Vaughan recordings to be the root of the tree. Despite his obvious appeal to young rockers (Hendrix and SRV as well as the Kinks slip into his sets), he manages to put new fire under old blues classics like Crosscut Saw, and in recent years has started to write promising material of his own. If you want to see a hyperfast guitarist whose approach to guitar approximates the wall-of-sound style of Eddie Van Halen, etc., this is the guy for you. Like the Kinsey Report, and Sugar Blue, he is one of a group of blues performers whose approach is based as much on creating a pastiche of sound as on replicating blues patterns. The result is often stunning, occasionally over the top, but clearly unique.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004S96D/
|
Sam Cockrell & the Groove blues jam
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 South Harlem Ave., Berwyn
|
Soul/blues man Cockrell falls into the Robert Cray category, a hybrid of Memphis Stax influences and more traditional urban blues. He's a bass player, so things get a bit funky when he's of a mind, and the band can get a lot of sound out of trio. It's a danceable set, and if you're a lucky female audience member you might get to dance on stage with Sam. Jammers should be ready to sit through a set before playing.
|
Johnny B. Moore & Mary Lane
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Blue Chicago, 536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Checkerboard Lounge, 423 E. 43rd St.
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Delbert McClinton
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, 312-923-2000
|
Delbert's a strange breed, a blues/country/etcetera hybrid that still is considered to have integrity and style. For some his arrangements are a bit too slick, but if you are a fan of BB King's big sound, you probably will be pleased with McClinton. He's clearly well-versed in the American popular music catalog, and uses most of its rootsier elements to decent effect.
|
Eric Noden
Time:
11:00am
CST
Location:
Bone Daddy, 551 N. Ogden
|
Fierce acoustic guitar player who re-creates some formidable blues material with impressive skill. He has some original material as well, which neatly embodies the musical tenets of the classics while retaining relevant to today's audience. This is part of a Sunday brunch here, sort of a Devil's Music Church, so cross yourself and pass the barbecue sauce.
|
Live Gospel Brunch
Time:
2:00pm
CST
Location:
Koko Taylor's Celebrity, 1233 S. Wabash St.
|
Muddy Waters always said you can't sing blues unless you've been to church, and there is a significant amount of the blues tradition that is either based upon or a mirror image of the spiritual tradition. The Foundations of Soul is the choir usually present for this friendly Sunday event, which includes a full "Tennessee Style" buffet along with the food. It's very near the museum campus downtown, as well as the relocated Maxwell Market, so you could make a day of it and get a full cultural smorgasbord along with the gastronomic one. $15 includes the food and cover charge. Call 312-566-0555 for full details.
|
Harmonica Hinds Acoustic Jam
Time:
6:00pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
|
This weekly jam session turns the sound down, but not the energy level. Hinds is a good interpreter of the Chicago harp traditions, sort of what it would have been like to see Little Walter unplugged. There's also a wealth of acoustic blues talent in Chicago at this juncture, and one must assume that some of that pool will show up for this series to play with the amiable Hinds. Also the early start time won't make you miss work on Monday morning.
|
Johnny B. Moore with Shirley Johnson
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
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A.C. Reed
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Rooster Blues & BBQ, 811 W. Lake St.
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AC Reed is an old-school honker sax player with an attitude, who is preferable to many of the same type players you might hear in hotel lounges, but a bit more flash than substance in comparison to some of the younger players on the circuit. Still, he's a veteran performer who won't disappoint you, and since this is booked as an open jam session, it's likely that some of the many people he's played with over the years will stop in to participate.
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Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
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|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
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Rockin' Johnny
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division
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|
These Blue Monday sets are important as much for who you might find sitting in as for their musical authenticity. While he's been derided for mixing idioms in his sets, this "kid" (by blues standards, anyway) has paid his dues playing behind pretty much every active West Side bluesman out there, including many little-or-no-pay gigs at tiny lounges, where he certainly picked up some changes and bawdy humor. His shows are still evolving at this point, but his respect for blues veterans and increasingly spare playing behind them indicate that he's learned a great deal from their experience, and like Devil in a Woodpile, he's a white peformer who's got the idiom and dynamics right, and bridges the gap for young rockers. Good place to start a journey into the blues, and should become a better and better one as time goes by.
Recommended CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000006AH9/bluesniversityA/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNB4/bluesniversityA/
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Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage
|
Longtime Rosa's mainstay Taylor has a worldwide following now among those less-traditional blues fans, many of whom consider Stevie Ray Vaughan recordings to be the root of the tree. Despite his obvious appeal to young rockers (Hendrix and SRV as well as the Kinks slip into his sets), he manages to put new fire under old blues classics like Crosscut Saw, and in recent years has started to write promising material of his own. If you want to see a hyperfast guitarist whose approach to guitar approximates the wall-of-sound style of Eddie Van Halen, etc., this is the guy for you. Like the Kinsey Report, and Sugar Blue, he is one of a group of blues performers whose approach is based as much on creating a pastiche of sound as on replicating blues patterns. The result is often stunning, occasionally over the top, but clearly unique.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004S96D/
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Jimmy Dawkins, born Tchula, MS, 1936
Sonny Terry, b. 1911, Greensboro, GA
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Harmonica player Sonny Terry, whose lifelong partnership with Brownie McGhee produced many top recordings, was born in Greensboro, Georgia, October 24, 1911. He would popularize the regional style of blues found in the "Piedmont" (Carolinas and Virginia), an intricate and dramatic, though generally less well-known, form of folk blues.
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Sam Cockrell & the Groove blues jam
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 South Harlem Ave., Berwyn
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Soul/blues man Cockrell falls into the Robert Cray category, a hybrid of Memphis Stax influences and more traditional urban blues. He's a bass player, so things get a bit funky when he's of a mind, and the band can get a lot of sound out of trio. It's a danceable set, and if you're a lucky female audience member you might get to dance on stage with Sam. Jammers should be ready to sit through a set before playing.
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Johnny B. Moore & Mary Lane
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Blue Chicago, 536 N. Clark St.
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Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Checkerboard Lounge, 423 E. 43rd St.
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
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Henry Townsend b. 1909, Shelby, MS
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Henry Townsend, a guitarist and pianist who traveled and played with many of the most famous Delta singers, was born October 27, 1909, in Shelby, Mississippi.
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Eric Noden
Time:
11:00am
CST
Location:
Bone Daddy, 551 N. Ogden
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Fierce acoustic guitar player who re-creates some formidable blues material with impressive skill. He has some original material as well, which neatly embodies the musical tenets of the classics while retaining relevant to today's audience. This is part of a Sunday brunch here, sort of a Devil's Music Church, so cross yourself and pass the barbecue sauce.
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Live Gospel Brunch
Time:
2:00pm
CST
Location:
Koko Taylor's Celebrity, 1233 S. Wabash St.
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Muddy Waters always said you can't sing blues unless you've been to church, and there is a significant amount of the blues tradition that is either based upon or a mirror image of the spiritual tradition. The Foundations of Soul is the choir usually present for this friendly Sunday event, which includes a full "Tennessee Style" buffet along with the food. It's very near the museum campus downtown, as well as the relocated Maxwell Market, so you could make a day of it and get a full cultural smorgasbord along with the gastronomic one. $15 includes the food and cover charge. Call 312-566-0555 for full details.
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Harmonica Hinds Acoustic Jam
Time:
6:00pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
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This weekly jam session turns the sound down, but not the energy level. Hinds is a good interpreter of the Chicago harp traditions, sort of what it would have been like to see Little Walter unplugged. There's also a wealth of acoustic blues talent in Chicago at this juncture, and one must assume that some of that pool will show up for this series to play with the amiable Hinds. Also the early start time won't make you miss work on Monday morning.
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Johnny B. Moore with Shirley Johnson
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
536 N. Clark St.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
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Carl Weathersby
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash
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Although his funky, BBKing-with-a-dance-groove guitar always added spice to the Sons of Blues, Carl Weathersby on his own can sometimes be a bit too --intense. Nonetheless, he is a talented guitarist and a smooth singer with a load of charisma, and his Evidence recordings have exhibited those talents and become popular staples of blues radioplay. Look past the trappings of blues, though, and in the end you get an entertainer who is less interested in genre labels than in blending a variety of modern influences, similar to Larry McCray. Well worth a gander.
|
A.C. Reed
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Rooster Blues & BBQ, 811 W. Lake St.
|
AC Reed is an old-school honker sax player with an attitude, who is preferable to many of the same type players you might hear in hotel lounges, but a bit more flash than substance in comparison to some of the younger players on the circuit. Still, he's a veteran performer who won't disappoint you, and since this is booked as an open jam session, it's likely that some of the many people he's played with over the years will stop in to participate.
|
Vance Kelly & the Backstreet Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Lee's Unleaded Blues, 7401 S. South Chicago, 773-493-3477
|
|
Kelly is one of the most prolific performers on the Chicago circuit, and one of the few who has always played on the South, West, AND North sides at the same time. Whether that is an indication of his skill at appealing to different audiences, or simply his ambition and loyalty, it's still an admirable fact. If he weren't the terrific funkmeister of the blues that he is, though, it wouldn't matter. Kelly's performances at the Checkerboard every Thursday have been a packed house for years, but these gigs at Lee's should be a bit less crowded, due to the night of the week as well as its harder to find location. Kelly mixes straight ahead blues with R&B and danceable funk rhythms to produce a set that's as fun as Magic Slim, but much more unpredictable and worth seeing multiple times. If you don't catch him at Lee's, get him at Checkerboard, but get there early. Get there really early and you might be able to get in on the perpetual card game next to the front door.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JA2I/bluesuniversityA/
|
Rockin' Johnny
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division
|
|
These Blue Monday sets are important as much for who you might find sitting in as for their musical authenticity. While he's been derided for mixing idioms in his sets, this "kid" (by blues standards, anyway) has paid his dues playing behind pretty much every active West Side bluesman out there, including many little-or-no-pay gigs at tiny lounges, where he certainly picked up some changes and bawdy humor. His shows are still evolving at this point, but his respect for blues veterans and increasingly spare playing behind them indicate that he's learned a great deal from their experience, and like Devil in a Woodpile, he's a white peformer who's got the idiom and dynamics right, and bridges the gap for young rockers. Good place to start a journey into the blues, and should become a better and better one as time goes by.
Recommended CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000006AH9/bluesniversityA/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JNB4/bluesniversityA/
|
Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage
|
Longtime Rosa's mainstay Taylor has a worldwide following now among those less-traditional blues fans, many of whom consider Stevie Ray Vaughan recordings to be the root of the tree. Despite his obvious appeal to young rockers (Hendrix and SRV as well as the Kinks slip into his sets), he manages to put new fire under old blues classics like Crosscut Saw, and in recent years has started to write promising material of his own. If you want to see a hyperfast guitarist whose approach to guitar approximates the wall-of-sound style of Eddie Van Halen, etc., this is the guy for you. Like the Kinsey Report, and Sugar Blue, he is one of a group of blues performers whose approach is based as much on creating a pastiche of sound as on replicating blues patterns. The result is often stunning, occasionally over the top, but clearly unique.
Recommended CD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004S96D/
|
Ron Prince & Hard Time
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash
|
Released from the shadow of Donald Kinsey, Prince might show you a thing or two; he's a musician's musician, and if you know what that means, go see him. If he disperses his bag of tricks over the course of the whole show, rather than squeezing them all into one solo, the results should be pleasing.
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Ethel Waters, b. October 31, 1931, Chester, PA
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Ethel Waters, one of the greatest, most versatile, and influential singers of 20th century popular music, was born October 31, 1931, in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her career began as a child in vaudeville, and spanned the jazz/big band, blues, and R&B eras.
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