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Chicago Blues Events: Blues University Events Calendar
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Samuel Maghett (Magic Sam), died 1969
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Sam Maghett, later nicknamed Magic Sam, died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Chicago, IL. He had become one of he most popular singers and guitarists of the modern Chicago blues, specializing in rollicking West Side boogie and achingly phrased love ballads, and recorded one of the modern classic records, "West Side Blues". Many felt he was poised for a breakthrough to become an international star when he died.
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Chicago Historical Society "Fashion, Flappers, & All That Jazz"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue
|
This exhibit, which runs for 10 months, focuses on Jazz music as a social institution, including both fashion and music as an "expression of newfound freedoms". Blues U. Members get discounts at the Historical Society, and this exhibit may be included. Call 312-649-4600 for details.
|
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.
|
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/
|
Rice "Sonny Boy Williamson" Miller, b. 1899, Glendora, MS
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Alex "Rice" Miller, who had taken the name of popular John Lee Williamson despite a healthy career of his own, including hosting the original King Biscuit Time radio show, was born December 5, 1899, in Glendora, Mississippi. He would start his career as an itinerant playing on streetcorners, later traveling with Howlin' Wolf, Robert Lockwood, Robert Johnson, and many others. He would ultimately become celebrated in 1950s Chicago, and "adopted" by the British blues bands, including tours with the Yardbirds. His most famous and popular tunes, including "Dont' Start Me to Talkin'", "Eyesight to the Blind", and "One Way Out", continue to be covered by blues and rock bands today.
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"Leadbelly" Huddie Ledbetter died 1949
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One of the most beloved folksingers ever, Huddie Ledbetter, known as "Leadbelly" to fans, died in New York City, December 6, 1949. His plaintive delicate melodies and often ironic lyrics had made him a favorite with intellectual folkies, who were introduced to him through researcher John Lomax, as well as "true" folk audiences at picnics, hoedowns and dances throughout the rural South.
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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/
|
Chicago Historical Society "Fashion, Flappers, & All That Jazz"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue
|
This exhibit, which runs for 10 months, focuses on Jazz music as a social institution, including both fashion and music as an "expression of newfound freedoms". Blues U. Members get discounts at the Historical Society, and this exhibit may be included. Call 312-649-4600 for details.
|
Amos "Junior" Wells, b. 1934, Memphis, TN
|
Junior Wells, the highly influential harmonica player who began his career as a teenager, was born in Memphis, TN, December 9, 1934. In an astoundingly resilient career, he would gain popularity with the Three Aces begining in the late 40s, and later played with Muddy Waters, who swapped harmonica players with the Aces, "trading" Wells for Little Walter. Wells' career skyrocketed through the 50s, after which he worked with guitarist Buddy Guy until the late 60s. His best known song, "Messin' with the Kid", is now a bar band classic.
|
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.
|
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/
|
Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, b. 1926, Montgomery, AL
|
Big Mama Thornton, whose booming delivery created some classic hits, including "Hound Dog", which was later covered by Elvis Presley, was born December 11, 1926, in Montgomery, Alabama.
|
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/
|
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/
|
Dinah Washington, died December 14, 1963, Detroit, MI
|
Dinah Washington, one of the most popular blues singers in history, including stints with Lionel Hampton's orchestra, died of an overdose of sleeping pills on December 14, 1963. Despite a tempestuous career which included 7 marriages, her singing would influence two generations of singers.
|
Chicago Historical Society "Fashion, Flappers, & All That Jazz"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue
|
This exhibit, which runs for 10 months, focuses on Jazz music as a social institution, including both fashion and music as an "expression of newfound freedoms". Blues U. Members get discounts at the Historical Society, and this exhibit may be included. Call 312-649-4600 for details.
|
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.
|
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/
|
Theodore "Hound Dog" Taylor, d. 1975
|
"Hound Dog" Taylor, whose garrulous rough-hewn blues inspired Bruce Iglauer to form Alligator Records just to record him, died in Chicago, Illinois, December 17, 1975.. His first Alligator recording, released the previous year, would continue to be the best selling record on the label for two decades after its release.
|
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/
|
Lonnie Brooks born 1933, Dubuisson, LA
|
Lonnie Brooks, a guitarist with roots in Louisiana zydeco who would become one of the biggest stars of the Chicago blues revival, was born December 18, 1933 in Dubuisson, LA.
|
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/
|
Ellington's "Nutcracker"
Location:
Orchestra Hall
|
This is a bit off the blues path, but should be interesting to blues fans. Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony will perform both a Tchaikovsky and a Duke Ellington arrangement of the Nutcracker suite. Although sometimes CSO misses awkwardly when trying to be hip or something near it, this somehow seems to have the right feel about it, as Ellington always aspired to and often achieved the intricacy and depth of classical composers.
|
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/
|
Billy Branch & the Sons of Blues
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage, Chicago
|
Billy Branch is one of the pre-eminent harp players in the world, ranking well with the other superstars of his generation, with a slightly more traditional style than, say, Sugar Blue, but an absolutely astonishing catalog of classic harp tunes, with special emphasis paid to Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson II. The SOB's are an accomplished band which are a treat in themselves, and if Branch never hit the stage, there would be an element missing, but you certainly wouldn't feel cheated. They're great in intimate settings and in between sets, Billy will kick your ass at pool if you ask him to play.
Recommended CD:
http://maxwellstreetmusic.vstoremusic.com/link.html?pid=934807
with James Cotton, Junior Wells
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000009ZQ/bluesniversityA/
Live
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000014PG/bluesniversityA/
|
Lurrie Bell (the best blues guitarist in the world)
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage, Chicago
|
|
Mr. BiG won't apologize for calling Lurrie Bell the best guitarist out there today. Lurrie Bell, on a good night, creates the most soaring and symmetrical, yet tortuously complicated, solos that you'll ever want to hear. His feel for the blues in practically genetic; his dad, Carey Bell, is still one of the pre-eminent harp players around, and his brothers are now veterans of varying degree on the circuit. Bell's innate feel for the music isn't all the story, though; he has a fascination with sound, and loves creating counterbalanced rhythmic patterns throughout songs, from hokey but entertaining "talking" guitar licks, to low moans and stretched-out squeals that punctuate and embellish his musicianship rather than detracting from it. He's a stone bluesman, and has one of the finest baritone blues voices you'll ever hear to boot. It's a real treat to see him in a small venue and soak in the emotional intensity he can pour into a song; the fact that this is a record release party likely means that the new material will be polished but not stale yet, so buy the record through the Blues U. Store, go to this show, and get him to autograph it for you. You'll have a memento of a real bluesman's show.
|
Chicago Historical Society "Fashion, Flappers, & All That Jazz"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue
|
This exhibit, which runs for 10 months, focuses on Jazz music as a social institution, including both fashion and music as an "expression of newfound freedoms". Blues U. Members get discounts at the Historical Society, and this exhibit may be included. Call 312-649-4600 for details.
|
Ellington's "Nutcracker"
Location:
Orchestra Hall
|
This is a bit off the blues path, but should be interesting to blues fans. Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony will perform both a Tchaikovsky and a Duke Ellington arrangement of the Nutcracker suite. Although sometimes CSO misses awkwardly when trying to be hip or something near it, this somehow seems to have the right feel about it, as Ellington always aspired to and often achieved the intricacy and depth of classical composers.
|
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.
|
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/
|
Richard Penniman (Little Richard), born Macon, GA, 1935
|
"Little Richard" Penniman, whose flamboyant style and rambunctious vocalizations ("wop-bop-a-loo-op-a-bop-bam-boom!") epitomized the rebelliousness and overt sexuality of rhythm and blues, was born in Macon, Georgia, December 25, 1935. He would go on to become one of the early stars of rock 'n roll, appearing in and singing the title soundtrack song of the film "The Girl Can't Help It" in 1956. He later retired to become a minister in 1977, then came out of retirement to re-launch a performing career in the 1980s.
|
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/
|
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/
|
Freddie King, died, Dallas Texas, 1976
|
Freddie King. one of the "three Kings" of blues lore,died in Dallas, Texas, December 28, 1976. He had moved from Texas to Chicago as a teenager in the early 1950s, and later became one of the primal forces in the "West Side Blues" style, recording a song which has become a club standard, "Hideaway".
|
Chicago Historical Society "Fashion, Flappers, & All That Jazz"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue
|
This exhibit, which runs for 10 months, focuses on Jazz music as a social institution, including both fashion and music as an "expression of newfound freedoms". Blues U. Members get discounts at the Historical Society, and this exhibit may be included. Call 312-649-4600 for details.
|
Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley), born McComb, MS, 1928
|
Bo Diddley, whose hypnotic rhytmic underpinnings became one of the key elements of rock 'n roll, was born in McComb, Mississippi, December 30, 1928. His signature rhythm became so closely associated with him that it is now characteristically referred to as the "Bo Diddley beat", most famously borrowed by Buddy Holly in the rock 'n roll classic "Not Fade Away".
|
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.
|
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/
|
Blues Women Weekend w/Grana' & Shirley
Location:
536/736 N. Clark St.
|
This is a treat. Blue Chicago is known for its cadre of women singers, and this weekend showcases them all in two days. If you like blues women, this is the smorgasbord you should be bellying up to. In general, if you don't get enough between the two locations of Blue Chicago during the festival, you should buy stock in the club. This year features hosts Pat Scott and Zora Young at the 736 location, and Grana' Louise and Shirley Johnson at the 536 location.
Blue Chicago, 536 N. Clark , 312-661-0100
Blue Chicago, 736 N. Clark, 312-642-6261
|
Bumblebee Bob and the Stingers
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn
|
Bob's a great painter and a pretty fair harmonica player with a beatnik personality and a band that does the West Coast swing with Chicago harp thing. It's a good time and will help you get over that post-blues-fest letdown.
|
Jimmy Lee Robinson
|
Jimmy Lee Robinson
the poet of Maxwell Street appearing in an imitation backdrop resembling the steet. if the surreality of this doesn't overwhelm you, the appeal of chowing down on topnotch bbq while jimmy lee rumbles through the westside blues might make you yearn for the days when sunday morning breakfast consisted of a porkchop sandwich and some gravelly blues.
at Famous Dave's 739 N. Clark
|
Roy Hytower
|
Roy Hytower played Muddy Waters in a stage play, but his strength is not in reviving Waters' songbook, but in capturing the soulful content of many forms of blues content, ranging from Delta-based material to modern R&B. Hytower's skills emphasize the interaction with audience that characterizes all of these forms, providing a good time that is more than "good time music".
|
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
|
Willie Smith, one of the last working performers of the Muddy Waters entourage, provides a living connection to the Classic Chicago blues of the 50's, and shows younger wannabes how to do it right.
|
Blues Festival 2000 Picks:JRM Blues Brunch
Time:
10:30am - 12:30pm
CST
Location:
444 N. Wabash, Jazz Record Mart
|
A great sampling of the specturm of talent residing in Chicago today. Delmark, the label which spawned the Jazz Record Mart, sends its roster of artists to perform as the Delmark All-Stars from 10:30 to 12:30 at the JRM.
That includes a variety of guitar styles, including the towering guitar solos of Lurrie Bell, the Mississippi twang of Johnny B. Moore, and the exquisitely gentle phrasing of Dave Specter. Of course, there's more, including West side stalwarts "Little Arthur" Duncan on harmonica and Tail Dragger, as well as the showmanship of R&B vocalist Tad Robinson...
This should be a fun showcase, and a must-do for anyone doing the festival this year.
|
Lecture: "Delta Studies Center"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Center for Southern Culture, University of Mississippi
|
Lecture at Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Brown Bag Lunch and Lecture Series. Peggy Wright, Director of the Delta Studies Center at Arkansas State University.
|
Lecture: "Heritage Tourism"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
Center for Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi
|
Lecture as part of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture's Brown Bag Lunch & Lecture series. John Matthews, Director, Delta Cultural Center, Helena, Arkansas will speak on "Heritage Tourism".
|
Lecture: "Preaching the Blues"
Time:
12:00pm
CST
Location:
University of Mississippi, Center for Southern Culture
|
Lecture as part of the Center for Southern Culture's Brown Bag Lunch and Lecture Series. "Preaching the Blues: the Gospel According to Muddy Waters" will be delivered by Edward Komara, Blues Archivist, University of Mississippi.
|
Mystery Train (a film by Jim Jarmusch)
Time:
6:00pm
CST
Location:
Gene Siskel Film Center, Columbus Drive at Jackson Blvd
|
Although it's not exactly a blues film, it takes its title from a Junior Parker song made famous by Elvis, and is a fascinating narrative that tells three stories that converge in a seedy hotel in Memphis, and all three stories have an Elvis angle. It's an interesting snapshot of Americana, and especially one of the stories, with a Japanese rock' n roll pilgrim and his girlfriend, will strike some familiar chords with blues fans, similar and tangential to those of the pivotal character in the jazz film "Round Midnight". Well worth seeing, but be aware that they're showing Reservoir Dogs right before it, so expect some edgy urban angst coming out of the theater when you arrive.
For more info: http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org
|
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.
|
Pete Special (duet)
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Ave. Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn
|
This has been an interesting and ambitious series: solo and duet performances by artists who are better known for explosive guitar theatrics. If you can put a tiger in a cage and still call him a tiger, you've got something, and Special would be no exception. This promises to be interesting if not a revelation, Special is a long-time veteran of the Chicago circuit and knows his chops.
|
Phil Baron Trio
Time:
8:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Ave. Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn
|
Phil Baron is an innovative and exciting performer with performing talent and a rich knowledge of piano tradition. He fronts many musical projects, in part due to his varied skills, and it would seem that a trio format would allow him enough breathing room to show off. Well worth seeing, either in the trio format or in one of the other projects.
|
Brews Brothers Revue
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Payton's Roundhouse, Aurora, IL
|
Blues Brothers tribute review.
|
James Wheeler Blues Band
Time:
9:00pm
CST
Location:
Blue Chicago, 736 N. Clark St.
|
A solid performer with original material and a tight set of sidemen to help him. James Wheeler loves to tell a story, and his songs range in content from bawdy to poignant, with enough party material thrown in to keep things upbeat and fun.
|
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/
|
Big Jack Johnson
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash
|
One of the quirkiest, most exciting guitarists to come out of the blues circuit in a long time, Jack Johnson has a grinding guitar sound and wacky sense of humor that would be hokey in the hands of anyone who didn't possess his depth and skill in telling a story. Like the Holmes Brothers, Jack synthesizes influences from unlikely sources and gives jaded blues listeners a new perspective. If his energy level is high, he can have the effect on blues that punk bands had on rock, shredding it into entertaining shards that are composed of the raw elements that made it matter in the first place.
Recommended CDs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000004BU8/bluesniversityA/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000004BVA/bluesniversityA/
|
Byther Smith
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S, Wabash
|
Chris Duarte
Time:
9:30pm
CST
|
Yup, ya like that geetar? Ya wanna see some blues? Well, I gotta show fer ya. This Duarte guy ROCKS!!! I mean, he plays the BLUES!!! I mean -- well, ya know what I mean. There'll be a lotta guys with Hendrix shirts in the room, and probably that dude you met at the Pistol Pete show. Slam a few pints, bring yer lighter for the encores, and get ready to crowd in with yer buddies.
|
Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash
|
Veteran saxman Eddie Shaw likes to tie himself to the Howlin' Wolf legend, but his show owes less to Wolf's legacy than to the West side R&B tradition which followed the Wolf era. Often his son Vaan plays with him, which offers an interesting tension between rock-based guitar playing and old-fashioned blues sax honking. The result often is chaotic, but on good nights it provides a stark insight into the path that Delta blues took on its way to rock.
|
Honeyboy Edwards / Devil in a Woodpile
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash
|
Honeyboy Edwards never does a song the same way twice, in the long-forgotten improvisational tradition of itinerant country bluesmen. See him and try to imagine him on the road with Robert Johnson or playing at a juke joint, with people partying all night and -- yes -- dancing to the jagged rhythms. Devil in a Woodpile is a throwback but not necessarily a pure-bred one, sort of the bastard son of a roadside tryst between hillbilly guitar rag and songster blues. It's a top-notch busker act, the kind that people love big cities for, and is generating an interest in blues and traditional musical forms that Blues U. envies, growing the next-generation audience.
Recommended CD:
Honeyboy Edwards:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000004BUL/bluesniversityA/
|
_KokoTaylor's New Year's Party
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Koko Taylor's Celebrity, 1233 S. Wabash St.
|
This should be a good entertainment value, with veteran singer Artie "Blues Boy" White, and a revue format show including Joanne Graham, Delores Scott and Joe Barr. There's a package price including appetizers, champagne, and a "couples" price as well.
White is a favorite on the South Side, as well as on the national circuit, but hasn't seen much action on the North Side, so this is a great opportunity to see a performer that's outside the downtown mainstream. According to the club, Koko will be making a stage appearance, though, and since she rarely performs at her own club, this is a rare opportunity to see one of Chicago's best known blues stars as well as a good-quality revue while ringing out the millenium in an intimate atmosphere.
|
Mississippi Heat
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
|
Solid band mining the depths of Classic Chicago blues, i.e., the guitar-and-harmonica attack mostly used today in hipster commercials, and not the frat-boy-party sway of "Sweet Home Chicago" which most people think IS the Classic Chicago Blues. A solid band which has a good understanding of the fundamental elements, and which faithfully reproduces the traditional amplified Delta-to-Chicago blues approach.
|
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.
|
Shirley Johnson Blues Revue
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Koko Taylor's Celebrity, 1233 S. Wabash St.
|
While Ms. Johnson's talents are expounded upon elsewhere, in her pairings with JB Moore. It's no stretch to say that she is a headliner in her own right. Gospelish vocals and dedication to the lounge ideals of call-and-response, and an uncliched repertoire make her a good bet, especially at Koko's, which has a nice loungey feel even though it's downtown.
|
Willie Kent & the Gents w/Bonnie Lee
Time:
9:30pm
CST
Location:
Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn
|
Willie Kent is an imposing figure, a broad-backed mighty bass player whose band rumbles like a Mack truck below the West Side boogie that is his specialty. Bonnie Lee's roaring vocal style complements the band well and their West Side lounge experience ensures that the audience gets to participate a bit as well.
Recommended CDs:
Live
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005IAO4/bluesniversityA/
|
Jimmy Dawkins
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage
|
Mad Dog Lester Davenport
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage, Chicago
|
Semi-retired harpist Lester Davenport has long been one of the unsung heroes of Chicago blues. A talented sideman on several instruments, he is best known for the purity of tone in his harmonica playing, which is often compared to that of the late Big Walter Horton. A genial performer, he is a veteran who goes back to the storied "golden age" of Chicago blues in the 50's, and has stuck around long enough to see its revival in full bloom. Although he has appeared on countless recordings by other performers, enhancing the feel and granting immediate depth to them, he has one well-received release of his own on Earwig. A great chance to experience a veteran who is still in fine form.
|
Magic Slim & Phil Guy
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
|
|
Magic Slim is either the protector or destroyer of the Chicago blues club circuit, depending on your point of view and your feelings about the somewhat complacent set of "standards" that Slim has popularized so much that they have become the stereotype of the Chicago blues bar experience.
If you like "Mustang Sally", "Sweet Home Chicago", and the like, Slim's your man, and he's a veteran performer who knows how to get you up to boogie.
However, if you're looking for a more introspective experience, on most nights you might be better off trying someone else. Phil Guy, the brother of this club's famous proprietor, doesn't have his brother's natural skills, but he does have a pedigree that, while not at odds with the crowd-pleasing demeanor of Magic Slim, is a little less predictable and more Old School. Phil knows how to work an audience that's sitting at lounge tables, smoking at the bar, making time, and can draw them out into a performance through sheer will, pleading with them like a spurned lover until they have to pay attention. Slim seems to be happy to preside over a good-time atmosphere without challengin anyone's attention span. This should be an interesting night, especially if Guy wakes up the competitor in Magic Slim and breaks him out of his set pieces.
Recommended CD:
Magic Slim http://maxwellstreetmusic.vstoremusic.com/link.html?pid=385924
Phil Guy: http://maxwellstreetmusic.vstoremusic.com/link.html?pid=1117602
|
Pinetop Perkins w/Johnny B. Moore
Time:
10:00pm
CST
Location:
Rosa's Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage, Chicago
|
You can check any of the Sunday listings for the scoop on Moore; he's a supple guitarist with a tough look and a sweet sound, not altogether out of place with former King Biscuit Time performer Perkins, whose solid Mississippi Delta pedigree has not diminished in over 60 years of playing. Perkins is astoundingly energetic for a performer of his age, and maintains a mischievous sense of humor that shines through in all his shows. Though they are a generation apart, Moore and Perkins share the same Mississippi rhythmic sensibilities and should be a fine fit together. Be forewarned, though: Pine's not shy about last-minute cancellations, so be sure to call before you head over to make sure he's shown up: 773-342-0452.
|
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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Carey Bell
Time:
10:30pm
CST
Location:
Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash St., Chicago
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One of the best recordings in modern blues is Alligator's second-ever release. It featured the master blues harpist Big Walter Horton on one channel, and a rising star, Carey Bell, on the other, in a series of duets that are poignant, fragile, and beautiful. Bell has gone on to become one of the local veterans who is least seen on the local circuit, to our detriment and perhaps that of many aspiring young harp players. If you're lucky, his son Lurrie (Blues U.'s favorite guitarist) will be on hand as well. Owing to Bell's scarcity of late, this is likely to be an event, but luckily, there's an early acoustic show of note, and a decent opening band, so why not just make a night of it, including dinner at Buddy's?
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Red Hot Blues Cruise
Time:
10:30pm
CST
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2-hr cruise on Lake Michigan featuring a live interactive blues musical in which the audience is part of the show, "I Was There When the Blues Was Red Hot", light food, and nighttime view of the Chicago skyline from Lake Michigan. Departs from Navy Pier.
tickets and info : http://www.bluesu.com
email; tours@bluesu.com
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