FREE Concert: Denise La Grassa Returns to Phyllis' Musical Inn on 5/27

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Denise La Grassa 

Brings Her Soulful Blues to

Wicker Park’s Phyllis’ Musical Inn on

Friday, May 27, 8:30 p.m. 

Also Chronicling 2022 with “North of 40” Film

Critically acclaimed Chicagoland singer, songwriter and keyboardist Denise La Grassa will perform soulful blues originals and choice covers with bandmates John Kregor (guitar), Steve Manns (bass), and John Sergel (drums).

La Grassa is also documenting her 2022 dream of returning to Europe to perform with her new band and bluesy sound that will culminate with the film “North of 40.”

Videos for La Grassa’s latest songs, including the anthemic, soulful “Wide Eyes Wide High,” and the rocking blues “Amen to Happiness” are available at DeniseLaGrassa.com/epk. 

WHEN/           Friday, May 27, 2022, 8:30 p.m. 

WHERE/         Phyllis’ Musical Inn, 1800 W. Division, Chicago, IL, 60622

TICKETS:       FREE, 773-486-9862

Denise La Grassa’s blend of blues, soul, and R&B and sophisticated yet melodic songwriting has been compared favorably with The Tedeschi-Trucks Band. She cites inspiration from R.L Burnside, Aretha Franklin, The Allman Brothers, Mavis Staples, Otis Redding, and Charlie Parker. La Grassa first played Europe in the 1990s, making stops in Scotland and Germany to support her original one-woman musical “Bite.”  

La Grassa released her first live CD Rockin’ in the Castle Theater in September 2019 to join her 2016 bluesy coming out The Blues Ain’t A Color, and the critically acclaimed April Dreams. 

KUDOS:

Robert Rodi, Newcity, said, “She’s certainly got improvisatory chops; but she’s also sufficiently a woman of her time to pull in influences as diverse as funk and folk. And her compelling contralto owes more to Grace Slick than Sarah Vaughan.” 

Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times, said, “An impressive but never showy range, a self-assured conversational delivery that brings to mind a jazzier Aimee Mann.” 

Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, said, “Poet-Preacher-Polemicist … brilliantly unconventional …  singular triumph.”

John Ziegler, Duluth News-Tribune, said “A serendipitous pop flavor … sultry voice and pithy compositional abilities.” 

John Kregor received a B.A. in composition at the University of Texas, and is a prized member of Chicago's jazz community. He has played in groups led by Jim Gailloreto, Rob Clearfield, Matt Ulery, and currently plays with Patricia Barber every Monday at the Green Mill when Barber is not touring the U.S. and Europe. Kregor also played on Barber’s critically acclaimed 2013 Blue Note Records album Smash.    

INCOMING: Elvin Bishop At Chicago's City Winery Wednesday, April 6, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

BLUES LEGEND ELVIN BISHOP AND HIS BIG FUN TRIO TO PERFORM IN CHICAGO!

 “Deceptively loose but always tight…the raspy chuckle in Bishop’s singing and the sharp sting of his guitar are forceful and fresh, enduring and fun.”--Fresh Air, NPR

Rock & Roll and Blues Hall of Famer Elvin Bishop will bring his Big Fun Trio -- Bob Welsh on piano and guitar and Willy Jordan on cajón (a hand-played Peruvian drumbox) and vocals -- to City Winery in Chicago on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. The Big Fun Trio’s Grammy-nominated Alligator Records release, Something Smells Funky 'Round Here, is rootsy, spirited, humorous and soulful, performed by serious musicians hell-bent on having a good time. Bishop, a natural storyteller, is as slyly good-humored and instantly crowd-pleasing as he was when he was scoring Southern rock-styled hits during the 1970s or cutting award-winning blues albums over the last 30 years. His most recent award-winning Alligator Records release, 100 Years Of Blues , was recorded with Bishop’s friend, Grammy-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite. 100 Years Of Blues, was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Concert information is as follows: 

Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Venue: City Winery

Address: 1200 W. Randolph St.

City: Chicago, IL

Phone: 312-733-9463

Showtime: 8:00pm

Ticket price: $35-$58

Website: www.citywinery.com

*See website for complete performance information

Ever since Elvin Bishop first hit the scene with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band back in 1965, he’s blazed his own musical trail. Whether he was playing raw, eye-popping blues, or penning the evergreen radio hit Fooled Around And Fell In Love, or touring the world for decades delivering his original, good-time countrified blues, Bishop has always inspired his fans with his rowdy guitar playing and witty, slice-of-life songs. Rolling Stone calls Bishop “a legendary guitarist” whose playing is “impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player.”

Something Smells Funky 'Round Here was produced by Bishop and recording engineer Steve Savage and recorded at Bishop’s Hog Heaven Studio in Lagunitas, California. Bishop wrote or co-wrote five songs (including two by the entire trio). The album mixes rousing new originals, reinventions of three Bishop classics and some unexpected, soul-shaking covers. The potent title track -- a tongue-in-cheek State Of The Union address as only Elvin can deliver -- kicks the album off with Bishop aiming his lyrical truths at those in power. The humorous but piercingly direct lyrics take aim at the current political scene while Bishop’s deep blues guitar playing drives the point home. Jordan sings lead on four songs, including blistering reinventions of Jackie Wilson’s Higher And Higher and Ann Peebles’ I Can’t Stand The Rain . Welsh, whose guitar or piano playing highlight every song, pounds the ivories on his own Bob’s Boogie. “This album fell together easily,” says Bishop. “Everything I visualized about the songs – from Bob’s playing to Willy’s singing, came true. Bob and Willy are great musicians.”

Elvin Bishop formed The Big Fun Trio in late 2015 with his friends Bob Welsh and Willy Jordan. After playing just a handful of live dates, the group’s instantly crowd-pleasing music and undeniable chemistry took the blues world by storm. With the release of their self-titled CD in 2017, media and fan response was immediate and overwhelming. DownBeat celebrated Bishop’s “verbal hijinks, outstanding guitar work and country boy friendliness.” OffBeat said The Big Fun Trio was “intricate, funky and uplifting,” declaring them, “consistently great.” With its top-shelf musicianship and front-porch vibe, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination.

The Big Fun Trio quickly discovered the more they played live, the more fun they had making music together. So a follow-up recording was an easy decision. The new album, Something Smells Funky 'Round Here , finds the group fearlessly laying it all on the line. According to Elvin, “With a trio there’s no place to hide­—you’ve got to be pourin’ everything you got right out front. You need to be totally into it all the time. It’s really cool to see how people react to the goin’-for-it feel of the music.”

With Something Smells Funky 'Round Here, Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio are clearly having a very good time. Having spent almost three years performing, these three tremendously talented musicians continue to inspire each other to new heights. As Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio take their music back on the road, fans will once again have a chance to experience the big fun first hand. According to Living Blues , “Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio has wonderful chemistry and are a joy to hear.”

 

CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM BRINGS 662: JUKE JOINT LIVE TOUR TO CHICAGO'S VIC THEATRE Sunday, March 27, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Grammy Award Nomination:

Best Contemporary Blues Album: 662

“Exceptional album...astonishing creativity.”

662 #1 Blues Album Of 2021

—MOJO

“Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has already made his mark as one of the best, and undoubtedly most exciting, blues guitarists in the world.”

—Guitar World

“Ingram plays guitar with dramatic, searing tone and sure-handed authority. And that's just in the studio; he's even scarier live.”

—NPR Music

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram will celebrate the release of his Grammy-nominated Alligator Records album, 662, with a live performance at The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Ingram’s headlining tour, entitled Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Presents 662: Juke Joint Live, has already taken the 23-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter across the U.S. and Europe, with many more dates to come. In addition to the Grammy nomination (his second in two years), 662 was named the #1 Best Blues Album of 2021 by UK tastemaker magazine, MOJO. Rolling Stone declared, “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.”

Check out the video for Long Distance Woman

Concert information is as follows:

Date: Sunday, March 27, 2022

Venue: The Vic Theatre

Address: 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

City: Chicago, IL 

Phone: 773-472-0449

Showtime: 7:30pm

Ticket price: $38.50

Get your tickets HERE 

Upon its July 2021 release, 662 debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, and it's remained on the chart ever since. NPR's Morning Edition ran a 7-minute feature on release day. Buddy Guy called him “the next explosion of blues.” 662 was recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs (and one previously released bonus track) displaying many sides of Ingram’s personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills. 

According to Ingram, "662 is an ode to my roots, a nod to the area where I was born and raised. The title track, 662, encompasses how a small corner of the earth influenced my view of life and music. It also points to the growth I have had since my debut album. As much as I have been fortunate to get 'Outside Of This Town' (the title of his breakout single from his 2019 Grammy-nominated debut album, Kingfish), I do want people to know that the '662' will always be a major part of who I am."

Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the world, the young musician has already headlined two national tours (Fish Grease I & II) and performed with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell and Buddy Guy (with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits). He was interviewed by Sir Elton John on his Apple Music podcast Rocket Hour, and recently released songs with Bootsy Collins and Bobby Rush. In January 2021, Ingram was simultaneously on the covers of both Guitar World and DownBeat magazines, and graced the cover of Living Blues in late 2020. NPR Music says Ingram’s playing is “astounding…it’s almost like he's singing through the guitar.”

On 662, Ingram creates contemporary blues that speaks to his generation and beyond, delivering the full healing power of the music. No Depression calls Ingram, “a young bluesman with an ancient soul and a large presence in the here-and-now.” Living Blues says, “By any measure, Kingfish is one of the brightest new stars of his generation.”

Shows On Our Radar: Rick Stone the Blues Man at Black Ensemble Theater Through August 26th, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER CONTINUES 2018 SEASON WITH

RICK STONE THE BLUES MAN

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JACKIE TAYLOR

(from left) (obscured – Theo Huff) Rick Stone, Dwight Neal, Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Cynthia Carter and Rhonda Preston

Photo credit for all: Alan Davis

July 14 – August 26, 2018 

The summer's been flying by, and sadly I was already booked and had to miss the press opening last Sunday for Rick Stone the Blues Man. I adore the blues and I'm hoping to catch this soon. It's always a treat to see productions Jackie Taylor has written and directed. In the meantime, here are the details. This blues based original is only in town through August 26th, so don't miss this.

Black Ensemble Theater continues its 2018 Season (Movers and Shakers) with Rick Stone the Blues Man written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor. Rick Stone the Blues Man will be performed at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, July 14 – August 26, 2018. 

 (foreground) Theo Huff  (2nd line, from left) Dwight Neal, Cynthia Carter, Rick Stone, Rhonda Preston (musicians, from left) Adam Sherrod, Robert Reddrick, Mark Miller, Gary Baker

(from left) Theo Huff and Rick Stone

If you love the blues then you're going to love Rick Stone the Blues Man! Step on in to Ricky's Place, where the drinks are flowing, the dance floor is full and the band never stops. This is Ricky's Place and there is no other Blues Club like it on the planet! Join Ricky and his regulars Dwight Neal, Theo Huff, Rhonda Preston, Cynthia Carter, Kelvin Davis and Lamont 'Harmonic Man' Harris as they tear the house down singing the blues made famous by the greatest blues artists of all time like B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, KoKo Taylor, Johnnie Taylor, Etta James, Taj Mahal, Fleetwood Mac and Buddy Guy just to name a few. Of course Ricky and Dwight will perform their famous Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf song battle and there's always a surprise guest who will take the stage. This is a true blues lover's smorgasbord. Come on down to 4450 N. Clark Street at the Black Ensemble Theater and step into Ricky's Place, a blues lover's paradise!

 (from left) Adam Sherrod and Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris

 (from left) Adam Sherrod, Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Music Director - Robert Reddrick, Mark Miller, Gary Baker

(from left) – Theo Huff, Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Rhonda Preston, Rick Stone

The cast includes Rick Stone, Dwight Neal, Theo Huff, Rhonda Preston, Cynthia Carter, Kelvin Davis, and Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris.

The creative team includes Daryl Brooks (Production Manager), Jessica Moore (Stage Manager), Denise Karczewski (co-lighting design), Rachel West (co-lighting design), David Samba (sound), Kylah Frye (choreography), Jackie Taylor (costumes), and Evelyn Danner (wardrobe assistant).

As with all Black Ensemble Theater productions, Rick Stone the Blues Man features live musicians led by musical director/arranger Robert Reddrick (drums). Musicians include Mark Miller (base), Gary Baker (guitar) and Adam Sherrod (piano).

(from left) Rick Stone, Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Cynthia Carter, Rhonda Preston

Tickets are available at the Black Ensemble Box Office located at 4450 N. Clark St in Chicago, or online at www.blackensemble.org, or by phone at (773) 769-4451. Tickets are $45 for previews (July 14, 15, 20 and 21); $55 (Thursdays and Saturday matinees) and $65 (Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees). A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups.

  (from left) Theo huff, Rick Stone, Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Cynthia Carter, Rhonda Preston

  (from left) Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Rick Stone, Rhonda Preston, Dwight Neal, Cynthia Carter

The Black Ensemble Theater is also selling the Five Play Card which allows the holder to see all 5 plays of the 2018 Season or bring five friends to one play or any combination of 5. The Five Play Card is a great deal at $225 which represents a significant savings of $20.00 per full price ticket. For more details or to purchase a Five Play Card contact the box office at 773-769-4451. 

 (from left) Theo Huff, Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris, Rick Stone, Cynthia Carter, Rhonda Preston

(from left) Kelvin Davis, Cynthia Carter

Dates: 

July 14 – August 26, 2018

Previews: July 14, 15, 20 and 21, 2018

Press Performance: Sunday, July 22 at 3pm

Schedule:

Thursdays: 7:30 pm

Fridays: 8:00 pm

Saturdays: 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Sundays: 3:00 pm

Location: 

Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago

Valet parking is available.

 Cynthia Carter

Dwight Neal

Ticket prices: 
$45 Previews
$55 on Thursdays and Saturday matinees;
$65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees
A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups.
Box Office: Buy online at www.blackensemble.org or call (773) 769-4451



The Black Ensemble Theater
Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.

OPENING: Black Ensemble Theater Presents Rick Stone the Blues Man Written and Directed by Jackie Taylor

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER CONTINUES 2018 SEASON WITH

RICK STONE THE BLUES MAN

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JACKIE TAYLOR

 

July 14 – August 26, 2018 

Black Ensemble Theater has long been one of our favorite Chicago companies here at ChiIL Live Shows. Their original works and talented cast, creatives and musicians bring legends to life on stage. They foster an enthusiastically welcoming environment at each show, where everyone feels like family. 

Black Ensemble Theater continues its 2018 Season (Movers and Shakers) with Rick Stone the Blues Man written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor. Rick Stone the Blues Man will be performed at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, July 14 – August 26, 2018. 

If you love the blues then you're going to love Rick Stone the Blues Man! Step on in to Ricky's Place, where the drinks are flowing, the dance floor is full and the band never stops. This is Ricky's Place and there is no other Blues Club like it on the planet! Join Ricky and his regulars Dwight Neal, Theo Huff, Rhonda Preston, Cynthia Carter, Kelvin Davis and Lamont 'Harmonic Man' Harris as they tear the house down singing the blues made famous by the greatest blues artists of all time like B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, KoKo Taylor, Johnnie Taylor, Etta James, Taj Mahal, Fleetwood Mac and Buddy Guy just to name a few. Of course Ricky and Dwight will perform their famous Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf song battle and there's always a surprise guest who will take the stage. This is a true blues lover's smorgasbord. Come on down to 4450 N. Clark Street at the Black Ensemble Theater and step into Ricky's Place, a blues lover's paradise!

The cast includes Rick Stone, Dwight Neal, Theo Huff, Rhonda Preston, Cynthia Carter, Kelvin Davis, and Lamont ‘Harmonica Man’ Harris.

The creative team includes Daryl Brooks (Production Manager), Jessica Moore (Stage Manager), Denise Karczewski (co-lighting design), Rachel West (co-lighting design), David Samba (sound), Kylah Frye (choreography), Jackie Taylor (costumes), and Evelyn Danner (wardrobe assistant).

As with all Black Ensemble Theater productions, Rick Stone the Blues Man features live musicians led by musical director/arranger Robert Reddrick (drums). Musicians include Mark Miller (base), Gary Baker (guitar) and Adam Sherrod (piano).

Tickets are available at the Black Ensemble Box Office located at 4450 N. Clark St in Chicago, or online at www.blackensemble.org, or by phone at (773) 769-4451. Tickets are $45 for previews (July 14, 15, 20 and 21); $55 (Thursdays and Saturday matinees) and $65 (Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees). A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups.

The Black Ensemble Theater is also selling the Five Play Card which allows the holder to see all 5 plays of the 2018 Season or bring five friends to one play or any combination of 5. The Five Play Card is a great deal at $225 which represents a significant savings of $20.00 per full price ticket. For more details or to purchase a Five Play Card contact the box office at 773-769-4451. 


Dates: 
July 14 – August 26, 2018
Previews: July 14, 15, 20 and 21, 2018
Press Performance: Sunday, July 22 at 3pm

Schedule:
Thursdays: 7:30 pm
Fridays: 8:00 pm
Saturdays: 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sundays: 3:00 pm

Location: 
Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago
Valet parking is available.

Ticket prices: 
$45 Previews
$55 on Thursdays and Saturday matinees;
$65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees
A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups.
Box Office: Buy online at www.blackensemble.org or call (773) 769-4451

The Black Ensemble Theater
Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.

INCOMING: LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS TO PERFORM IN CHICAGO!

"Full of fire, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials hit the floor running and accelerate from there.

High-octane, expressive, fiercely articulated, harrowing intensity, raucous slide." --Living Blues

Alligator recording artists Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, touring in support of their latest Alligator CD, JUMP START, will perform in Chicago on November 8, November 9, November 29 and November 30, 2013. Mixing smoking slide guitar boogies and raw-boned Chicago shuffles with the deepest slow-burners, Lil' Ed Williams and his rip-roaring Blues Imperials -- bassist James "Pookie" Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton -- deliver gloriously riotous, rollicking and intensely emotional blues. Currently celebrating 25 history-making years together, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials ply their musical talents with skills that have been honed to a razor's edge. Recently, they were awarded the 2013 Living Blues Critics' and Readers' Awards for Best Live Performer. The band won that same distinction in the 2012 and 2011 Living Blues Critics' Poll. The group won the coveted 2009

Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year, the same honor they received in 2007. Concert information is as follows:

Date: Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, 2013

Venue: B.L.U.E.S.

Address: 2519 North Halsted Street

City: Chicago, IL

Phone: 773-528-1012

Showtime: 9:30pm

Ticket price: TBA

Website: www.chicagobluesbar.com

Date: Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30, 2013

Venue: Rosa's Lounge

Address: 3420 West Armitage Avenue

City: Chicago, IL

Phone: 773-342-0452

Showtimes: 9:30pm (Friday, November 29) / 10:00pm (Saturday, November 30)

Ticket price: $12 advance / $15 day of show

Website: www.rosaslounge.com

The band's wildly energetic and seriously soulful new CD JUMP START is jam-packed with Lil' Ed's incendiary slide playing and rough, passionate singing, as the ragged-but-right Blues Imperials cook like mad alongside him. Produced by Williams and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, it is a tour-de-force of untamed slide guitar, rock solid rhythms, heartrending ballads and authentic deep blues vocals. Williams wrote or co-wrote 13 of the album's 14 songs, which all overflow with the band's full throttle drive and serious sense of fun. JUMP START reveals a band firing on all cylinders and ready to spread the genuine houserockin' fever to their biggest audience yet. "It's all blues, really," says Lil' Ed. "Some of it will make you dance, some will ease your soul."

Lil' Ed boasts a direct bloodline to blues history -- his uncle and musical mentor was the great Chicago slide guitarist, songwriter and recording artist J.B. Hutto. Live, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials simply can't be beat as Ed breaks out the deepest back-bends, the highest toe-walks, and the most authentic electric slide-guitar blues being played today. Garrett's risk-taking rhythm guitar work and Littleton's conversational, old school drumming perfectly complement Lil' Ed's and Pookie's rambunctious playing.

Adding to the legend is Ed's storybook rise, taking him from working in a car wash to entertaining thousands of fans all over the world. He's made multiple appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and has brought his music to fans from Japan to Poland. According to The Chicago Tribune, "Williams represents one of the few remaining authentic links to pure Chicago blues."

Now, with JUMP START, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials will continue bringing their seriously inspired and wildly fun Chicago blues to "Ed Heads" new and old, wherever they may be. After almost a quarter century together, Lil' Ed, Pookie, Mike and Kelly have played thousands of gigs, logged tens of thousands of miles and have no plans to slow down anytime soon. According to Littleton, "The journey has been amazing. We melded right away and have kept growing." Garrett agrees, saying, "It's a perfect fit. And we keep getting better." Young adds, "We are way stronger now, and we're still having fun. My dreams have all come true."

"Long ago," recalls Lil' Ed, "Uncle J.B. told me, 'When you get the right guys in your band, you'll know.' When Mike and then Kelly joined up with me and Pookie, we just clicked. I knew. We are a family," says Lil' Ed, summing it all up. "And families stay together."

ACT OUT OPENING: Tickets On Sale for Goodman Season Opener Pullman Porter Blues 9/14

“SWEET HOME CHICAGO!” CASTING SET FOR THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF PULLMAN PORTER BLUES BY CHERYL L. WEST, DIRECTED BY CHUCK SMITH (SEP 14 – OCT 20) ***LARRY MARSHALL, CLEAVANT DERRICKS, E. FAYE BUTLER, FRANCIS GUINAN AND TOSIN MOROHUNFOLA AMONG THE BROADWAY LEGENDS, CHICAGO FAVORITES AND NEWCOMERS ABOARD BLUES-INFUSED JOURNEY*** Tickets are selling fast for Goodman Theatre Resident Director Chuck Smith’s Chicago premiere production of Cheryl L. West’s Pullman Porter Blues—a 2013 Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award nominee for Outstanding New Play/Musical. This blues-infused “glorious ride” (DCist) follows three generations of African American Pullman porters in the 1930s—an era that no longer enslaves them, but still exploits them—in an updated production especially for the city of Pullman’s origin.  Tony Award winner Cleavant Derricks (Broadway’s original James “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls) portrays Sylvester Sykes, a second-generation railway porter, union organizer and father. Tony Award nominee Larry Marshall (Sportin’ Life in Broadway’s Porgy and Bess) portrays Monroe Sykes, the family patriarch grateful for the opportunities given to him by the Pullman company. Newcomer Tosin Morohunfola portrays Cephas, the youngest Sykes son and med-school hopeful with an itch for adventure. Chicago stage favorite E. Faye Butler portrays Sister Juba “with infectious spirit and adroit comedic timing” (Variety), Francis Guinan (August: Osage County) portrays Tex, the conniving white train conductor, and Claire Kander makes her Goodman Theatre debut in the role of Lutie, a stowaway. The musicians aboard the train include Jmichael Davis (Keys) on piano, Anderson Edwards (Shorty) on bass, Chic Street Man (Professor Slick) on guitar and Senuwell Smith (Twist) on drums.  Pullman Porter Blues runs September 14 – October 20 in the Albert Theatre (opening night is Tuesday, September 24). Tickets ($25 - $86; subject to change) go on sale to the general public Friday, August 9 and are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Pullman, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Abbott Fund and Allstate are Corporate Sponsor Partners. ComEd is the Official Lighting Sponsor. “I remember being enamored with the smiling Pullman porters on my first train ride. Little did I know about the horrific working conditions they faced; and yet they persevered to become the first organized black labor union, a feat that cost many of them their jobs and their lives,” said playwright Cheryl L. West. “I have the incredible opportunity to bring this play to Chicago, my hometown, where so many Pullman porters lived. With the Sykes men as guides, audiences are invited to both explore the dark world behind the porters’ smiles and to recapture that initial fascination with a long train journey.” “In Chicago, the Blues and Pullman go hand-in-hand. Pullman Porters were the town criers of the African American community, spreading news all over the country. They were treated with respect by everyone in the black community,” said director Chuck Smith, who celebrates 20 years at the Goodman with this production. “Cheryl pairs a rich and sometimes tragic story with Blues music, which is arguably as legendary as the Pullman Porters themselves.” “The Blues help you say what you feel and feel what you can’t say.” It’s June of 1937, and the Panama Limited Pullman Train is speeding from Chicago to New Orleans on the night of the Joe Louis/James Braddock world heavyweight championship—a watershed moment. Three generations of African American train porters wrestle with ghosts of the past and dreams for the future as they eagerly await word of the Brown Bomber’s victory. Set to timeless Blues tunes performed by a live, on-stage band, and hot on the heels of runs at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage, Pullman Porter Blues is a spirited, music-infused ride audiences won’t soon forget.  The design team includes Robert Christen (lights), Riccardo Hernandez (sets), Josh Horvath and Ray Nardelli (sound), Mike Tutaj (projections) and Birgit Wise (costumes). Joseph Drummond is the production stage manager and Briana Fahey is the stage manager.

NEW RELEASE: Sermon For No One by Safe Haven #blues #bluegrass #folk #rock

Chicago’s Safe Haven (featuring members of The Hue and Falldown) just released Sermon For No One. 

Photo from Safe Haven's FB Page

We've been diggin' what we've heard from Safe Haven.   Their tunes put me 

in the mood for summer festivals and back yard BBQs.   They've melded traditional blues, rock, alt country and other styles into something completely compelling and new, yet comfortably familiar.  

These locals are certainly worth a listen!

Safe Haven is a four piece band that can cover multiple genres in a single show. From blues based electric guitars riffs to mandolins and pedal steel this is a band that’s forging their own sound. True original song writing with elements of Blues, Folk, Rock, and Bluegrass separating them from the typical sound of a Chicago based band.

Check out their main site here for more tunes off Sermon for No One, video clips and more.

MAGIC SLIM, BLUES ICON, DIES AT 75

Slim recording "Goin' To Mississippi" in the Blind Pig Chicago warehouse in April of 2002

Magic Slim was a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows.   He was an annual staple at the Chicago Blues Fest and will be missed.

Magic Slim, a revered and towering figure in the field of traditional Chicago blues, died February 21st in a Philadelphia hospital at the age of 75. Born Morris Holt in Torrance, Mississippi in 1937, the guitarist performer, bandleader, and recording artist went on to enjoy a career that launched him to national and international recognition and acclaim.

Slim was one of the foremost practitioners of the raw, gut-bucket, back alley blues associated with the postwar Chicago blues sound. He and his band, the Teardrops, were known as "the last real Chicago blues band" for their authentic, no-frills, straight-no-chaser performance of the music.

Slim's slash and burn guitar technique and booming vocals made for a commanding stage presence. His intense style was the blueprint that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rockers.  After catching one of Slim's electrifying live shows at a local nightclub Eddie Vetter invited Slim to open Pearl Jam's concert in Chicago.  Magic Slim also had an encyclopedic repertoire of hundreds of blues songs in his head, giving his live shows a charming impromptu quality.

Growing up in Grenada, Mississippi, Slim took an early interest in music, singing in the church choir, and fashioning a guitar for himself with baling wire from a broom, which he nailed to the wall. "Mama whooped me for that," recalled Slim. His first love was the piano, but having lost the little finger on his right hand in a cotton gin accident, he found it difficult to play properly. Undaunted, he simply switched to guitar, working in the cotton fields during the week and playing the blues at house parties on weekends.  In 2011 the state of Mississippi erected a Blues Trail Marker in Slim's honor in front of a building in Grenada where his mother operated a restaurant.

In 1955, like many musicians from the Deep South, Slim migrated to Chicago, where he was mentored by his friend Magic Sam, who gave the lanky Morris his lifelong stage moniker.  Initially discouraged by the highly competitive local music scene, Slim went back to Mississippi and spent the next five years woodshedding and perfecting his craft.  He confidently returned to Chicago and became a formidable player on the scene, eventually putting together the Teardrops, who would become one of the busiest and best-loved blues bands around, and one of the most sought-after headliners for festivals in Europe, Japan, and South America.  Slim and his group won the coveted Blues Music Award in 2003 as "Blues Band of the Year," one of six times Slim won a BMA, considered the highest honor in the blues.  Living Blues magazine called Slim and the Teardrops "a national treasure."

Slim's recording career began with a series of singles in 1966, and he recorded his first album for a French label in 1977.  With the release of Gravel Road in 1990, he began a twenty-two year association with Blind Pig Records, who issued ten albums and a live DVD over that span.  His last release, 2012's Bay Boy, proved that Slim could still deliver the goods. As No Depression said, "Magic Slim doesn't just play the blues, he body slams his audiences with a vicious guitar attack that pins them to the floor. His blues are the in-your-face variety."  AllMusicGuide added, "Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the '50s." 

Blind Pig Records owner Jerry Del Giudice said, "Magic Slim embodied the heart and soul of this label.  It was Magic Slim, and the guys like him, and their music, that inspired us to start the label in the first place."

Blues Revue once remarked, "Whoever the house band in blues heaven may be, even money says they're wearing out Magic Slim albums trying to get that Teardrops sound down cold." Now Slim can assume his rightful place as the leader of that band.
For a complete biography, please click HERE.