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.”
