So little in the world seems to be going right that I hardly feel the need to explain why the Secret History of Chicago Music is extending its annual Winter Blues series into April. Sticking to the calendar is less important to me than eulogizing an important bluesman who recently passed away. I hope this […]
Tag: Delmark Records
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Blues bassist Bob Stroger drops a new album 70 years into his career
In the more than 15 years I’ve been writing the Secret History of Chicago Music, I’ve often tried to give props to the past and present venues and labels that support the underappreciated musicians I cover. Local label Delmark Records is the epitome of such an institution. The infamous Bob Koester ran the label from […]
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P.S. Studios, where a musician recorded musicians
Paul Serrano, founder of P.S. Studios, was a south-sider at his core. Once a student of Captain Walter Dyett’s famed music program at DuSable High School, he forged a path as a young trumpeter in New York before settling back in Chicago and playing on sessions up and down the city’s storied Record Row. By […]
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Bob Koester leaves a colossal legacy in Chicago jazz and blues
For nearly 70 years, Bob Koester owned the Jazz Record Mart and Delmark Records—and though his businesses could be “crazy town,” they helped nurture thriving communities.
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The Aces helped invent the sound of electric Chicago blues
The Aces are best known as a backing band, but they took the lead when it came to the future of the blues.
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This collective trio gives jazz school a good name
When the word “academic” is applied to jazz, it’s not necessarily a compliment. But these three players, all of whom teach at universities, make music that could keep you at school till the sun comes up. The success of General Semantics, the debut album by Northern Illinois University’s Geof Bradfield (tenor and soprano saxophones, bass […]
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Blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson is much more than just Syl’s big brother
Blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson, still going strong at 91, released his newest album just four months ago.
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David Dann on his new biography of blues-rock guitarist Michael Bloomfield
From Glencoe to Monterey Pop to oblivion: Michael Bloomfield’s huge talent and unique style changed rock guitar forever, but while Clapton and Hendrix entered the canon, he faded away.
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The Reader’s guide to the 2018 Chicago Blues Festival
The fest expands its footprint in Millennium Park with a diverse lineup that includes boogie-woogie pianist Erwin Helfer, southern soul-blues star Ms. Jody, and the Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band with Shardé Thomas.
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The weekend’s best blues beyond the fest
Millennium Park hardly has a monopoly on the blues this weekend—outside the fest you can see Shemekia Copeland, John Primer, Selwyn Birchwood, and many more.
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The complete schedule of the 2018 Chicago Blues Festival
Every Blues Festival set on all five stages in Millennium Park, from Friday morning through Sunday night
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City Council approves Rahm’s plan for a new police oversight agency, and other Chicago news
Also, a new poll shows Tammy Duckworth leading Senator Mark Kirk by 14 percent.
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The blues don’t quit when Grant Park goes dark
Chicago’s blues clubs are in high gear for the festival weekend—and some neighborhood spots are getting in on the action.
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The Reader’s guide to the 2016 Chicago Blues Festival
This year’s Chicago Blues Festival bustles with a diversity of traditions and talents—including Irma Thomas, Lazy Lester, Wee Willie Walker, John Primer, and tributes to Otis Rush and Otis Clay.
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Remembering Jazz Record Mart from inside
The legendary Jazz Record Mart wasn’t a treasure just because of its massive inventory—it was also a hothouse of musical creativity.