Elton Chueng, 33, began his career as a professional recording engineer with an internship at Classick Studios in 2011. He’s since worked with some of the brightest stars to emerge from Chicago’s hip-hop scene in the past decade, including Saba, Noname, Smino, and Chance the Rapper. In November his contributions to Yebba’s 2021 debut, Dawn, […]
Tag: Grammy
A tragic plane crash denied horn-rock juggernaut Chase their legacy
Bill Chase’s virtuosic nine-piece band, powered by four trumpets, belongs on the same pedestal as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Did John Prine die for Donald Trump’s sins?
The cruelty, ignorance, and incompetence of the federal pandemic response have cost the life of beloved singer-songwriter John Prine, who stood against all those things.
Indie children’s musician Justin Roberts reflects on his newfound fatherhood on Wild Life
Since 1997, Evanston indie rocker Justin Roberts has built a deep discography of children’s music that treats listeners of all ages with respect. He first got an inkling that he wanted to make originals for kids while teaching at Step by Step Montessori in Minneapolis in the early 90s, and he’s since become an unusual […]
Muddy Waters drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith never escaped the sideman shadow
Even when Willie “Big Eyes” Smith won a Grammy at the end of his life, he shared it with pianist Pinetop Perkins.
Otis Rush and his searing guitar immortalized the west-side Chicago blues sound
Rush is hardly obscure, but the Secret History of Chicago Music couldn’t let the death of such a powerful and influential artist pass in silence.
Eight hands make light work for Third Coast Percussion
Third Coast Percussion are already one of the best ensembles of their kind in the country—and their upcoming projects with Philip Glass and Devonté Hynes could make them the biggest.
William Bell makes a triumphant return to Stax after more than 40 years
Willam Bell’s 2016 album This Is Where I Live has attracted new generations of fans to his classic southern soul.
Chance the Rapper’s Grammy nominations are a win for his community
You don’t have to care about the Grammys to care about Chance’s nominations—you only need to care about the young people of color he mentors and inspires.
Reader’s Agenda Sun 6/1: Thalia Hall Haul, Bird Lady, and Gipsy Kings
What’s on the Reader‘s Agenda for Sunday, June 1
Reader’s Agenda Mon 5/26: Irish Fest, “Yes, You’re in Heaven,” and Victor Wooten
What’s on the Reader‘s Agenda for Monday, May 26