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Home » Winter Blues

Tag: Winter Blues

An illustration of blues guitarist Byther Smith embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Blues guitarist Byther Smith made the long haul count

by Steve Krakow April 5, 2022April 5, 2022

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 […]

An illustration of blues singer Lil Green embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Why did blues singer Lil Green end up forgotten?

by Steve Krakow March 23, 2022

It’s officially spring, which is always a relief in Chicago, but the threat of World War III, the stubborn persistence of the pandemic, and the new flood of horrifying Republican […]

An illustration of blues vocalist Little Al Thomas embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Little Al Thomas lent his big voice to Chicago blues for more than 50 years

by Steve Krakow March 9, 2022

Covering dozens of blues artists in the Secret History of Chicago Music has taught me that a few of the cliches about old-time bluesmen are rooted in reality. Many such […]

An illustration of blues bassist Bob Stroger embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Blues bassist Bob Stroger drops a new album 70 years into his career

by Steve Krakow February 23, 2022February 24, 2022

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 […]

An illustration of blues guitarist J.B. Ritchie embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Blues-rock guitarist J.B. Ritchie set off fireworks that too few people saw

by Steve Krakow February 8, 2022February 8, 2022

A few months ago, when I saw that blues guitarist J.B. Ritchie had passed away on November 23, 2021, I made a mental note to dig into his story. First […]

An illustration of blues guitarist Sammy Lawhorn embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Sammy Lawhorn might be the most widely recorded blues guitarist lost to time

by Steve Krakow January 26, 2022January 25, 2022

Folks often ask me how I’ve come up with subjects for the Secret History of Chicago Music month after month. I have lots of answers, all of them true, including […]

An illustration of blues guitarist and pianist Lazy Bill Lucas embedded in the title card for the Secret History of Chicago Music
Posted inMusic

Lazy Bill Lucas came into his own as a bandleader in his last decade

by Steve Krakow January 11, 2022January 11, 2022

Snowstorms, cold snaps, the most contagious wave of COVID-19 yet—it’s clearly time for the Secret History of Chicago Music to begin its yearly Winter Blues series. That’s where I cover […]

Posted inMusic

Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one

by Steve Krakow March 25, 2021August 18, 2021

Andrew “Big Voice” Odom toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.

Posted inMusic

Pianist Willie Mabon gave Chess Records its first big hit

by Steve Krakow March 11, 2021August 18, 2021

Despite a 1952 smash for Chess Records, pianist Willie Mabon was soon overshadowed by labelmates such as Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters.

Posted inMusic

Johnny Shines belongs in the pantheon alongside Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf

by Steve Krakow February 11, 2021August 18, 2021

Bluesman Johnny Shines spent the late 30s on the road with the great Robert Johnson, then lived long enough to win a W.C. Handy Award in the 90s.

Posted inMusic

The Aces helped invent the sound of electric Chicago blues

by Steve Krakow January 28, 2021August 18, 2021

The Aces are best known as a backing band, but they took the lead when it came to the future of the blues.

Posted inMusic

Kokomo Arnold helped shape giants of the blues

by Steve Krakow December 30, 2020August 18, 2021

Kokomo Arnold’s recording career lasted less than a decade, but he changed the world by influencing the likes of Robert Johnson and Elmore James.

Posted inMusic

Blues guitarist Lurrie Bell beat mental illness to build a thriving career

by Steve Krakow March 24, 2020August 18, 2021

By the early 90s Lurrie Bell didn’t even own a guitar anymore, but now he’s got a shelf full of Blues Music Awards.

Posted inMusic

Rollicking pianist Big Maceo Merriweather was a major architect of Chicago blues

by Steve Krakow March 10, 2020August 18, 2021

Big Maceo’s heyday as a recording artist lasted just five years, but his output includes some of the most widely covered songs in the history of the genre.

Posted inMusic

Bluesman Frank ‘Little Sonny’ Scott Jr. gave his all to Maxwell Street for half a century

by Steve Krakow February 25, 2020August 18, 2021

The Supreme Mayor of Maxwell Street left a scant recorded legacy, but he’s well remembered for his efforts to preserve the historic market and open-air blues hub.

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