Jazz & Blues Lounge

The cool thing about writing this blog for the folks at b5media is that you are never really and truly alone.  There are a lot of great writers writing about a lot of cool things, and this is particularly true of the music channel.  There are some writers so dedicated to writing about their field of music that they post two, three or four times a day.  This is something I am just not capable of doing.
It’s been a great experience writing for them and the music channel has grown by leaps and bounds.  I am looking forward to a …read more

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Chicago is an interesting town.  It is a city that seems to be slowly expanding and expanding.  I guess that is not particularly new.  Most places call that “urban sprawl.”  Considering the number of independent cities that have officialy become suburbs and, therefore, part of the “Chicago Metro Area” I call it “significant improvement.”  Then again, I am biased.  I grew up within the city limits.
What this means is that there is great music even out in the ‘burbs.  When you visit Chicago, you are probably very tempted to stay downtown and just walk everywhere.  This is a pretty good …read more

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Happy Tuesday everyone!  It is new release and reissue day in the world of music, of course.  Once again, I wonder why Tuesday was picked.  Why not make it Monday or perhaps a Friday?  Was it just to make Tuesday feel better about itself? 
Once again this list was compiled with thanks to “AllAboutJazz.com.”  AllAboutJazz.com has a great website and lots and lots of great reviews and such.  More reviews than I could possibly write there so if you want to find reviews for many of these CDs below you can probably find them there.  Here is the list for the …read more

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I am still trying to keep an eye out for various festivals and things in and around the Chicago area.  Thankfully, there are a lot of those, especially when you consider the suburbs as well.  Of course, many of them are still a long ways off, but it never hurts to plan ahead.  Thanks to WDCB for the information below about the JazzCit Latin Jazz Festival.
JIC’s JazzCity Series: Latin Jazz Festival 
General Event Information 
Price:  free 
 
Dates and Times:  Friday, July 11; 7 p.m. 
Artist/Group:  Carlos Garcia’s Cuatrissimo, vocalist Nythia Rivera, and Jose Papo Santiago’s Infraverde 
Description 
Produced in cooperation with the Chicago Park District, and sponsored by …read more

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Well, Mother Nature has pulled a nice prank on everyone around here.  Last nigh a bunch of really nasty and severe thunderstorms came through and by this morning, the general air temperature had fallen into the 30s.  It went from Spring into Winter within a matter of twelve hours.  You just have to love Springtime in the Midwest, don’t you?
So, as I always say, what better time to go see a show?  It’s nice and warm in the clubs.  Lots of bodies get pressed together.  It’s dark and the music is awesome.  So, thanks go out to WDCB for the …read more

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The weekend has finally arrived.  It is going to be a relatively nice weekend in the ol’ Windy City.  While I have always said that going to a jazz or blues club is best when the weather is crap, it’s also great when the weather is nice.  You can walk to many of the clubs downtown and if you have to wait outside for the place to open it’s no so bad.  Granted, they are also calling for some rain on Friday night, but why quibble.
Thanks and credit always has to go to radio station WDCB for the information that …read more

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Another elderly member of the jazz world has shuffled off this mortal coil and this one had a definite local Chicago tie-in.  For a full detail, check out the “Post No Bills” blog by the Chicago Reader.  John Young was 86-years-old and he passed away last week.
According to Peter Margasak, who writes the “Post No Bills” blog, “Although he released only six albums under his own name during a career that spanned as many decades, he was a crucial presence on the city’s bop scene. (Sadly, only his excellent 1959 album, Serenata, on Delmark, is currently in print.) He was …read more

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I have had requests in the past to expand the sphere of coverage I do for this blog.  That can be a tough thing.  I am just one man, and Chicago is a big city and there is a lot of jazz and blues music going on here.  Trying to include such bastions of jazz and blues such as New York and Kansas City and New Orleans can be tough.  I don’t get free airline tickets or flown to concerts and events around the country by record labels and concert promoters (if you happen to be one, however, feel free …read more

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Well, it is time for new releases and reissues as every week.  I still don’t know why Tuesday is the day for new releases and reissues, but there it is.  So, time to check out your favorite musical download site or make a trip to your music store or logon and get your favorite CDs via the mail or whatever it is you do.  Thanks to AllAboutJazz.com for providing me and this blog with the information listed below.
Also, it is the end of the month and that seems to have caused the music companies to release a HUGE amount of …read more

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Well, it is now time for the various jazz festivals and other music festivals to start popping up around the Chicago area.  The great thing about Chicago is that there are jazz festival everywhere.  Not everyone wants to get downtown or even knows how to get downtown.  Paying to park down there is a lot of money and can be a huge pain the butt.  Thanks to WDCB I now know about at least one festival for your folks in the far-western suburbs.
JAZZ FEST OF GLEN ELLYN
When:  Saturday, July 12; 3 to 9 p.m.
How much:  This one is free, folks…gotta …read more

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