Jazz & Blues Lounge

Mobile post sent by BryanAlaspa using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

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Mobile post sent by BryanAlaspa using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

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Mobile post sent by BryanAlaspa using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

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Mobile post sent by BryanAlaspa using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

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Mobile post sent by BryanAlaspa using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

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Well, I am running into some minor problems with the software that would have, hopefully, allowed me to sort of broadcast live from the Chicago Blues Festival. Apparently the people at WordPress, who allow me to blog, haven’t caught up with the new technology that would allow me to, essentially, turn voicemails into text that you could read here as I am standing in downtown Chicago at the Chicago Blues Festival.
Needless to say, I find this very disappointing. I was hoping to update the blog throughout the day and now I will just have to try …read more

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The weather has, for the most part, finally started to get warm around here. Of course, I am writing this the evening after we had a night of 39 degree weather. But still, compared to the below zero temps we had most of the winter, 39 degrees is a heatwave. On Monday, we were in the 80s and I heard people actually complaining about how hot it was. Come on people, either you want it cold or you want it hot, let’s not be total wimps here.
That means it is festival season and I have mentioned, …read more

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Yesterday I mentioned that there are tours people give when the Chicago Jazz Festival is going on.  Apparently these tours take you from one bar to another to watch the jazz performers who are in town to play.  It is a way to catch them at intimate places like The Velvet Lounge instead of amongst thousands of fans at the Petrillo bandshell.
I have yet to find an ad that is some kind of official Chicago Jazz Festival tour site.  What I did find, however, was “Big Chicago Records” which is a local record label that producers samplers of music.  Yearly, …read more

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As a follow up to my last post, I thought I would take a moment to show you some more information about Chicago Blues legend, Koko Taylor.  She’s been around for a while but still going strong.  Not only did she open the Chicago Blues Festival, but she just released a new album, Old School, on the also-legendary Chicago Blues label, Alligator Records.
Koko is a blues vocalist in the most-classic style.  She can blow you away or make you cry.  She is also a heckuva lot of fun as evidenced by her many appearances on local Chicago radio programs.
If you …read more

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Although it happened back in May, just before the Chicago Blues Festival, it is worth noting that the woman many Chicago blues fans consider the “Queen of Chicago Blues”, Koko Taylor, received an honor from the city.  In fact, the city of Chicago gave her a Chicago Treasure Award.
The award was presented at the end of May by the City of Chicago Department of Aging.  It was presented at an event called “Serendipity: Celebrating Chicago Seniors Onstage” which was held a the Chicago Theatre.
Taylor released on of her most-acclaimed albums just this year with her release of “Old School.”  Many …read more

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