Jazz & Blues Lounge

There are really very few radio stations that JUST broadcast the blues these days.  This is true even in Chicago, where you would think things like blues and jazz would be on the air all the time.  It must be that there are just not the ad dollars in broadcasting 24-hour blues and jazz.  That’s why you usually find blues and jazz relegated to the non-commercial, listener-supported area of the FM band.
So, where can you tune into some great blues music in Chicago?  Well, you have to kind of plan things a bit.  You can’t just tune in anytime you …read more

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I have struggled with whether or not to write about myself in this particular blog.  This blog is supposed to be your one-stop shop for all things blues and jazz related, particularly in relation to the Chicago jazz and blues scene.  Should I actually be a part of it?  Maybe I should be nameless and faceless.
Then I got an e-mail forwarded to me from a guy I wrote about when I wrote about the schedule for the Chicago Jazz Festival.  He sent the message indicating his name had been spelled wrong to b5media instead of to me.  This is fine, …read more

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Finding the blues on Chicago radio can be a bit tricky.  I honestly do not know of any stations dedicated to JUST the blues.  Maybe because that would just be too much misery for 24 hours of solid broadcast.
There are some stations that have blues-related shows.  One of them is a guy who has been a radio legend in Chicago for over thirty years.  His name is Steve Dahl, his newsman is also a blues performer named Buzz Killman and every Monday they have “Blue Monday.”  What this means is the show kicks off with a great blues song, is …read more

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In the city of Chicago, your broadcasting options for good jazz is very limited.  The NPR station, WBEZ, that used to broadcast classic jazz during the overnight hours, has since closed up shop.
There is WNUA, which is a Smooth Jazz station.  However, I have never been as big a fan of Smooth Jazz as I have the classic jazz of people like Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie.
There is, however, WDCB, which is the listener-sponsored station on the campus of the College of DuPage.  They have become the leading jazz station in the city by default.  They also sponsor a lot …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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WBEZ, the public radio station in
Chicago, and one of  the last of the major broadcasting stations with jazz content, has bowed to the pressure of the internet and iPod and ceased its jazz broadcasting.  The station used to broadcast jazz in the evening and overnight hours during the week and into the weekend.  The station has now moved to a 24-hour news and public affairs format.
 
Many loyal listeners have been very disappointed with this decision by the public broadcasting outlet.  Some have expressed dismay and concern that they have been “abandoned.”
 
The list of classic jazz stations in the
Chicago …read more

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