Jazz & Blues Lounge » jazz_music

More Jazz and Blues this Weekend in Chicago

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:01:23 +0000

Ah, the weekend is finally here. Of course, I always kind of hated when people would say that to me on Friday morning. “Yay, it’s Friday!” they would say. “Yeah, but you still gotta get through Friday before it’s really the weekend,” I would reply. Yes, I was, and probably still am, a bit of a pr**k.

Now I enjoy my job, so Fridays are much cooler than they used to be. I am, as I mentioned yesterday, making a visit to relatives up in Milwaukee. I love checking out music scenes in other cities, so I will see if I can find anything about jazz and blues up there. Meanwhile, here are some more things about jazz and blues here in Chicago and once again, thanks to WDCB for the information:

JAZZ

March 28, 2008
The Tony Smith Show
Chambers, Niles

March 28, 2008
JIC’s JazzCity Series:
The Awakening Reunion
Sherman Park, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Geof Bradfield Quartet
Pete Miller’s – Evanston, Evanston

March 28, 2008
Alan Gresik’s Swing Shift Orchestra
Pete Miller’s – Schaumburg, Schaumburg

March 28, 2008
Bob Perna & Persistence
Pete Miller’s – Wheeling, Wheeling

March 28, 2008
Jose Valdes Quartet featuring Sonia
Green Dolphin Street, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Bruce Oscar/Nick Schneider Duo
Wildwood Steakhouse and Lounge, Geneva

March 28, 2008
Brazilian Jazz – Trio Mare
Swirl Wine Bar, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Happy Hour with Chris Foreman on Hammond B-3 Organ
Green Mill, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Green Mill Quartet Jam Session
Green Mill, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Judy Roberts with Greg Fishman
Drake Hotel – Coq d’Or, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Dee Alexander Quartet
Pops for Champagne, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Kimberly Gordon with Demos Petropoulos on piano
Katerina’s, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Galaxy String Quartet
Velvet Lounge (new location), Chicago

March 28, 2008
Carl ‘Sonny’ Leland with Joel Paterson
Green Mill, Chicago

March 28, 2008
George McRae Trio
Pops for Champagne, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Tim Green
Philander’s, Oak Park

March 28, 2008
The Joshua Redman Trio with special guest Branford Marsalis
Symphony Center, Chicago

March 29, 2008
Chris Greene Quartet
Philander’s, Oak Park

March 29, 2008
The Blend
Red Kiva, Chicago

BLUES

March 28, 2008
Chris Harper & The Sharade Band featuring Peaches Staten
Bill’s Blues Bar, Evanston

March 28, 2008
Guy King Trio
Andy’s, Chicago

March 28, 2008
Andrea Dawn & Jeremy Junkin
Community Christian Church, Naperville

March 28, 2008
Carlos Johnson Blues Band
Andy’s, Chicago

March 29, 2008
The Business
Green Dolphin Street, Chicago

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge

Some More Jeff Healey

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:13:22 +0000

I have to admit I am fairly new (and now a little late) to the music of Jeff Healey. Since I started writing this particular blog, I have been trying to expand some of my music listening. So, it is only since I started writing here that I came across the blind guitar player. As I mentioned, Jeff, sadly, passed away this past weekend.

I wanted to post a bit of his music for you to enjoy. As always, I turn to YouTube for video clips. As always, YouTube has not let me down and I found some great performances.

For example HERE is Jeff bringing the house down and performing live with his song “See the Light.” Look at that guy blow the roof off of the place.

HERE is Jeff doing an actual music video, complete with hair right out of the 80s and that silly 80s video style. This is another of his legendary original compositions, “Angel Eyes.”

One of the songs Jeff was known for playing and playing particularly well was “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” That’s a song where the guitar solo was originally done by Eric Clapton and is considered one of the greatest solos in rock history. Jeff manages to make the song his own and you can check that out HERE.

One of my favorite blues/rock and guitar-men is Stevie Ray Vaughan. Very little can bring a smile to my face than hearing Stevie break into one of his solos when one of his tunes comes on the radio. HERE is Jeff playing right along with the great Stevie Ray on his classic “Look at Little Sister.”

There are countless more clips on YouTube. I apologize if the clips above don’t fall strictly into the lines of Jazz and Blues, but when it comes to music, the great thing (at least for me) is how the genres can be so close to each other and cross over so well. Jazz and blues are related and they are close cousins to good ol’fashioned Rock and Roll. So, check it out by entering Jeff Healey in YouTube’s search feature.

A great talent has been lost, but the wonderful thing about music is that we still have the recordings to remembre these people.

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge

Tuning into Jazz in Chicago

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:35:08 +0000

I admit, again, that I am cheating a bit here. I have written before about the struggles jazz fans in the Chicago area have when it comes to listening to jazz music. Sure, there are always iPods and CDs and such, but there is something about being able to listen to an actual radio station. You can hear things you wouldn’t normally hear. You can discover new things. You can find out about the music and the musicians involved thanks to the DJs.

Here in Chicago, your options are limited. This may be the case in most cities. Commercial jazz radio just isn’t a viable genre. Most cities, if they are big enough, have jazz radio stations buried at far ends of the FM or AM band, or they have Smooth Jazz radio stations. I am not much of a fan of Smooth Jazz. Finding goog classic jazz is tough.

In Chicago, for a time, the local NPR radio station, WBEZ, played classic jazz during the evening and overnight hours. It was cool stuff to listen to, but it wasn’t attracting an audience. A couple of years ago WBEZ made the decision to stop the all night jazz and the jazz fans in Chicago had a fit. However, there were not enough jazz fans to make them change their minds.

So, where can you go? Well, thankfully, there are several options, and the other good news is that they are all available online, so those of you in Chicago can listen to them as well.

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge

A Little Change of Scenery

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:48:51 +0000

Hello there faithful readers. I hope you have a great weekend. If you are visiting Chicago this weekend, I hope you have snow-shoes. Chicago got hit with at least a foot of snow last night and into today. Despite this, I did manage to get a flight out of Chicago and to St. Louis to hang with friends and watch the Super Bowl.

So, I will be here for a few days. I did that last year too and posted a few jazz and blues things going on here in the Gateway City. People seemed to enjoy that. One thing is for sure is that St. Louis has a huge heritage in jazz and blues.

I also got a message from a person named Scooter about his album which just came out. I am going to post the information he sent me, via e-mail, about his new album. Check it out. He is sending me a copy and I will give it a listen and tell you what I think. Check out the links below as well for more information.

www.scootermusic.com

myspace.com/sadsalamander

http://cdbaby.com/cd/sadsalamanders

http://www.amazon.com/Cigarettes-Fishnets-Sad-Salamanders/dp/B00127TTHA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1200514149&sr=8-2

We’ve shaken and stirred it, now it’s time for you to lap it up. Retro ‘50s/’60s jazz – modernized a touch so the kids will dig it but vintage enough to make the rest of you dinosaurs dream of better days. The sonic equivalent of a classic Playboy cartoon. Work up a good thirst cuz this baby is gonna satisfy. Like a drunk divorcee perched on the last barstool at Musso & Frank’s. World class solos and vamps by some of the greatest players in the solar system. Or LA.

If you love Les Baxter, Martin Denny, Mel Henke (yeah, go look him up – freakin’ awesome), Henry Mancini, Jackie Gleason, Art Van Damme, or Esquivel, this CD is like they grooved right out of the grave and cut one more track. Hell, this thing has even got a track dedicated to the permanently exotic Sandy Warner, the model for 16 Martin Denny lp covers.

What you got here is an audio homage (try saying that after 4 martinis) to the vintage Playboy cartoons of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Influenced by those cultural revolutionary artists Jack Cole, John Dempsey, Doug Sneyd, Will Elder, Erich Sokol, Harvey Kurtzman, Phil Interlandi, Dan DeCarlo, Bill Ward and Eldon Dedini, these jazzy beats scream of tiki torches, negligees, farmer’s daughters, bachelor pad parties, and a time when stewardesses were hot.

And like a free round of Zombies at Don The Beachcomber’s, we added artwork by Playboy artist Dean Yeagle. Yeah, pick your olives up off the floor, Dean drew us our very own pinup – front and back, baby. Scantily clad and buxom, she’s a huge fan of the Salamanders way of doing things. Smart, hard working and eager to please, she’s the perfect adornment to our cover. Not only that, but she took it upon herself to go ahead and get our logo tattooed on her, well, you just go ahead and look for it. We didn’t even beg her to do it. We begged for lots of other things but not that. She’s such a fan she just went out and did it. We’re urging all females to follow suit. Head on over to your friendly neighborhood ink shop and drop your drawers in solidarity. Check out Dean Yeagle’s work at www.cagedbeagle.com.

Sad Salamanders is made up of some mighty fine players. You’ve got your drums and percussion handled by Rick Latham and MB Gordy. We’re talking groovemeisters who’ve worked with The Doobie Brothers, Edgar Winter, Juice Newton, Chuck Rainey, Pat Travers, Rick Derringer, Bill Withers, & Frank Zappa. Anything brass is impeccably blown by Nick Lane and Steve Crum who’ve hung with Maynard Ferguson, The Who, Chicago, Brian Setzer, The Eels, Tom Jones, & Diana Ross. All flutes, ethnic flutes, wind fx and saxophones are ably fingered by Don Markese, who has graciously played with Neil Diamond, Ray Charles and more damn movie soundtracks than you’d think humanly possible. Accordion licks, runs and squeezing are executed flawlessly by the legendary Frank Marocco who is the most sought after player in the world. His credits are longer than Hugh Hefner’s conquests. Suffice to say Les Baxter, Dave Grusin and Henry Mancini. All guitars, electric & acoustic, ukuleles and whatever the hell else we threw on here, were plucked nimbly by Nick Brown, who has plucked some of the best in town. And finally, those awesome stabs, glisses, runs, vamps and general brilliant keyboard frills are poked and prodded by Ed Martel and Scooter Pietsch. Although anything stunning you hear is definitely Ed. He’s got really big hands and can handle a lot. A freakin’ keyboard genius.

So spark up your Benson & Hedges, make yourselves a toddy, sit back and soak in the moody jazz soundwaves known as Sad Salamanders, vibrating from the stereophonic. Cigarettes and Fishnets. Made for each other.

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge