Jazz & Blues Lounge

St. Louis is a pretty cool town. I went to school in St. Louis and that is where I developed my love and appreciation for jazz. They have a great radio station down there, WSIE, that is student run and out of Southern Illinois University that plays jazz. It’s pretty cool. I lived there for three years after college as well and it is definitely one of the major hubs for jazz and blues fans. If you are planning some kind of cross-country jazz and/or blues pilgrimmage, you need to book at least a night …read more

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Just a reminder that another great free jazz festival is fast-approaching. I first started writing about the Glen Ellyn Jazz Festival months ago. I cannot believe that it is now close enough to July 12 that I can start writing about it as being right around the corner.
The festival is in beautiful downtown Glen Ellyn which is in the far western suburbs of Chicago. It is sponsored by the radio station WDCB which you hear me ranting and raving about at least at once a week. It is July 12 and it is totally, …read more

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Well, as you know, we lost one of the biggest names and influences on modern music this week. He is known as a bluesman, but he really influenced rock and roll right along with some of the earliest rock and roll musicians. I felt like I hadn’t really done the man justice with my little blurb-like blog entry on the day he passed away. What better way to appreciate Bo, however, than watching and listening to the man. So, thanks to YouTube for the following:
Here’s Bo in the 60s, complete with 60s clothing and freaky background …read more

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Thanks to WDCB, thanks to WDCB, thanks to WDCB. I felt so bad for yesterday’s post when I almost forgot to credit the greatest radio station in the world, I have been writing that last sentence over and over again on a chalkboard I found. OK, that may be a slight exaggeration, but I would hate to tick off the station I rely on so heavily to keep everyone, including myself, informed about jazz and blues shows every weekend.
There is also another jazz festival that is sponsored by the station and I have mentioned it before. However, I …read more

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Tonight I am just in a mellow mood. It’s been a rough couple of nights for your humble writer of the Jazz and Blues Lounge. For some reason, I have not slept well in a couple of nights. So, as I write this one, I am barely conscious. When I get that way, man, I love to find something me relatiely mellow and just, cool, to listen to. You can’t do much bette for that than Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers.
I have written about Art before on this blog. He was a hugely …read more

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Please understand that I understand that there are more blues musicans out there besides Buddy Guy. Just like I do understand that there are other jazz musicians out there besides Miles Davis. I just get into these moods. Right now, I am in the Buddy Guy mode when it comes to my blues music. Since my friend gave me the album “Sweet Tea” I have been listening to him on a nearly daily basis.
So, I decided to look online, and at YouTube, and see if I could find another performance or tune or something. …read more

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The weekend is here and that means driving around a lot and listening to music in the car while running errands.  I love how attractive weekends look and I always think I am going to spend time relaxing and enjoying it.  Then, suddenly, I am running to the grocery store and doing laundry and other things.  Before I know it the weeked is over, I am still worn out from the week and I spent more time in my car than I did actually relaxing.
This is why I love my jazz collection.  Nothing helps keep me sane more than my …read more

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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 …read more

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It was my original intent to hunt down some video somewhere of the Sad Salamanders performing live.  Apparently such an animal does not, as yet, exist.  Guys, you need to get on that.  Start posting to YouTube or something, wouldja?  I spent the whole weekend grooving to your awesome CD “Cigarettes and Fishnets” and wanted to spread a little more cheer around the the public, and couldn’t.
So, I found THIS instead.  What is it?  Why nothing more than Miles Davis and the great John Coltrane performing “So What.”  I love that tune and the look of Miles Davis in his …read more

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Time to take a quick look around the Chicago area and the suburbs again.  I am making an effort to do this more regulary for those who are planning trips to Chicago or who manage to make their living here.  As usual, I turn to my favorite place for jazz and jazz events, the radio station from the College of DuPage, WDCB. 
You can visit that site and check out their calendar of events.  As usual, I will also once again rave about their musical selections as well.  In Chicago, it is THE place to listen to jazz.  There used to …read more

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