Jazz & Blues Lounge

I have to admit I totally stole this idea from another b5music blogger.  At the same time, when it comes to days like this one, days when I am a bit down or discouraged, nothing is better than roaming the music sites on MySpace.  When I come across one I like, I love talking about it.  I figure, it does a couple of things.  First, it makes writing this blog an easy thing.  Second, it shows you some new music.
I love horn players.  This is especially true when it comes to jazz musicians.  Yes, sure, Thelonius Monk was a genius …read more

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There are times when keeping up with the jazz and blues scene around here is exhausting.  This is especially true when you have a car that is on the fritz and you spent an entire day standing around waiting for a tow truck.  Then there’s the worrying about getting a rental car and, well, it’s just been a very long day.
This is my excuse for not having the most-prepared entry for today.  Thankfully, Chicago has so many cool places to go, you can just pick one and that can suffice.  Today, I went the easy route and picked Buddy Guy’s …read more

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There is a never-ending list of jazz musicians in this city.  That’s part of what makes Chicago such a great place to live.  There are musicians of all varieties and flavors here and the city has become more and more of a center of the musical world in recent years. Witness the Lollapalooza that has made this town its home for at least four more years and the huge success it was this past weekend.
At Columbia College, which is right in downtown Chicago, you have one of the largest and most-talented collection of jazz musicians in residence there.  This groups …read more

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We do live in amazing times.  These days, really, with the internet and things like MySpace and Facebook and blogs, there is no celebrity who is too out of reach.  These days, you can almost literally reach out and touch your favorite star whether that star is a musician, movie star or television star.
For example, on MySpace, I subscribe to a few different blogs and have become “friends” with some people who are celebrities.  Of course, I am not delusional enough to believe that they actually know who I am, but it is an interesting way to learn intimate things …read more

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I tell ya, I am a relative newcomer to the whole MySpace thing.  I hear what a great way it is to market yourself, but I have yet to see a jump in my book sales or get a single freelance writing job offer.  I guess it must work better for musicians.
Since I spent last week checking out MySpace sites for vaious Chicago Blues musicians, I thought I would check out this week and see if I could find some interesting Chicago Jazz musicians using MySpace to get the word out.
Well, it worked.  Please meet the Chicago jazz group known …read more

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