Jazz & Blues Lounge

It’s a holiday weekend here in the States. It reminds me of the question, “Do they have the 4th of July in Great Britain?” Well, of course the answer is yes, it’s the 4th of July everywhere. They don’t celebrate Independence Day, however. Get it? Har-dee-har-har.
Thankfully the weather here looks great. It would be a great weekend to gorge yourself on some great food on a stick at the Taste of Chicago and check out some of the great music they have there. It woul dalso be a great weekend to check out …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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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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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, this post is a bit of a cop-out.  I am running really late today, plus, I am flying off to St. Louis tomorrow for a Super Bowl weekend dealie.  Of course, Chicago is forecast to be hit with like the biggest snow storm ever in the history of the world or something, so I could end up spending Friday at O’Hare airport.  If you see me, say hello, I’ll be the guy tearing his hair and beard out and who looks like he might like jazz music.
Also, the WDCB calendar of events did not have Friday …read more

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And I have been worn out from the work this week.  That’s the problem with starting a new job!  It’s tough to get back into the swing of things when it comes to getting up early in the morning, working, having a set lunch time and everything.
It looks to be an unseasonably warm weekend here in Chi-Town.  The Cubs are playing their playoff game against the Diamondbacks on Saturday and maybe Sunday and there is the Chicago Marathon on top of it all.  I say, visit one of the places below and listen to some great jazz.
Andy’s Jazz Club

11 East …read more

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Labor Day weekend may have been the last big holiday for the summer, but that doesn’t meant there aren’t still events a-plenty here in Chicago for those of you who love jazz and music.  In fact, this weekend looks just as busy, if not more so, than the previous weekend. 
One of the premier clubs for jazz, the Hideout, is having its “Block Party” all weekend long.  It starts tonight, Friday, September 7.  It features the band known as Bloc Pary, the 1900s, the Changes, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and the Cinematics.  On Saturday, September 8, the lineup is much longer …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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