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A monthly digest of blues news
 
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NOV 5 – DEC 2 2021
FORWARD TO A FRIEND FORWARD TO A FRIEND
THINKING OUT LOUD
BLUES IS HIS BUSINESS. Music at The Water Hole is back! OK, they have been open for a while now but without live music. Not anymore. Tony has put together a good list of shows for November. Here's one of them:  Low-reen & The Maxwell St. Market Blues Band will be back jamming on WED, NOV 10. For now, it looks like it will be a monthly, not weekly event.  Check the online calendar for other dates.
PHOTO: Low-reen and DC Conley, © chicagoBLUESnews/Karen Murphy

CROSS YOUR FINGERS AND TOES. Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot has appointed Erin Harkey acting commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), replacing Mark Kelly, 70, who retired after five years as DCASE Commissioner. We can only hope that Harkey will have the same tireless commitment to the city’s arts and culture as Kelly had and will continue to expand on his great work. Harkey previously served as first deputy commissioner of DCASE.

RAISING SOME FUNDS. Chicago Blues Revival is hosting an online fundraiser, Giving for the Blues, on Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 7–8pm.  There will be special performances by Toronzo Cannon, Melody Angel and Jimmy Burns. The funds raised will support Chicago Blues Revival's wonderful neighborhood blues programs–and there is no cover, no drink minimum (except, of course, what you choose to make for yourself at home) and you never have to leave your couch for this one. Please give what you can.
chicagobluesrevival.org

WOW. A MUSIC MUSEUM. IN ILLINOIS. How in the world did that happen? Kudos to the people behind the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum, which is thisclose to opening in Joliet (9 W. Cass St.). While it won't be exactly the museum I wanted in Chicago, the plans are to honor all Illinois music...which does include our musical heroes (like Muddy and Buddy)  and is a really good thing. If only Joliet was in the South Loop. So...they have a building, a website and a day-long fundraiser scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7 at the Brauer House in Lombard. Music begins at quietly (aka acoustically) at 12:40pm, begins to get loud around 245pm and ends whenever they want or the city ordinances dictate.
roadtorock.org

GET TO KNOW B.B. Daniel de Visé has written a highly praised, comprehensive biography of B.B. King, called King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King. According to the promo materials,  de Visé interviewed almost every surviving member of King's inner circle for this 496-page in-depth look at King's fascinating life.

PRESERVING HISTORY. There is a GoFundMe campaign to save The Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale, MS. It is probably the most historic hotel in blues history and before it was a hotel, it was the GT Thomas Hospital for African Americans, where Bessie Smith, the Empress of the Blues, died in 1937 as a result of injuries sustained in a horrible car crash. Give what you can.
LEARN MORE

ANOTHER COVID CASUALTY? Apparently, the Windy City Blues Society is close to gasping its last breath––unless they get some new members. In their heyday, the group had around 1400 members. Now they are down to 54 according to their website. If you want to help stop the ship from sinking, you know what to do: BECOME A MEMBER.
NOTE: They are having a fundraiser featuring Kevin Purcell and the Nightburners (of course) on NOV. 20 for members and new members who join at the door ($20).
CHECK THE ONLINE CALENDAR 
REST IN PEACE
3.17.48–10.28.21
William O. Luckett, Jr.
Bill Luckett was so many things, including one of the co-owners of Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, a former Clarksdale mayor and a top-rated attorney. In lieu of a funeral, a celebration of life was held at Ground Zero on Nov. 2. After reading all the tributes, I am certain it will be a long time before there will be another guy like Bill Luckett in Clarksdale.
READ HIS IMPRESSIVE OBIT
SIDE NOTE: A second location for Ground Zero will be opening in Biloxi, MS, with  current predicted soft opening events in December and a full opening in January 2022.

OTHER RECENT MUSICAL PASSINGS
SEPT 20 | Sarah Dash, 76
A co-founder of the 1970s rock group Labelle, most famous for Lady Marmalade

OCT 9 | Shawn McLemore, 54
American gospel singer; after a long battle with diabetes

OCT 11 | Paddy Moloney, 83
Irish musician who was a founding member of The Chieftains

OCT 11 | Deon Estus, 65
Longtime bass player for Wham! and George Michael
OCT 14 | Phil Leadbetter, 59
American resonator guitarist and bluegrass musician who survived five bouts with Hodgkin's lymphoma; of COVID-19 

OCT 14 | Emani, 22
American R&B singer

OCT 16 | Ron Tutt, 83
Drummer for Elvis and Neil Diamond

NOV 1 | Pat Marino, 77
Jazz guitar great

NOV 2 | Ronnie Wilson, 73
A founding member of the R&B sibling trio,The Gap Band
TICKET GIVEAWAY!
THE CLOCK IS TICKING
WIN TWO TICKETS!
Friday, NOV 19
Hey Nonny, Arlington Heights

Joe Louis Walker
You can't really call yourself a blues fan if I need to explain to you who Joe Louis Walker is. But...I will tell you this: He's got a new recording coming out on NOV. 12, right before he comes to Hey Nonny. One more thing: He's been in the Blues Hall of Fame since 2013 and was good buddies with none other than Michael Bloomfield.
FIND OUT MORE
OUT&ABOUT
OCT 10 BIRTHDAY
Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

Buddy Guy's Legends
Dave Weld likes to celebrate his birthday every year with a show at Legends–and we like to be there to celebrate, too. Weld and the band wowed the crowd with their usual high-energy performance ––and then they brought out the cake!

DAVE WELD'S BIRTHDAY BASH PHOTOS

*************************************************
OCT 13 GUITAR FEST
JD Simo and GA-20

Shank Hall, Milwaukee
It's true we had to go past the cheese curtain to see GA-20 and JD Simo because their Chicago show conflicted with the Logan Center Blues Fest. So...you shoulda been there. Great club, friendly folks and more guitars on stage than the number of musicians combined for the two bands. Even local musicians Stephen Hull and Alex Wilson came out to see this really great show.
SIDE NOTES
GA-20's current recording
is called Try It...You Might Like It. It's GA-20 doing Hound Dog Taylor. Of course, you will LOVE it.
HAVE A LISTEN
JD Simo also has a new recording, Mind Control, which conveniently comes out tomorrow (Nov. 5).
HAVE A LISTEN

JD SIMO AND GA-20 PHOTOS


*************************************************
OCT 15–17 BLUES FEST
Logan Center Blues Festival
University of Chicago
This was the 3rd Logan Center Fest and, as usual, it was a wonderful weekend of discussions and performances and live streams. We could only attend on Friday and Saturday, which featured the Sons and Daughters of the Blues (Ronnie Baker Brooks, Demetria Taylor, Lurrie and Steve Bell and Shemekia Copeland (Friday) and Bobby Rush and Jontavius Willis (Saturday). A special edition of Second Monday Blues hosted by Billy Branch featured jazz great George Freeman on Friday. There were also interesting interviews with Bobby Rush and Paul Natkin in addition to a discussion of what's next for The Mojo Museum. 
SIDE NOTE:

Wall of Blues: Photos by Paul Natkin will be on display at Café Logan in the Logan Center until Friday, Dec. 11, 2021 at 11am. Go see them while you can.

THE LOGAN CENTER PHOTOS

*************************************************
OCT 22 CD RELEASE
Win Noll & The Rockin' Souls
Rosa's Lounge
This was the CD Release Party for the band's debut recording and it was a great time. The band consists of veteran musicians––Shoji Naito (Guitar), Minoru Maruyama (Guitar), Wabi Yuguchi (harmonica), Mike Flynn (Bass) and Stephen Bass (Drums) fronted by energetic singer Win Noll, who has come a very long way since the days not that long ago when she would occasionally join Mary Lane on stage to sing a song or two. And kudos to Rosa's for having such great lighting on the stage...it really makes my photos shine.
WATCH THE FIRST SET

WIN NOLL & THE ROCKIN' SOULS PHOTOS
DISTRACT YOURSELF
ALLIGATOR CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
If you have missed the concerts held recently (like I unfortunately have), you can still watch this wonderful 90-minute WTTW episode: Sweet Home Chicago: 50 Years of Alligator Records, featuring Billy Branch, Shemekia Copeland, Lil' Ed Williams and Toronzo Cannon.

FROM DEEP IN THE VAULTS
J.B. Lenoir, Sunnyland Slim & Friends Live in '63

Note that one of the "friends" was Mike Bloomfield. Just sayin'

NEW ELIZABETH KING SINGLE
What You Gonna Do?
King is a Memphis gospel singer whose debut recording came out just this year when she was 77 years old. Now, her second recording  for Bible & Tire Recording Co., called I Got a Love, will be out in early 2022.
NEW RELEASES
John Mayall | The Sun is Shining Down
RELEASE DATE: 1.28.21 (Forty Below Records)
As usual, Mayall is surrounded by a stellar group of musicians on this latest offering. Guests include Mike Campbell, Marcus King, Scarlet Rivera, and Chicago's own Melvin Taylor, plus regular band members Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport, plus the lovely Carolyn Wonderland on guitar.
Here's a taste

Dion | Stomping Ground
RELEASE DATE: 11.5.21 (KTBA Records)
Yikes...I had the image last month, but instead wrote about a Robert Cray CD release from last year. (I'm not losing it...it just seems that way.) This is another recording with a lot of famous guests (Clapton, Springsteen, Frampton, Billy Gibbons, etc.) joining Dion. Most of the songs were written by Dion and his writing partner Mike Aquilinna.

Johnny Tucker featuring Kid Ramos and the Allstars | 75 & Alive
RELEASE DATE: 8.20.21 (Blue Heart Records)
This wonderful recording was produced by Ramos and recorded on Oct. 17, 2020, which was Tucker's 75th birthday.
HAVE A LISTEN

The Blue Quarantinos | Phoning It In
RELEASE DATE: 4.23.21 (Keeping the Blues Alive Records)
Not all of what the pandemic brought us was gloom and doom. This digital release from Jimmy Vivino, Jesse Williams & Rob Paparozzi––with a lot of their talented friends––was recorded to help support musicians negatively impacted by the pandemic through Joe Bonamassa's Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation. There are 20 tracks from stars like Shemekia Copeland, the North Mississippi Allstars, Joe Louis Walker and more. All proceeds will go to the Fueling Musicians Program.
HAVE A LISTEN

Tony McPhee’s Blues Band  | Split Part II: Live in Bremen 1982
RELEASE DATE: 5.28.21 (MIG)
This blast from the past will be a delight for fans of the British blues/rock band The Groundhogs, the band founded by Tony McPhee in the 1960s. Seeing them a zillion years ago at The Marquee Club in London was a major highlight of my youth. 

Ben Levin | Still Here
RELEASE DATE: 8.22.21 (Vizztone)
This is the third release from the 21-year-old blues pianist, vocalist and songwriter, who began playing professionally when he was just 15. There are eight originals from Ben and his dad Aron, plus four lesser known covers.

Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers | Set Me Free
RELEASE DATE: 10.1.21 (Louisiana Red Hot)
It's zydeco––from none other than the son of a zydeco master and the Hellraisers––do you need to know more?

ONE MORE THING...OK, THREE MORE
Luca Kiella is having a CD Release Party on Sunday, Nov. 7 at Buddy Guy's Legends for his new recording, Ready for You.

Buffalo Nichols, who will be at FitzGerald's on Dec. 8, released his new self-titled recording on Oct. 15.

Finally...if all of these new releases are not interesting enough for you, Abba, the band that Rolling Stone once called, "Muzak with vapid lyrics" (gee, I wish I said that), apparently is coming out with a new recording  AND a creepy (IMO) concert tour that only an avatar like Mark Zuckerberg could love. Inexplicably, a lot of the tickets are already sold. Go figure.
The next chicagoBLUESnews:  
FRIDAY, DEC  3 2021

(Mails on THURS, DEC 2)
GET OUT!
OUR ONLINE CALENDAR
 chicagoBLUESnews Online Calendar 

Know about a gig I don't? Give me a heads-up.
Updates to the calendar are made regularly––not just once a month––and includes some shows in states that border Illinois and Festivals all over the map that just look fun to me. What makes the cut? Shows within the Chicago metro area and those outside of the area that I would go to if I could.

NOTE: At press time, there are noticeable holes in the calendar, but that is because some venues have not updated their calendars for NOV yet––and others have not found time to do it since the early 2000s.

GO HEAR LIVE MUSIC!
Far be it from me to tell you where to go, but here are a few ideas for the next month.
NOV 5
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
The Des Plaines Theatre, Des Plaines

NOV 6
Nick Moss Trio
Smoke Daddy

NOV 10
BLUES JAM
Low-reen & The Maxwell St. Market Blues Band

The Water Hole

NOV 14
Mz Peachez
Buddy Guy's Legends

NOV 18
North Mississippi Allstars, Cedric Burnside
SPACE, Evanston
 
NOV 19
Joe Louis Walker
Hey Nonny, Arlington Heights

NOV 20 
Donna Herula
with special guests Erwin Helfer, Anne Harris, Katherine Davis and Rebecca Toon

Old Town School of Folk Music

NOV 24
Super Percy
The Water Hole

NOV 27
Bobby Rush, Mz Reese
Buddy Guy's Legends

DEC 2
Mike Zito
Beer Geeks
Highland, IN
PLAN AHEAD
MAR 27, 2022
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
The Vic Theatre
Tickets went on sale today for those with a Jam Mail presale code and are on sale to the public tomorrow at 10am
SUPPORT THE MUSICIANS
www.chicagobluesnews.com/pay-musicians.html
This page has several links where you can find music–live and virtual.
NOV 5
Studebaker John
Melvin “Pooky Styx” Carlisle
Layla Musselwhite
Rodney Brown
Duwayne Burnside


NOV 6
Rory Block
 
NOV 7
Brian Mickey
Whitey Johnson
 
aka Gary Nicholson
 
NOV 8
Bonnie Raitt
Eddie "Vaan" Shaw Jr.
Greg Guy
Joel Baer
 
NOV 9
Susan Tedeschi
Carolyn Wonderland
Ruben Vaneske
 
NOV 10
Bobby Rush
 
(aka Emmett Ellis Jr.)
 
NOV 11
Kinney Kimbrough
Jesse Cotton Stone
Felton Crews
Mercy Morganfield
Jim Bonaccorsi
 
NOV 12
Tommy Couch, Sr.
Doktu Rhute Muuzic
Booker T. Jones
Jay Hooks
 
Amberly Stokes
 (manager, Lurrie Bell)
Alain Quinn
 
NOV 13
John Hammond, Jr.
Marie Martens
 
NOV 14
Anson Funderburgh
Pyeng Threadgill
Ree Ree
  (The Water Hole)
Stephen Dougherty
 
NOV 15
Mark Cihlar

NOV 16
W. C. Clark
Ilaria Lantieri
 
NOV 17
Tab Benoit
"Long Tall" Deb Landolt

NOV 18
Mz Peachez
Brian Lupo
 
NOV 19
Chris Cain
Holly Siegel
  (aka Mrs. Corky)
Mike Zito
 
NOV 20
Tom Albanese

NOV 21
Roo Jaxkson
 
NOV 22
Angela Strehli

NOV 23
Carol Fran
Karen Lovely
Dr. Dan Ivankovich
  (
aka Chicago Slim)
Jake La Botz
Mary Lane

NOV 24
Lynn Orman Weiss
Pete Griffith
 
NOV 25
Jerry Portnoy
 
NOV 26
Willie Buck
Tina Turner
Clara McDaniels
Bernard Allison
Susan Williams
 
NOV 28
Little Joe Ayers
Ori Naftaly
 
NOV 29
John Mayall
Martin Lang
 
NOV 30
Mike Morgan
Minoru Maruyama
Sunny War
 
DEC 1
Albert White
BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCES
NOV 5
Ike Turner
 
NOV 6
Joe Carter
Boston Blackie
 
NOV 8
Arnold “Gatemouth” Moore
 
NOV 10
Papa Charlie Jackson
Big Chief Ellis
Forest City Joe
George"Mojo" Buford
Hip Linkchain
James Davis
 
NOV 11
Mose Allison
LaVern Baker
 
NOV 12
Bukka White
 
NOV 13
Louisa “Blue Lu” Barker
 
NOV 14
Tom Delaney
John Henry Barbee
Carey Bell
Valerie Wellington
 
NOV 15
Clyde McPhatter
Little Willie John

NOV 16
W.C. Handy
Francis Clay
Brewer Phillips 
Hubert Sumlin
NOV 18
Hank Ballard

NOV 19
Leon (Big Leon) Brooks
 
NOV 20
Mozelle Alderson
Dr. John
 
NOV 21
Lloyd Glen
 
NOV 22
Alex Moore
 
NOV 23
Carol Fran
Guitar Nubbit
R.L. Burnside
Betty Everett
Johnny Dollar
 
NOV 25
Eddie Boyd
Jimmy Johnson
John Embry
 
NOV 27
Jimi Hendrix
 
NOV 28
Idel Abrams
Little Sammy Davis
 
NOV 29
Lucille Hegamin
 
NOV 30
Robert Nighthawk
Brownie McGhee
Ernie Lancaster
Smokin' Joe Kubek
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
(All newsletters mail on Thursday, the day before the issue date)
DEC 3–JAN 6 2022
JAN 7 – FEB 3 2022
FEB 4 – MAR 3 2022
MAR 4 – APR 7 2022

Always subject to change in our crazy world or just because I feel like it.
WE DO ACCEPT ADVERTISING.
Contact Michael NOW!
You are receiving this blues newsletter because you love the blues and asked to be on the mailing list. If you are no longer interested, you can unsubscribe at any time. Chicago Blues News is written and distributed by Editorial Director Karen Murphy monthly, with the exception of previously announced vacation plans. Its content cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission in advance. The weekly deadline to submit information for possible inclusion in the newsletter is Wednesday at Noon, the day before the mailing date.
Copyright © 2021 Chicago Blues News, All rights reserved.
 

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