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YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE CHICAGO BLUES SCENE
None of us are free
if one of us is chained
Mavis Staples (Photo by Jennifer Noble)
BLUES UPDATES
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
Nov 19
Hot Tuna – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 5, 2025
By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Jack Casady, Justin Guip (drums), Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL George Van Dusen Theatre November 5 th , 2025 By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Fifty-six years ago, I first experienced the musicianship of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady as members of the Jefferson Airplane. The place was Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and the venue conditions were far from ideal. But none of that tro
Nov 16
Jimmy Burns Interview
Delta/Chicago blues veteran joins with Chicago jazz giants to come Full Circle and revisit his early hits Story and Photos: Peter M. Hurley Photo: Peter Hurley Jimmy Burns Comes Full Circle By Peter Hurley Veteran Bluesman Jimmy Burns slipped into the booth at the Italian restaurant chain, the one with the free breadsticks, where he had arranged to meet for lunch. His beard was fuller and snowier than when last seen, his almond shaped eyes alive and dark with amber-tinged w
Nov 1
Southern Avenue – Prairie Center, Schaumburg, October 18, 2025
Review & Photos: Jim Summaria Tiernii & Tikyra Southern Avenue at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, IL, Saturday, October 18, 2025 Review & Photos: By Jim Summaria Every once in a while you come across a group that just "wows" you. This was the case for me when I recently experienced the group Southern Avenue. They blend blues, soul, rock and gospel into a beautiful package of inspiring lyrics and spirited music. This traveling family band from Mem
Oct 27
HOT SHOWS
HOT SHOW - Nov. 21: Billy Branch album release party, Logan Center for the Arts
Logan Center (Chicago) Billy Branch/ photo: Roman Sobus Billy Branch & Sons of the Blues w/ special guests When: November 21 (Friday) Show Times: 7:30 Where: Logan Center Address: 915 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL TICKETS: Free with RSVP (suggested donation $10) The Blues is My Biography: Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues Record Release Concert with special guests including The Chicago Fire Horns and Howard Sandifer’s Chicago West Community Music Youth Choir “Willie Dixon ta
Nov 113 min read
FALL 2025 CONTEST
Enter to win this fabulous prize package from Buddy Guy! Chicago Blues Guide is celebrating Buddy Guy's 89th Birthday (born July 30,...
chicagoblueseditor
Sep 28
CD REVIEWS
Marty Gunther’s Red, Hot ’n Blues Music Reviews - December 2025
By Marty Gunther Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for December 2025 Sean McDonald – Have Mercy! Little Village Foundation www.littlevillagefoundation.com Augusta, Ga., native Sean “Mack” McDonald is an old-soul in a young man’s body. Only 22 years old and a recent college graduate, he’s a guitarist/vocalist who debuts here in the best way possible, blending classic and contemporary stylings into an attack all his own -- something certain to establish him as a gian
48 minutes ago
FEATURED ARTICLES
LIVE SHOW REVIEW
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
chicagoblueseditor
Nov 19
BLUES UPDATES
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
Nov 19
Hot Tuna – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 5, 2025
By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Jack Casady, Justin Guip (drums), Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL George Van Dusen Theatre November 5 th , 2025 By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Fifty-six years ago, I first experienced the musicianship of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady as members of the Jefferson Airplane. The place was Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and the venue conditions were far from ideal. But none of that tro
Nov 16
Jimmy Burns Interview
Delta/Chicago blues veteran joins with Chicago jazz giants to come Full Circle and revisit his early hits Story and Photos: Peter M. Hurley Photo: Peter Hurley Jimmy Burns Comes Full Circle By Peter Hurley Veteran Bluesman Jimmy Burns slipped into the booth at the Italian restaurant chain, the one with the free breadsticks, where he had arranged to meet for lunch. His beard was fuller and snowier than when last seen, his almond shaped eyes alive and dark with amber-tinged w
Nov 1
Southern Avenue – Prairie Center, Schaumburg, October 18, 2025
Review & Photos: Jim Summaria Tiernii & Tikyra Southern Avenue at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, IL, Saturday, October 18, 2025 Review & Photos: By Jim Summaria Every once in a while you come across a group that just "wows" you. This was the case for me when I recently experienced the group Southern Avenue. They blend blues, soul, rock and gospel into a beautiful package of inspiring lyrics and spirited music. This traveling family band from Mem
Oct 27
HOT SHOWS
HOT SHOW - Nov. 21: Billy Branch album release party, Logan Center for the Arts
Logan Center (Chicago) Billy Branch/ photo: Roman Sobus Billy Branch & Sons of the Blues w/ special guests When: November 21 (Friday) Show Times: 7:30 Where: Logan Center Address: 915 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL TICKETS: Free with RSVP (suggested donation $10) The Blues is My Biography: Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues Record Release Concert with special guests including The Chicago Fire Horns and Howard Sandifer’s Chicago West Community Music Youth Choir “Willie Dixon ta
Nov 113 min read
FALL 2025 CONTEST
Enter to win this fabulous prize package from Buddy Guy! Chicago Blues Guide is celebrating Buddy Guy's 89th Birthday (born July 30,...
chicagoblueseditor
Sep 28
CD REVIEWS
Marty Gunther’s Red, Hot ’n Blues Music Reviews - December 2025
By Marty Gunther Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for December 2025 Sean McDonald – Have Mercy! Little Village Foundation www.littlevillagefoundation.com Augusta, Ga., native Sean “Mack” McDonald is an old-soul in a young man’s body. Only 22 years old and a recent college graduate, he’s a guitarist/vocalist who debuts here in the best way possible, blending classic and contemporary stylings into an attack all his own -- something certain to establish him as a gian
48 minutes ago
FEATURED ARTICLES
LIVE SHOW REVIEW
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
chicagoblueseditor
Nov 19
BLUES UPDATES
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
Nov 19
Hot Tuna – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 5, 2025
By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Jack Casady, Justin Guip (drums), Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL George Van Dusen Theatre November 5 th , 2025 By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Fifty-six years ago, I first experienced the musicianship of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady as members of the Jefferson Airplane. The place was Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and the venue conditions were far from ideal. But none of that tro
Nov 16
Jimmy Burns Interview
Delta/Chicago blues veteran joins with Chicago jazz giants to come Full Circle and revisit his early hits Story and Photos: Peter M. Hurley Photo: Peter Hurley Jimmy Burns Comes Full Circle By Peter Hurley Veteran Bluesman Jimmy Burns slipped into the booth at the Italian restaurant chain, the one with the free breadsticks, where he had arranged to meet for lunch. His beard was fuller and snowier than when last seen, his almond shaped eyes alive and dark with amber-tinged w
Nov 1
Southern Avenue – Prairie Center, Schaumburg, October 18, 2025
Review & Photos: Jim Summaria Tiernii & Tikyra Southern Avenue at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, IL, Saturday, October 18, 2025 Review & Photos: By Jim Summaria Every once in a while you come across a group that just "wows" you. This was the case for me when I recently experienced the group Southern Avenue. They blend blues, soul, rock and gospel into a beautiful package of inspiring lyrics and spirited music. This traveling family band from Mem
Oct 27
HOT SHOWS
HOT SHOW - Nov. 21: Billy Branch album release party, Logan Center for the Arts
Logan Center (Chicago) Billy Branch/ photo: Roman Sobus Billy Branch & Sons of the Blues w/ special guests When: November 21 (Friday) Show Times: 7:30 Where: Logan Center Address: 915 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL TICKETS: Free with RSVP (suggested donation $10) The Blues is My Biography: Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues Record Release Concert with special guests including The Chicago Fire Horns and Howard Sandifer’s Chicago West Community Music Youth Choir “Willie Dixon ta
Nov 113 min read
FALL 2025 CONTEST
Enter to win this fabulous prize package from Buddy Guy! Chicago Blues Guide is celebrating Buddy Guy's 89th Birthday (born July 30,...
chicagoblueseditor
Sep 28
CD REVIEWS
Marty Gunther’s Red, Hot ’n Blues Music Reviews - December 2025
By Marty Gunther Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for December 2025 Sean McDonald – Have Mercy! Little Village Foundation www.littlevillagefoundation.com Augusta, Ga., native Sean “Mack” McDonald is an old-soul in a young man’s body. Only 22 years old and a recent college graduate, he’s a guitarist/vocalist who debuts here in the best way possible, blending classic and contemporary stylings into an attack all his own -- something certain to establish him as a gian
48 minutes ago
FEATURED ARTICLES
LIVE SHOW REVIEW
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
chicagoblueseditor
Nov 19
BLUES UPDATES
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
Nov 19
Hot Tuna – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 5, 2025
By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Jack Casady, Justin Guip (drums), Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL George Van Dusen Theatre November 5 th , 2025 By Mark Plotnick Photos: Jim Summaria Fifty-six years ago, I first experienced the musicianship of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady as members of the Jefferson Airplane. The place was Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and the venue conditions were far from ideal. But none of that tro
Nov 16
Jimmy Burns Interview
Delta/Chicago blues veteran joins with Chicago jazz giants to come Full Circle and revisit his early hits Story and Photos: Peter M. Hurley Photo: Peter Hurley Jimmy Burns Comes Full Circle By Peter Hurley Veteran Bluesman Jimmy Burns slipped into the booth at the Italian restaurant chain, the one with the free breadsticks, where he had arranged to meet for lunch. His beard was fuller and snowier than when last seen, his almond shaped eyes alive and dark with amber-tinged w
Nov 1
Southern Avenue – Prairie Center, Schaumburg, October 18, 2025
Review & Photos: Jim Summaria Tiernii & Tikyra Southern Avenue at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, IL, Saturday, October 18, 2025 Review & Photos: By Jim Summaria Every once in a while you come across a group that just "wows" you. This was the case for me when I recently experienced the group Southern Avenue. They blend blues, soul, rock and gospel into a beautiful package of inspiring lyrics and spirited music. This traveling family band from Mem
Oct 27
HOT SHOWS
HOT SHOW - Nov. 21: Billy Branch album release party, Logan Center for the Arts
Logan Center (Chicago) Billy Branch/ photo: Roman Sobus Billy Branch & Sons of the Blues w/ special guests When: November 21 (Friday) Show Times: 7:30 Where: Logan Center Address: 915 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL TICKETS: Free with RSVP (suggested donation $10) The Blues is My Biography: Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues Record Release Concert with special guests including The Chicago Fire Horns and Howard Sandifer’s Chicago West Community Music Youth Choir “Willie Dixon ta
Nov 113 min read
FALL 2025 CONTEST
Enter to win this fabulous prize package from Buddy Guy! Chicago Blues Guide is celebrating Buddy Guy's 89th Birthday (born July 30,...
chicagoblueseditor
Sep 28
CD REVIEWS
Marty Gunther’s Red, Hot ’n Blues Music Reviews - December 2025
By Marty Gunther Red Hot ’n Blues Reviews for December 2025 Sean McDonald – Have Mercy! Little Village Foundation www.littlevillagefoundation.com Augusta, Ga., native Sean “Mack” McDonald is an old-soul in a young man’s body. Only 22 years old and a recent college graduate, he’s a guitarist/vocalist who debuts here in the best way possible, blending classic and contemporary stylings into an attack all his own -- something certain to establish him as a gian
48 minutes ago
FEATURED ARTICLES
LIVE SHOW REVIEW
Tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell – North Shore Center, Skokie, Nov. 8, 2025
Review: Glenn Noble/ Photos: Jennifer Noble Mad Dogs & Englishmen: A tribute to Joe Cocker & Leon Russell at the North Shore Center in Skokie November 8, 2025 Review by: Glenn Noble. Photos by: Jennifer Noble Music is a peculiar thing -- it lives, briefly and vibrantly, in the moment of performance; but it’s far from uncommon for this transitory experience to change lives and endure in the memory for a lifetime. Given the right alchemy of songwriting, performers and audienc
chicagoblueseditor
Nov 19
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