This post was written by BlackJack on June 24, 2011
May 29, 2011
Blues Review – Richie Rich and the Chi-Town Blues Band
I want to announce my blues “show of the year” so far, and we’re well into the year. Richie Rich and the Chi-Town Blues Band, with special guest Tom Holland. The band appeared in the west suburbs in Lombard at J. Reilly’s on Roosevelt Road, an under the radar venue that has occasional blues. I almost didn’t make it to the show, as I was not familiar with the band, but hearing that Tom Holland would be joining them, and that they were performing only 5 minutes from my house, I had to get my butt over there. And what a surprise! I walked in and saw a full contingent of musicians- four horn players, a harmonica player hiding in the back, Richie up front, Felton Crews on bass, Tom Holland with his red “lefty”guitar, and keyboard, drums and another guitar player to round it out- all very talented road-tested musicians. Oh yes, and a local female guest vocalist sitting in as well. An amazing dozen or so performers- not something you see at any club, much less in the burbs where it’s hard to even get a 4-piece band to play given the economy.
I got there fairly early in the show, expecting to not stay that long if the music weren’t so good, and especially as I don’t normally like blues and horns in the same sentence, but I was blown away early with the obvious fullness of the sound, the professionalism of the musicians, and the obvious love and passion of the performance, especially by the horn section and Richie himself. It quickly became evident that these guys loved to perform and that they lived to perform. You could see in the horn players faces that they had weathered a blues storm over the years, but that they were willing and able to follow their leader, down whatever road he led them.
Richie was as passionate and emotional a singer and storyteller as you’ll find. Nothing fake or scripted here. He spoke and sang from the heart, and his drive and genuineness was impossible to avoid. You could tell his life was tied to the music he sang and that the performance and words of the songs likely reflected the bands true feelings and lifestyle. I stayed the entire night, a rarity for me, but there was no point at which you wanted to just sneak out or tire of this kind of performance, and it truly was my “show of the year” to date- a true surprise by an under the radar band in a small bar in a non-blues town. An unexpected nugget that I won’t soon forget. I guess the saying is true…“Riches found are twice as sweet as riches earned”, and Richie Rich was quite a sweet find.
Richie Rich and the Chi-Town Blues Band is now on my blues radar, and they should have their own weekly venue to perform at, but they have to hit the road for now. I recommend you track them down and seek them out as soon as you can!
…BlackJack
(BlackJack announces his “BlackJack’s Blues Calendar” on Saturday nights on “Blues Edition” and sometimes Thursday nights on “Hambone’s Blues Party” on 90.9fm WDCB Public Radio, and posts his weekly blues calendar on the Windy City Blues Society website at www.WindyCityBlues.org.)
This post was written by SysAdmin on June 22, 2011
Staff Reporter/sesposito@suntimes.com
Last Modified: Jun 22, 2011 02:11AM
The jokesters will say Brian Carpy has just found some great material for a blues number. Carpy just wants his guitar back.
The 32-year-old Scotsman, who quit his office job in Glasgow last year to come to Chicago to play the blues, last saw his guitar Thursday, when he and his girlfriend hopped in a cab for a ride to Blue Chicago in River North. Carpy had hoped to sit in with the band — that is, before he accidentally left his guitar in the trunk of the cab.
“I had a momentary slip of madness,” he said Tuesday. “I looked up, and the taxi was lost in a sea of taxis on Clark Street.”
Carpy’s Fender Stratocaster guitar isn’t just any guitar. It’s signed by one of his heroes, Texas bluesman Smokin’ Joe Kubek. More important, the guitar was a gift from his father for Carpy’s 21st birthday. Carpy’s father died of a heart attack four months later.
“It’s of huge sentimental value,” said Carpy, who lives in Wicker Park and volunteers full-time at a soup kitchen there, where he gets room and board for his work.
Carpy’s girlfriend had called every big cab company in the city (Carpy isn’t sure which company they used), but she had no luck finding the missing guitar Tuesday.
Carpy, who sometimes plays wearing a kilt, says other musicians in the city have offered to lend him a guitar, but he wants the instrument that reminds him of his dad.
“Apart from pictures, that’s all I have,” he said.
If you come across Carpy’s black guitar (serial No. M039048 on the neck), he can be reached at (312) 256-5159 or by e-mail at brian_carpy@hotmail.com.
Copyright © 2011 — Sun-Times Media, LLC
This post was written by BlackJack on June 14, 2011
Fruteland Jackson
“My hats off to the WCBS for your mission and commitment to supporting Blues in its various components. Over Blues Fest weekend you guys were absolutely terrific. Your tent maintained a full crowd all the way to the sidewalk for three days. Even though I was stationed at the Blues camp tent we marveled at your crowd. You were an undec…lared stage for blues musicians as you went on with the business of getting the word out and bringing people and blues together. I was indeed impressed and happy to know so many of you.
Look for Fruteland Jackson’s ‘Singing the Blues with Stories, Volume I”. Thanks Fruteland and thanks to all who visited our stage and booth during the fest, especially to those who signed up for membership!
This post was written by Nap on March 1, 2011
| June 10, 2011 12:00 pm | to | June 12, 2011 12:00 pm |
2010 Chicago Blues Festival
What a difference a year makes. In the one short year, the Windy City Blues Society went from being a fledgling blues society recruiting members under a flag at the 2009 Chicago Blues Festival to becoming an official sponsor of the 2010 Chicago Blues Festival.
This sponsorship included an official Windy City Blues Society booth in the “Non-Profit Village” as well as the “Windy City Blues Society Street Stage” which featured world class blues music all three days of the festival. These two endeavors were the result of an enormous amount of hard work and planning by the WCBS Blues Festival Committee, the WCBS Executive Committee, and a number of WCBS members who graciously volunteered their time during the festival.
The booth served as the home base for the Windy City Blues Society. From this tented area, WCBS officials and volunteers welcomed countless festival goers to Chicago while explaining the merits of the Windy City Blues Society. Those attending the festival found a wealth of information including festival schedules and blues related events occurring after the festival. New members were welcomed into the fold while many existing members re-established their commitment to the WCBS by renewing their memberships. Many of the WCBS found this to be one of the most exciting parts of the festival—seeing old friends while making the acquaintance of new blues fans reminded everyone that the WCBS can serve as a catalyst to bring the blues community together.
The Windy City Blues Society Street Stage served as the anchor for the Non-Profit Village, an area set aside to showcase the many non-profit organizations supporting blues in Chicago and the Chicago Blues Festival. This performance area was setup at ground level as an homage to the street performers at the historic Maxwell Street Market where many great blues musicians got their starts.
Click Me for Official Website
Some of the festivals best performances could be heard at the Street Stage. Will Jacobs and Dirty Deal, who had won the Chicago Blues Challenge Youth division kicked off the festivities with a rousing set that gave way to three days of terrific blues performances that included The Chris Harper Band, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band, Tom Holland, Diamond Jim Greene, Jerry Hundt, and a rare appearance by harmonica ace Adam Gussow.
Fans of the classic Chicago Blues sound were treated to sets by Cash Box Kings, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Rob Stone; Steve Freund and Dave Specter; Bob Riedy and Bob Corritore; and The Blues Round Robbin. Fans of more modern blues sounds went home happy as well thanks to stellar performances by Rob Blaine and the Joe Moss Band. These and other performances showcased the diverse talents of many blues musicians and the Windy City Blues Society was proud to bring this music to the 2010 Chicago Blues Festival. In one year the WCBS has come a long way. Who knows what another year will bring? Come back to Chicago in June next year and find out!
Click Me to visit the official Chicago Blues Festival website!
This post was written by BlackJack on February 14, 2011
| June 17, 2011 |
| 6:30 pm | to | 10:15 pm |
| June 18, 2011 |
| 2:00 pm | to | 10:15 pm |
This year’s “Blues on the Fox” in Aurora looks to be a good one. Check the link below for details/schedule which includes Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite, Buddy Guy and others!
http://www.downtownaliveaurora.com/blues.html
This post was written by BlackJack on February 2, 2011
(this event may likely have been cancelled or modified - call venue to confirm)
The City of Chicago announces Honeyboy Edwards to kick-off Blues month with a special June 1st performance at Old Town School of Folk Music with the Sanctified Grumblers (Rick Sherry & Eric Noden), at 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. Performance starts at 8:30 p.m. and it’s a free event.
Super congrats to all those who participated in the 2011 Chicago Blues Challenge
