The New York Times has a nice profile of Bob Koester of Delmark Records and Jazz Record Mart. 
with Junior Wells. Charlie Musselwhite and Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records are also interviewed. 
As the world is reeling with the shock of Michael Jackson's death, I'm thinking of the King of Pop's humble beginnings in Gary, Indiana, just east of Chicago.
, he told me this story:For a time back in the 1960s, Johnny Drummer had an unusual opening act: a group of young brothers from Gary, Ind. called the Jackson Five. Drummer was headlining at the Club Paradise on the West Side. On Sunday afternoons, the club held a matinee featuring the Jackson Five. Michael Jackson was just a little boy at the time. Drummer remembers little kids running around as he was bringing in his gear, but he never paid much attention to the kids. “They would just play until we got there,” he says.I'm thinking it might have been better in the long run if Michael Jackson had more time to run around like a little kid.
That's Vino Louden singing and playing at his first stage appearance since his near-fatal van crash last August that also seriously injured other members of Koko Taylor's Blues Machine. (Koko was not in the van.)Please read the entire story. You'll be amazed at Vino's comeback."I was dreaming and we were spinning in a circle," he recalls. "The van was upside down. The engine was on Stanley. Stanley was on my legs. Shun was on Stanley. And I was on the bottom of that pile."Gasoline was running down Louden's throat.
"I was yelling, 'I can't breathe!' " he says. "I thought this was it." A helicopter carried Louden to a hospital in Black River Falls.
Ah, there's nothing like the Front Porch stage on Sunday afternoon at the Chicago Blues Festival....! This is my favorite place at the festival - grassy, shady, leisurely - the perfect place to bring lawn chairs, a blanket and the family and settle in for a couple of hours to listen to the more traditional side of the blues.
Lou Pride was a lot of fun at the Front Porch stage. Don't let his Sunday-go-to-meeting appearance fool you. His style of soulful blues mixed with R&B and funk is lusty and large. His female backup singer was dressed in black tights and a red sequined poncho top and bright red lipstick.
My next favorite is the Mississippi Juke Joint stage. Big Jack Johnson played the big Petrillo bandshell later Sunday evening, but in the afternoon he appeared at the more intimate Juke Joint stage, and that's where I enjoyed him the most. Alone on stage, he mixed mesmerizing Mississippi rhythms with classic blues and a touch of the whimsical (did I hear the theme song from Bonanza?).
The Gibson Crossroads stage seems to have big, loud, energetic bands, but you can't generalize on the blues style. For example, here's the Ernest Lane blues band, a jazzy style blues with a complete horn section.
. The tagline on the CD says "Mississippi Low Down Hoodoo Funk." That about covers everything necessary.
At the Zone Perfect Route 66 Roadhouse tent, I found a string band playing an old-time hokum style blues. I wish I could have stayed longer to listen to these guys, but I couldn't see a thing because of (as I previously mentioned) the rising bleachers set right in front of the tent.
I am short enough that I managed to get a couple of pictures by shooting under people's elbows. I did not catch the name of the band nor the musicians. This guitarist (sorry, I know the picture is not focused sharply) was very entertaining.
I suppose the idea was the capture what it was like to see blues musicians play on Maxwell Street, and there was some of that spirit, undeniably. But it was a little hard to picture the old days of Maxwell Street with the brand-new modern wing of the Art Institute in the background.
Among the musicians was Frank "Lil Sonny" Scott, Jr., who by the way turns 82 years old today (June 21). I was asked recently about blues musicians who made their own instruments. Scott not only made his own instrument, he invented it.
At early 94 years old, David "Honeyboy" Edwards can still command a stage - and draw a crowd. His performance on Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi Juke Joint stage was a highlight of the festival.
Honeyboy started out with "Sweet Home Chicago," and played other classic blues songs.
Back to Friday at the Chicago Blues Festival. My watch had stopped, and I didn't realize it was so late, so I arrived just at the end, not the beginning as I had planned, of Vince Agwada's set at the Gibson Crossroads stage. Anybody who thinks the blues is stuck in the past or suffers from "Standarditis" (a recent Blues-L discussion) hasn't heard Vince Agwada. His contemporary, edgy guitar style is definitely original.
In his band is another young contemporary bluesman, Russ Green, who credits Jimi Hendrix and Sugar Blue as his influences. I first saw Russ several years ago when he was playing with the Chicago Blues Harmonica Project. His style works great with Agwada. I wish I could have seen more than just the end of one song.
I did see much of the Maxwell Street Revisited set at the Mississippi Juke Joint stage. Maxwell Street is all but kaput as far as live music goes, but the spirit lives on, and these bluesmen brought it all back. Dancin’ Perkins, Iceman Robinson, Smilin’ Bobby, Bobby Too Tough and Frank “Lil Sonny” Scott played several classic blues songs.
I took the photo of the Blues Bus just after Piano C. Red finished performing.
Koko Taylor's spirit was felt throughout the festival. Many musicians honored her memory with a few words or a song dedicated to her.
I was frustrated with the Route 66 stage because I couldn't see into the tent very well. Instead of leaving the back of the tent open, fest organizers set up a small set of bleachers. Fine if you had a seat on the bleachers. Otherwise, good luck trying to see.
(Sorry it's taking me so long to get these pix & reviews up. I'm extremely busy with my "day job" right now.)
, and guest starring on Nick Moss and the Flip Tops' CD, Live At Chans - Combo Platter No. 2
, sang a couple of songs, including, "Don't You Lie to Me." I love Lurrie's fingerpicked traditional blues guitar.
The 2009 Chicago Blues Festival was a day shorter than in recent years, and the reason was apparent: fewer sponsors. Where, in previous years, sponsor booths had stood, there were large, gaping empty spaces.
It's been decades since the Mississippi-born Musselwhite polished his blues harp style by playing with blues legends on Maxwell Street and Chicago's South Side. He is now an internationally-acclaimed artist, and it was apparent as he took the stage at the Front Porch Stage on Friday, that Chicago still loves him.
First, Big Bill Morganfield took the lead. Morganfield plays an electrifying slide guitar, and he's an exciting, charismatic performer. He had the crowd fired up even before his older brother, Mud Morganfield, came up on stage. Now, Big Bill has been on the blues scene since 1999, but Mud (nee Larry Williams) is a comparative newcomer. Yet, it's obvious the musical genes run in this family.
There was fantastic interplay among him, Big Bill, the crowd, and the band, which included Rick Kreher on guitar, Greg McDaniel on bass, Kenny Smith on drums, and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Muddy Waters' former drummer) on harp.
, on which he plays blues harp. Better yet, try to attend one of his live shows. His harp style comes straight out of the Golden Age of Chicago Blues - because that's when and where he learned it. The harp was his first instrument before he picked up the drums. And now that his son, Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, has become every bit the drummer his dad is, Willie can relax and enjoy his role out front.
While all this excitement was going on, the truly legendary Pinetop Perkins was waiting backstage to make his appearance. He was dressed in a forest green suit and black fedora, and as you can see, stylish socks and shoes. I didn't notice whether he was wearing his piano-keys tie to match.
The nearly 96-year-old Mississippi-born bluesman can still boogie with the best of them. His voice is a little weaker these days, but his fingers don't seem to have slowed down much at all. He treated the crowd to several of his classic songs.
I'm sorry to report the passing of another Chicago blues musician. Mighty Joe Young, Jr., son of Blind Pig recording artist Mighty Joe Young, Sr. and bluesman in his own right, died last week after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 60.
Joe carried on the legacy of his father by becoming a founding member of the Mighty Joe Young Blues Foundation in 1999 and served on the board of directors until 2002. Every year he organized a tribute show in honor of his late father..
That's Vino Louden at left, laying down a sizzling lick during his set at the Recording Academy Chicago Chapter's annual Blues Festival Kickoff Jam at Buddy Guy's Legends on June 10.
Vino said he received much assistance from groups that support musicians, and he encouraged the crowd to be generous in donating to the cause of the evening, the Grammy Foundation. Proceeds from the Kickoff Jam and a silent auction benefitted the Foundation's programs.
Willie stuck around for a wild jam of classic Chicago blues with Nick Moss and Lurrie Bell. Lurrie wasn't on the list of performers, but that's one of the best thing about the blues in Chicago: you never know who is going to show up and sit in with the band. Nick and Lurrie work brilliantly together. As you may know, Lurrie is a guest on Nick's latest CD, Live At Chans - Combo Platter No. 2. The synergy of Nick, Lurrie and Willie was fantastic.
Lurrie also took the lead on a couple of songs, including "Don't You Lie to Me." (That's Nick Moss' wife, Kate Moss, playing bass.)
The event was promoted as bringing musicians from genres to the jam with the blues. One of those was Rick Nielsen (below) of the rock band Cheap Trick. I didn't know this before (my knowledge of rock music is pretty weak) but the band is from Rockford.
, so he might also have sat in. Buddy Guy was sitting in his usual place at the end of the bar. He's been known to jump on the stage if the spirit moves him, but I don't know whether he did or not. I had to get up early the next day, so I couldn't stay too late.
While the evening headliners at the Chicago Blues Festival garner most attention, some of the best of the blues can be found during the daytime. Here are some of my picks for don't-miss shows:, Lurrie Bell is in the prime of his musical career right now. This day-opening performance will be a headline-quality show.
I'll have more details as they develop, but I wanted to get the news out that the Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor has died after complications from recent surgery.. She told me about growing up near Memphis in the 1930s and 40s. Her father forbid anything but church music, but young Cora Walton would hear B.B. King on the radio, and she was inspired to sing the blues.
After moving to Chicago at age 18 with her first husband, "Pops" Taylor, Koko began singing in the blues clubs on the West Side. In 1962, Willie Dixon heard her and arranged a recording session. Her first record was "Honky Tonk" on the USA label. She signed with Chess in 1963.
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