Chicago Reader

Tools

Blogs, Bleader, Mar 5, 2013
Audio
Blues singer Shemekia Copeland lays waste to the competition, including her own band

Shemekia Copeland deserves material worth her monumental talent, but she doesn't get it on her latest album.
- by Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Shemekia Copeland, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Oliver Wood, blues, 33 1/3, Lemon Pie, Space, Audio

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Feb 21, 2013
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Tail Dragger

This west-side Howlin' Wolf imitator did time for shooting a fellow bluesman dead, but he's back out there putting on great shows.
- by Plastic Crimewave
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Tail Dragger, James Yancy Jones, blues, Howlin' Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Mack Simmons, Carey Bell, Lovies' Lounge, Rat Traps, Bennie Joe Houston, Boston Blackie, St. George, Delmark, Muddy Waters, Crawlin' James, B.L.U.E.S.

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Feb 7, 2013
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Tommy McClennan

This raw Mississippi bluesman made his only recordings—among them the classics “Bottle It Up and Go” and "Cross Cut Saw"—between 1939 and '42 in Chicago.
- by Plastic Crimewave
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Tommy McClennan, blues

Tools

Music, Music Review, Feb 5, 2013
Recommended
The 53rd annual University of Chicago Folk Festival

Blues-guitar scion Elmore James Jr., bluegrass greats Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, and more
- by Luca Cimarusti
- Tags: Music Review, blues, bluegrass, Elmore James Jr., Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, workshops, Daithi Sproule, James Kelly, Danny Paisley, Reed Island Rounders, Sheryl Cormier, gospel music, Cajun music, bagpipes, Appalachian music, southern music, Evening Light Brothers, Terry Oldfield, classes, Mandel Hall, University of Chicago, Ida Noyes Hall, University of Chicago, Recommended

Tools

Blogs, Bleader, Oct 23, 2012
Audio
Wednesday: Veteran Texas roots rocker Ray Wylie Hubbard at SPACE

Ray Wylie Hubbard plays SPACE in support of his tough new album, The Grifter's Hymnal
- by Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Grifter's Lament, blues, country, Outlaw country, South of the River, SPACE, A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There Is No C), Audio

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Aug 8, 2012
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Robert Petway

Muddy Waters turned this obscure bluesman's 1941 "Catfish Blues" into his famous single "Rollin' Stone"
- by Plastic Crimewave
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Robert Petway, the blues, blues, Tommy McClennan, Catfish Blues, Muddy Waters, Rollin' Stone

Tools

Blogs, Bleader, Jun 29, 2012
Audio
Reconsidering Albert King

It's never too late to appreciate the beauty of Albert King's electric blues guitar
- by Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Albert King, blues, Stax, I'll Play the Blues for You, Born Under a Bad Sign, Jazz Record Mart, blues-rock, Audio

Tools

Music, Music Feature, Jun 6, 2012
Video
The Reader's guide to the Chicago Blues Festival

There's more than Mavis: Other must-see acts include Texas Johnny Brown, Floyd Taylor, Joe Louis Walker, and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band
- by David Whiteis, Bill Dahl, Peter Margasak, and Miles Raymer
- Tags: Music Feature, Chicago Blues Festival, blues, Milton Hopkins, Jewel Brown, Texas Johnny Brown, Lightnin' Hopkins, Koko Taylor, Floyd Taylor, Johnnie Taylor, Muddy Waters, Mavis Staples, Joe Louis Walker, Mary Jane, Jimmy Dawkins, Eddie C. Campbell, Howlin' Wolf, Eddie Shaw, Sharde Thomas, Video

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Apr 4, 2012
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Tampa Red

An influential slide guitarist, he recorded 335 sides of hokum and jump blues between 1928 and '53 but died largely forgotten in '81
- by Plastic Crimewave
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Tampa Red, blues, Hudson Woodridge, kazoo, hokum, Ma Rainey, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Minnie, The Chicago Five, jump blue

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Mar 21, 2012
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Jody Williams

Lead guitar on Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?", Jody Williams is gigging again after 35 years.
- by Plastic Crimewave
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Jody Williams, blues, blues guitar, Bo Diddley, Chess Records, Hubert Sumlin, Little Papa Joe, B.B. King, Robert Lockwood Jr.

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Feb 23, 2012
The Secret History of Chicago Music: Blind Joel Taggart

This gospel singer and bluesman may have been the first guitar evangelist ever to make a record
- by Plastic Crimewave
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, Blind Joel Taggart, gospel, blues, Vocalion Records, Alan Lomax

Tools

Blogs, Bleader, Dec 5, 2011
RIP Howard Tate and Hubert Sumlin

Over the weekend soul singer Howard Tate and blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin passed away, at 72 and 80, respectively.
- by Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Howard Tate, Hubert Sumlin, soul, blues, Jerry Ragovoy, Howlin' Wolf, Chess Records, Jody Williams, Willie Johnson, Smokestack Lightning, Viagra, Smokestack Lightning: The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960

Tools

Blogs, Bleader, Mar 17, 2011
Fat Possum Still Has the Blues, Sort Of

Fat Possum Records may have abandoned the blues for indie rock, but its Big Legal Mess imprint has been picking up the slack.
- by Peter Margasak
- Tags: Music, Post No Bills, Reverend John Wilkins, Fat Possum Records, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Matthew Johnson, blues, Robert Palmer, Robert Mugge, You Can't Hurry God, Bishop Manning and the Manning Family, Converted Mind, gospel

Tools

Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Mar 10, 2011
Secret History of Chicago Music: Papa Charlie Jackson

Groundbreaking blues artist recorded with legends
- Tags: The Secret History of Chicago Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music, Papa Charlie Jackson, blues, jazz, Freddie Keppard & His Jazz Cardinals, Tiny Parnham, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Hattie McDaniel, Blind Blake

Tools

Blogs, Bleader, Feb 13, 2011
Video
Legal Blues

Steven Lattimore explores the musical legacy and business struggles of the bluesman behind "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Big Boss Man" in his documentary "The Jimmy Reed Experience." It screens Tuesday 2/15 at Dominican University, along with a legal panel and jam session.
- by Ed M. Koziarski
- Tags: Film, Music, Free Shit, Swag, Jimmy Reed, Big Boss Man, Bright Lights Big City, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Grateful Dead, Steven Lattimore, Jimmy Reed Experience, Columbia College, CBS, Ch. 2, Vee-Jay, blues, Dominican University, copyright, legal, Eddie Taylor, Willie Dixon, Lonnie Brooks, Chuck Barksdale, Fernando Jones, Video

Browse News & Politics

Browse Music

Browse Film

Browse Arts & Culture

Browse Food & Drink

Browse The Bleader

Browse Classifieds

You searched for:

Search for…

Narrow Search

Category

Author

Year

Show only

Other Searches

Showing:

Tools

What's on the Reader's Agenda for Sunday, May 19

Tools

This masterful jazz saxophonist isn't exactly obscure, but he's been unjustly overshadowed since his heyday in the 50s and 60s.

Tools

This rowdy bluesman cut just 30 tracks, all between 1935 and 1947, but they helped plant the seeds for rock 'n' roll.

Tools

The hypnotic, warped pop-blues of Norwegian duo Stein Urheim and Mari Kvien Brunvoll

Tools

This flamboyant, innovative blues guitarist needs help getting home after a heart attack and stroke on the road in Germany.

Tools

Shemekia Copeland deserves material worth her monumental talent, but she doesn't get it on her latest album.

Tools

This west-side Howlin' Wolf imitator did time for shooting a fellow bluesman dead, but he's back out there putting on great shows.

Tools

This raw Mississippi bluesman made his only recordings—among them the classics “Bottle It Up and Go” and "Cross Cut Saw"—between 1939 and '42 in Chicago.

Tools

Blues-guitar scion Elmore James Jr., bluegrass greats Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, and more

Tools

Ray Wylie Hubbard plays SPACE in support of his tough new album, The Grifter's Hymnal

Tools

Muddy Waters turned this obscure bluesman's 1941 "Catfish Blues" into his famous single "Rollin' Stone"

Tools

It's never too late to appreciate the beauty of Albert King's electric blues guitar

Tools

There's more than Mavis: Other must-see acts include Texas Johnny Brown, Floyd Taylor, Joe Louis Walker, and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band

Tools

An influential slide guitarist, he recorded 335 sides of hokum and jump blues between 1928 and '53 but died largely forgotten in '81

Tools

Lead guitar on Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?", Jody Williams is gigging again after 35 years.

Tools

This gospel singer and bluesman may have been the first guitar evangelist ever to make a record

Tools

Over the weekend soul singer Howard Tate and blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin passed away, at 72 and 80, respectively.

Tools

Fat Possum Records may have abandoned the blues for indie rock, but its Big Legal Mess imprint has been picking up the slack.

Tools

Groundbreaking blues artist recorded with legends

Tools

Steven Lattimore explores the musical legacy and business struggles of the bluesman behind "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Big Boss Man" in his documentary "The Jimmy Reed Experience." It screens Tuesday 2/15 at Dominican University, along with a legal panel and jam session.