Wikipedia: The now-defunct Regal Theater in Chicago was part of the so-called “chitlin circuit,” that “provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers during the era of racial segregation in the United States (from at least the early 19th century through the 1960s.) Sometime in … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (Part 2) – The Queen of Soul
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died on August 16, 2018 at the age of 76. This is her story. If you think know Aretha, you probably don’t. Read on. I think that, to make sense of Aretha – “Ree” to her friends and family … Continue reading Aretha Franklin – (Part 1) The Sacred and the Profane
So a while back I started reading that the Cabot Theater in Beverly MA – a somewhat artsy town north of Boston – was going to have a night of tribute to Bessie Smith. (We saw Los Lobos here not too long ago.) I looked … Continue reading Bessie Smith – (Part 2) – The Greatest Blues Singer in the World Will Never Stop Singing
I’ve had Bessie Smith on my to-post list forever but had not gotten around to writing it. But I went to an event that catalyzed me into finally posting. That event will be Part 2, probably tomorrow. And if you like this one, you won’t … Continue reading Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues (Part 1)
I wrote a brief bio of Boz Scaggs in this post recently. I hadn’t really planned on writing about him – or for that matter follow up a blues post with a blues post – but I heard this new album (July 2018) of his … Continue reading Featured Album – Out of the Blues – Boz Scaggs
This post has two titles because while it’s about the Butterfield band, it also incorporates info from an excellent documentary called Horn from the Heart about Butterfield that I saw at a theater last night. Read on – there’s a lot of history here. “It’s … Continue reading The Paul Butterfield Blues Band + Horn From the Heart
Here’s a bunch of new tunes for ya that I think you might enjoy. This New Music Revue is a little bluesier than most of the recent ones I’ve done but, well, that’s what I’m hearing that I like currently. Brandi and the Alexanders list … Continue reading New Music Revue – 10.7.18
