From his Cincinnati childhood to his Chicago adulthood, music remains a motivating force in Karl Meyer’s life. He looks back on a broad career as a hardcore punk and blues […]

Bessie Smith: A Poet’s Biography of a Blues Legend By Jackie Kay Vintage Books Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues, liked to spend money on herself and on her friends, […]

Is Wisconsin the furthest state from the Mississippi Delta? Culturally, perhaps. Yet the land of butter burgers and cheese curds played a big role in preserving the blues. While 78 […]

Note: Jean K. Carney will discuss Blackbird Blues at the Seminary Co-Op Bookstore (5751 S Woodlawn Avenue) on Thursday, January 16, at 6 p.m. Blackbird Blues; by Jean K. Carney Bedazzled […]

Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson By Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow Chicago Review Press Robert Johnson is a definitive legend, though the dead-at-27 bluesman […]

If you’ve never listened to Dana Fuch’s solo music, you might still recognize her voice. The powerful singer played the role of (Sexy) Sadie in Julie Taymor’s Beatles musical Across the […]

Entering the venue for a concert performed by a one-man blues band is a curious experience. Expectations are not certain, but stage presence will be key. Jonathon Linaberry, otherwise known […]

Jonathon Linaberry, otherwise known as The Bones of JR Jones, doesn’t get to explore the cities he tours much just yet. But he’ll be in Chicago for just under two […]

The blues are an inherently paradoxical art form when they make a public appearance—misery with the travails of life transmuted into joyful music. Last night at Rosa’s Lounge, Lil’ Ed […]

I knew I was in for a wild, primal evening of music at Lincoln Hall for the second night of Tomorrow Never Knows. With a name like All Them Witches […]