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- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Mar 25, 2021
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Andrew ‘Big Voice’ Odom sang for blues stars but never became one
This wrenchingly powerful vocalist toured internationally—and also used to drop by Maxwell Street and overwhelm the makeshift sound systems.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Feb 25, 2021
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Big Daddy Kinsey was the Muddy Waters of Gary, Indiana
The blues patriarch also had three sons who played together as the Kinsey Report.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Mar 24, 2020
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Blues guitarist Lurrie Bell beat mental illness to build a thriving career
By the early 90s he didn’t even own a guitar anymore, but now he’s got a shelf full of Blues Music Awards.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Jan 27, 2020
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Slide guitarist John Littlejohn brought Mississippi country blues to Chicago
His raw style grew from the same soil that produced Elmore James, but he never became a star outside the Windy City.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Jan 6, 2020
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Blues singer Lucille Spann earned a share of her famous husband’s spotlight
Most of her recordings were with star pianist Otis Spann, but she released a great solo album in 1974.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Mar 26, 2019
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Blues bassist Calvin ‘Fuzz’ Jones made Muddy Waters sound his best
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, who spent most of his five-decade career in Chicago, was one of the most prominent sidemen in electric blues.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Feb 26, 2019
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Freddie Roulette is one of the few lap steel guitarists in the blues
In a career more than 50 years long, Roulette has lent his slide stylings to the likes of Earl Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, and John Lee Hooker.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Aug 29, 2017
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Evanston new wavers the Front Lines exemplify the richness of the overlooked midwestern scene
Formed at Northwestern in 1979, the Front Lines played diverse and ambitious tunes—but they split after just a few years, done in by drummer turnover.
- Music, Music Feature Feb 2, 2015
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In Billy Branch's blues, the legendary Palm Tavern still stands
Gerri Oliver's bar, once a crown jewel of Bronzeville, was shut down by the city in 2001. But blues harpist Billy Branch remains dedicated to preserving the history and culture it embodied.
- Music, The Secret History of Chicago Music Feb 21, 2013
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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.
- Blogs, Bleader May 7, 2007
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Norah, Laura, and Carey
Norah Jones takes it easy, while Laura Veirs doesn't; Carey Bell dead at 70.
