Shemekia Copeland revs up for new sounds
Nearly 15 months ago, life changed in a big way for the mighty Chicago blues singer Shemekia Copeland. The birth of Johnny Lee Copeland-Schultz — her son with Brian Schultz,...
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Delmark Records tribute leads Blues Fest lineup
A daylong tribute to Chicago-based Delmark Records and its founder, Bob Koester, will kick off the 35th annual Chicago Blues Festival, running June 8-10 in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph...
Honoring Marian McPartland, the jazz icon who smashed glass ceilings
After last year’s uncounted centennial tributes to the great men of jazz — from Dizzy Gillespie to Thelonious Monk to Mongo Santamaria — let’s not forget a jazz woman who...
Yes, magician Penn can play jazz bass and proves it at Green Mill
On most weekends, Penn & Teller work their magic at the Rio in Las Vegas, with jazz musician Mike Jones offering wizardry of his own as their pianist and music...
Mister Rogers’ music gets jazzed at Winter’s Jazz Club
Generations of kids grew up watching “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and its star — Fred Rogers — appears ascendant once again in our culture. A documentary of the same name premiered...
Heather Ireland Robinson takes charge at Jazz Institute
For more than two decades, one person above all has been the voice of the Jazz Institute of Chicago: Lauren Deutsch, its executive director since 1996. So when Deutsch announced...
Penn & Teller pianist Mike Jones cuts album with Penn on bass
Las Vegas has more than its share of unusual acts, but none quite like the attraction that opens Penn & Teller’s long-running show at the Rio. As visitors pour into...
The bold art of Denise Thimes surges at Winter’s Jazz Club
A week ago, St. Louis singer Denise Thimes moved to Chicago. So as of Friday night, she could be considered one of this city’s more commanding jazz vocalists. For the...
Russell Gunn gets creative with Columbia students
Some of the most compelling musicians in jazz have shared a stage with Columbia College students during their residencies at the Jazz Showcase, to striking effect. No less than trumpeters...
Singer Grazyna Auguscik ramps up her tempo
In 2013, the distinctive Chicago jazz singer Grazyna Auguscik faced a devastating loss. Marek Bajson, her partner of more than 20 years, was killed by a driver subsequently charged with...