Steve Knopper

The Black Javas -- neither a new drink at Starbuck's nor a funk band starring country singer Clint -- will grow up to be chickens. The near-extinct breed appears Tuesday...

For Chinese-Irish-Americans, Saturday is Dilemma Day. Local traditional fiddler Liz Carroll, 4:45 p.m. Saturday at the third annual Celtic Fest Chicago in Grant Park? Or a kung fu demonstration and...

Various artists The Songs of Willie Dixon (Telarc) Next: "The Songs of Cole Porter." Or, "Jazz Artists Interpret Duke Ellington." Roughly 7 kazillion singers have recorded songs by Chicago's greatest...

Lonnie Brooks, Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker Lone Star Shootout (Alligator) Supergroup albums work best when they're collaborations, not competitions; this one's a party. These well-traveled Texas blues guitarists...

Ellen DeGeneres (above), the comedian famous for a TV show or something, comes to the Loop in search of her inner clotheshorse. She's host of "Fash Bash -- A World...

Broad topic of the week: "The evolution of jazz," from New Orleans pianist Jelly Roll Morton to avant-gardist Ornette Coleman, with spirituals, funk, R&B, gospel and ragtime thrown in for...

Day One: Pain. Day Two: Love. Day Three: Family. Day Four: A suave guy in a tuxedo snapping his fingers to swing music. That's four straight concerts coming up at...

G. Love & Special Sauce Philadelphonic (OKeh) Even before he began rapping, G. Love ran out of things to say. But by enthusiastically tapping a rich, rarely explored vein --...

Debbie Davies Tales from the Austin Motel (Shanachie) Taking over the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's seat with the great Texas rhythm section Double Trouble, this veteran Los Angeles singer-guitarist holds...

Various artists Short Music for Short People (Fat Wreck Chords) This excellent idea -- 101 catchy hardcore punk bands, old and new, play 30-second songs -- is surprisingly entertaining in...