VINYL IS BACK ON DELMARK! Josh Berman's new Old Idea
will be available very soon on LP, in addition to CD-Delmark's first LP of new
recordings since Dave Specter teamed up with Barkin Bill in '91.
Two of Delmark's famous "Desert Island Discs" are now available again on glorious
vinyl, LP records- Magic Sam's West Side Soul and Roscoe Mitchell's
ground-breaking avant-garde jazz album Sound.
Chicago CD RELEASE PARTIES for Josh Berman will be at the
Hideout on June 3rd, and June 7th at the Hungry Brain. And we'll be celebrating
Eddie C. "King of the West Side Funk Blues." Campbell's Tear
this World Up, along with his 70th Birthday. at Reggie's on June 13th.
The 26th annual CHICAGO BLUES FEST is almost here, and we're very excited
to catch as much as we can of the amazing free talent, including Delmark artists
and headliners June 12th: Shirley Johnson and Eddie C. Campbell.
Lurrie Bell, turns heads with his unpredictable guitar blasts and soul/gospel
soaked vocals. A special Earwig Records tribute to the much missed Sunnyland
Slim will feature Delmark artists, pianists Aaron Moore, Allen Batts,
and Dennis Binder. Other notable Delmark recording artists performing
are the following: Gloria Thompson Rogers (vocals on James Wheeler's Ready),
Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Pinetop: voc, piano
on Carey Bell's Blues Harp, Big Eyes: harp on Morris Pejoe/Arthur "Big
Boy" Spires Wrapped In My Baby,) Grana' Louise (voc on Bay City
Jazz Band's Alligator Crawl,) Eddie Taylor Jr. (guitar on Little
Arthur Duncan's Singin' With The Sun,) Sam Lay (drums on Eddy
Clearwater's Boogie My Blues Away,) John Primer (guitar on Shirley
Johnson's Killer Diller, Jesse Thomas' Blues Is A Feeling,)
Walter Scott (guitar on Karen Carroll's Talk To The Hand &
Zora Young's Tore Up From The Floor Up,) & Gene Barge (sax,
arranger, producer on Tad Robinson's One To Infinity, Syl Johnson's Talkin'
Bout Chicago.) Will Syl Johnson and his famous vocals sit in with
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings like he did at last summer's Lollapalooza?
A Chicago Blues Fest first is the inclusion of a DJ set from East of Edens
Soul Express, led by soul/funk/blues writers/historians James Porter and
John Ciba spinning killer 45s (I was fortunate to have them DJ my wedding!)
Don't forget about our popular annual DELMARK BLUES BRUNCH at the Mart,
Sunday, June 14, 10 am `til noon at Jazz Record Mart (always FREE!) This year
returns one of Chicago's favorite and hardest working blues bands, our dear
friends from Mississippi Heat- led by the vastly talented harp player/songwriter,
Pierre Lacocque, along with one of Chicago's most underrated dynamic
vocalists, blues chanteuse Inetta Visor. Special guest vocals from the
one and only Tail Dragger.
A very special post Blues Fest DELMARK SHOW will be Saturday, June 13th
at 10pm at Reggie's Music Joint downtown, "Delmark Records Revue: The Incredible
Blues Comeback Concert featuring: Eddie C. Campbell CD release party,
Rockin' Johnny Burgin, Tail Dragger, Johnny B. Moore and Jesse Fortune.
With many special guests, including L.A. guitarist Cadillac Zack."
The 31st annual CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL lineup was just announced (Sept.
4-6 in Grant Park), with many Delmark recording artists performing, including
artist in residence, famed pianist/bandleader Muhal Richard Abrams (with
his trio featuring Roscoe Mitchell and his Big Band.) World famous jazz
flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell will be celebrating her debut recording
of her long time working group Black Earth Strings, Renegades
(Delmark 587.) Chicago's favorite elder statesmen of jazz saxophone,
Velvet Lounge Club owner Fred Anderson will celebrate his 80th Birthday
with special guests, and Von Freeman will lead a "New Apartment Lounge"
jam, in honor of his long time weekly gig on the South Side. Legendary Archie
Shepp returns, leading a quartet with talented Chicago pianist Willie
Pickens. In demand local guitarist Jeff Parker will lead his quartet
(and also perform with his famed post rock group Tortoise at the hipster
Pitchfork Music Fest in July.) Popular local hornman Eric Schneider (on
Jim Beebe and Sir Charles Thompson's Delmarks) will be showin' some
Benny Goodman love in a tribute, and stellar NYC bassist William Parker
(on Roy Campbell & Zane Massey's Delmarks) will lead another special tribute
to Chicago's soul icon, Curtis Mayfield. Jazz vocalist Dee Alexander
(featured on trumpet phenom Corey Wilkes'debut Drop It as well as MalachiThompson
projects) will wow the crowds, as will guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque
(on Ethnic Heritage Ensemble's live Delmark) and his Flat Earth Ensemble. Vibraphonist/composer
Jason Adasiewicz (who is on Jason Ajemian's Art of Dying, Rob
Mazurek's latest, Sound Is, and Josh Berman's debut, Old Idea)
leads his ambitious quintet, Rolldown (which also includes cornet master Josh
Berman.)
OTHER NOTABLE SHOWS THIS SUMMER: The prestigious VISION Fest in NYC will
feature Delmark free jazz heavies Ernest Dawkins, Billy Bang, Kidd Jordan,
Hamid Drake, Fred Anderson, Sun Ra Arkestra, William Parker, Roy Campbell and
more from June 9-15th, "Legends of Chicago Blues Guitar" with Jody Williams,
James Wheeler, and Billy Flynn (with Lurrie Bell opening the
show with a rare acoustic set) will be at Dave Specter's new club in Evanston,
S.P.A.C.E on June 11th, also at S.P.A.C.E. will be jazz/blues guitarists Dave
Specter and Jeff Parker playing together (!) on June 25th, Josh
Berman will be at Dave Douglas' Festival of New Trumpet Music on June 26th
in NYC, and percussionist/composer Kahil El' Zabar presents a tribute
to Barack Obama, featuring the Chicago Improvisers Orchestra with many
special guests at Chicago's Millennium Park on July 30th, and our favorite local
Big Band, John Burnett's Swing Orchestra, appears every Wednesday at
Green Dolphin Street. Look for many Delmark artists at the Hyde Park Jazz Fest
on September 26th, including saxophonist/pianist Ari Brown and trumpeters
Corey Wilkes and Brad Goode.
- Kevin Johnson, Delmark promotions