Chicago Blues Festival
Fri. 06/08 | 11:00AM - Sun. 06/10 | 9:00PM @ Grant Park (map)
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The Chicago Blues Festival has presented
countless number of blues notes and moments to millions of blues fans
from around the world on Chicago's lakefront Grant Park. After coming on
board midstream for the initial festival in 1984 I have had the
opportunity to help the City of Chicago celebrate an important part of
the city's heritage and lay the foundation for the annual festival's
role in becoming an important city institution. The city's first Blues
festival helped open the summer festival season and came a year after
the death of blues icon Muddy Waters. Thus the first festival celebrated
Muddy's memory and presented many artists who today are just a memory.
Eddie Taylor, Estella Yancey, Jr. Wells, and many who represented the
Sons and Daughters who today make up a very important part of the mature
Chicago Blues community.
Through the years the festival has celebrated many benchmarks; what would have been Robert Johnson or T-bone Walker turning 80 years old to the centennials of Big Bill Broonzy, Bessie Smith, Skip James and others. Each benchmark places the blues in context especially when icons like Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Walker, and Willie Dixon were around to help keep the blues alive. In previous years we have been privileged to present Honey Boy Edwards, Henry Townsend and Homesick James on days when the Blues in the Schools students perform. That's what the festival is all about-showing the blues as a living tradition and celebrating the men and women who lived their lives playing and singing the blues.
So, let it be the night Chuck Berry shared the stage with Keith Richards or the evening the crowd left the park after Little Milton's set singing "Hey Hey the Blues are Alright"; or even the days Janie Hunter did circle dances with the audience and John Lee Hooker did "Boogie chillen" solo for a crowd of hundreds the Chicago Blues Festival as it stands has provided countless number of memories for too numerous numbers of patrons to be able to quantify in this passage. Thus, turn the page and plan your weekend out with a music to "let you hair down and have a good time."Friday, June 8
The 2012 Chicago Blues Festival kicks-off on Friday, June 8th with performances by Joe Louis Walker, Eddie C. Campbell and Texas Johnny Brown (above).
Saturday, June 9
Saturday's headliners include Billy Branch
and the Sons and Blues, Rev. K M Williams,Paul Kaye, Steady Rollin Bob Margolin andFloyd Taylor (above).
Sunday, June 10
Mavis Staples (above) closes out the Chicago Blues Festival with a performance at the Petrillo Music Shell.
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Chicago Reader on Chicago Blues Festival @ Grant Park
about 1 year ago -
TimeOutChicago on Chicago Blues Festival @ Grant Park
about 1 year agoYour yearly reminder that the blues has nothing to do with a box of neon-orange macaroni, the "Blues Capital of the World" celebrates with the world's largest free blues fest. Chicago native Mavis Staples headlines. Subway: Red to Monroe; Blue to Washington; Orange, Green, Pink, Purple (rush hrs), Brown to Randolph more at timeoutchicago.com
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