Chicago Blues Fest 2005

Chicago Blues Fest

SPECIAL FEATURE

ERIC STEINER’S OVERVIEW OF HIS FIRST EVER

CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL

Text & All Photos by Eric Steiner

The Chicago Blues Festival caps a month of blues activities in Kingston Mines and Buddy Guy’s Legends as well as lunchtime events at Daley Plaza and the Chicago Cultural Center.

Tying “Blues Season” together is the world’s largest free blues festival featuring 70+ performers on six stages in Grant Park.

This year’s theme, Chicago Breakdown, honored Big Maceo Merriweather’s song of the same name and celebrated the centennials of Jimmy Walker and Meade Lux Lewis.

The Best Buy Showcase Stage featured Michael Powers, Howard and the Whiteboys, Scott Bradbury, Steve Arvey and Kraig Kenning. Liz Mandville Greeson brought her bawdy blues to the stage, and the versatile After Midnight Blues Band showcased material from their excellent Love Gamble CD.

The attached pictures hint at the magic I experienced at the Petrillo Music Shell.

Buddy Guy’s impassioned “Feels Like Rain” to an SRO audience reminded me why I love Chicago blues. Rain clouds hovered while Buddy played some extended solos around one of John Hiatt’s signature tunes.

Jody Williams played his Red Lightnin’ Gibson on a rousing send-up of “Wham Bam, Thank You Ma’am,” and played several cuts off his latest Evidence Records CD, You Left Me in the Dark. Blues Foundation Executive Director Jay Sieleman presented the 2005 Howlin’ Wolf Award to Jody, who beamed with gratitude.

Warming the stage for Howlin’ Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin, “Steady Rollin’” Bob Margolin scorched his slide on “Mean Old Chicago,” written en route to Jimmy Rogers’ funeral in 1997.

Bob brought bassist Mookie Brill from North Carolina, and this blues dream-team featured Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums and the Hoosier state’s own legend, Pinetop Perkins on piano. “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “I’m Ready,” and “Little Red Rooster” brought me back to the first time I heard the blues 30 years ago.

David “Honeyboy”Edwards celebrated his 90th birthday party, and when Sam Lay switched from National steel guitar to the drums, Honeyboy showed that he’s still got it on slide.

The Chicago Blues Festival has something for everyone: acoustic or electric, Piedmont or West Side, spoken word, or soul cooking. Next year, the festival will celebrate its 23rd anniversary, and this year’s line-up will be hard to beat.

Editor’s Note: Visit the August-September issue of Cosmik Debris online @ www.cosmik.com, for additional coverage and photos by Midwest Beat columnist Eric Steiner of the 2005 Chicago Blues Festival.

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