It`s hard to describe the music of Al Rose & the Transcendos. They`re a rock band certainly, but one can also hear elements of jazz and country in their eclectic arrangements. About the only thing that one can readily agree on is that Al Rose & the Transcendos are, in their own words, ”the happiest band alive.”
The Transcendos formed on the North Side several years ago and have since become a regular fixture of the local clubs. The focal point of the band is Rose, an amiable frontman with a wry sense of humor, who also is the chief songwriter. Throughout their brief career, the Transcendos have gravitated between full-fledged rock and a gentler, acoustic sound.
On Friday the electrified lineup will be performing at 10:30 p.m. at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave. (312-525-2508). The Balkan Rhythm Band also will be on the bill. The cover is $5.
Various Transcendos appear in an acoustic set at 8 p.m. Thursdays at Kopi Cafe, 5317 N. Clark St. (312-989-KOPI), a coffeehouse, boutique and travel bookstore that opened recently in the Andersonville neighborhood.
– Shanua, a Cleveland-based trio, performs an unusual mixture of Celtic and Scandinavian music. They will be appearing at 4 p.m. at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 909 W. Armitage Ave. (312-525-7793). The admission is $8.
The name Shanua is a combination of two Irish words: sean (old) and nua
(new). Their name aptly reflects the band`s fusion of the traditional with the modern. Vocalist and keyboardist Ulle Laido has a background in mostly classical music, especially early music, while Dubliner Dermot Somerville sings as well as plays guitar, flute, bouzouki and bodhran (Irish drum). The latest member of the band is fiddler Julie Andrijeski, who is a master of Irish and Scandinavian folk instrumentation.
– On Sunday, Rosa`s Lounge at 3420 W. Armitage Ave. (312-342-0452)
celebrates Maxwell Street blues with a ”Maxwell Street Extravaganza!” The Near West Side neighborhood, long a port of entry for thousands of immigrants, also was the breeding ground for many Chicago blues musicians, including the late bottleneck guitarist Hound Dog Taylor.
Rosa`s will try to recreate the piquant atmosphere of Maxwell Street with a Maxwell Street-inspired flea market, which will feature the sale of vintage blues records and Maxwell Street-style Polish sausage. And in the grand Maxwell Street tradition, customers will be encouraged to haggle and bargain. The flea market begins at 4 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m. two documentaries that chronicle the history of the street,
”And This Is Free” by Gordon Quinn and Mike Shea (1964) and ”Maxwell Street Blues” by Raul Zaretsky and Linda Williams (1981), will be screened. Continuous music by Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis, James and the Maxwell Street Blues Band and David Lindsey West Side Blues begins at 8:30 p.m. Video shorts also will be presented.
The cover charge is $5.
