For anyone who enjoys hearing music outdoors amid enormous crowds, there’s cause to celebrate: The Grant Park summer music season officially begins this weekend with the 16th annual Chicago Blues Festival.
As always, the best thing about the city-sponsored festivals is that they’re free. And the worst thing about them is that they’re free.
Yes, the no-tickets policy enables everyone to partake, but it also can turn what’s allegedly a concert into a rowdy bacchanal.
This year’s Blues Festival offers the usual mix of major stars and musical non-entities, so a pick-and-choose approach is recommended. To that end, we offer an annotated guide to this year’s Blues Festival, which is organized by the Mayor’s Office of Special Events.
Though there’s no predicting the weather or the quality of the performances, blues aficionados will have high expectations of sets by Billy Branch (1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday), Robert Jr. Lockwood (2:30 p.m. Friday), David Honeyboy Edwards (5 p.m. Friday), James Cotton (7 p.m. Friday), Denise LaSalle (8:30 p.m. Saturday), Corey Harris (2 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday) and Taj Mahal (closing the fest with an 8:25 p.m. show).
The park grounds will be open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., through Sunday. Evening headliners perform at the Petrillo Music Shell, at Columbus Drive and Jackson Boulevard; daytime shows are adjacent to the music shell at the Front Porch, Crossroads, Juke Joint and Showcase stages.
For more information, phone the city’s Special Events Hotline at 312-744-3370 or check the Internet at www.ci.chi.il.us/WM/SpecialEvents/
Friday, June 4
Front Porch
1 p.m. Billy Branch with Blues in the Schools: Branch — a gritty singer and virtuoso harpist — upholds classic Chicago blues traditions.
2:30 p.m. Dave Myers and his New Aces, with guests Kim Wilson, Kenny Smith and Robert Jr. Lockwood: Any chance to catch veterans Myers and Lockwood is worth seizing.
4:30 p.m. Tribute to Jimmy Reed, featuring Johnnie Mae Dunson and Jimi “Prime Time” Smith, with Roy Hytower and Eddie Taylor Jr., with Vera Taylor: Veteran singer-songwriter Dunson, who worked with Reed, appears here with her son, Jimi Smith.
Crossroads
2 p.m. Junior Wells Alumni Band, featuring Lee Oskar, Steve Ditzell, Foree Superstar, Phil Guy and J.W. Williams
Juke Joint
Noon. Roy Hytower: The Chicago, R&B singer-guitarist has appeared in several blues and soul stage productions at the Black Ensemble Theatre.
1:30 p.m. Kim Wilson with Big A:. Wilson is known for recordings with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and for the singles “Wrap It Up” and “Tuff Enuff.”
2:30 p.m. Johnnie Mae Dunson Smith: One of the great women of Chicago blues played drums and wrote songs for Jimmy Reed; she recently reignited a long dormant career.
4 p.m. Billy Branch
5 p.m. David “Honeyboy” Edwards: The profound singer-guitarist stands as one of the last surviving links to the life and times of Robert Johnson, Edwards’ friend and colleague.
Showcase Stage
Noon J.B. Ritchie.
1 p.m. The Kinsey Report. Truth to tell, the Chicago band has more in common with vintage rock than bona fide blues music.
2 p.m. Shannon Kurfman
3 p.m. Geneva Red
4 p.m. Sam Cockrell: Dance music with elements of funk and R&B.
5 p.m. Big James Montgomery. The harpist claims to be a disciple of James Cotton and Buddy Guy, coming by his blues roots at Boston University.
6 p.m.-TBA.
Petrillo Music Shell
5 p.m. The Kinsey Report.
6 p.m. Larry McCray: His voice has been compared to B.B. King’s, his guitar to Jimi Hendrix’s.
7 p.m. James Cotton: The man virtually sums up the history of Chicago blues harp.
8 p.m. Kim Wilson Blues Revue, with Billy Branch
Saturday, June 5
Front Porch
12:30 p.m. Shari Kane/Peter Madcat Ruth: Madcat & Kane, as they’re known to blues audiences, for nearly a decade have created a buoyant act combining Ruth’s blues harp with Kane’s electric guitar.
2 p.m. Yoko Noge’s “Jazz Me Blues”: Noge may be the only Osaka (Japan) blues singer based in Chicago.
3:30 p.m. Mary Lane with Rockin’ Johnny: Lane has sung with blues royalty (Robert Nighthawk, Howlin’ Wolf, James Cotton, Junior Wells), while young Rockin’ Johnny Burgin has come up under the tutelage of Lurrie Bell and Johnny B. Moore.
5 p.m. John Jackson/Cephas and Wiggins: Jackson, a veteran song interpreter, merges aspects of traditional Southern blues with rural dance music. He’s assisted by the critically applauded Cephas and Wiggins guitar-harp duo.
Crossroads
1:30 p.m. Bonnie Lee: The singer toured with Sunnyland Slim.
3:30 p.m. Larry Garner: The Louisiana singer-guitarist follows in the musical wake of Buddy Guy and Snooks Eaglin, among others.
Juke Joint
Noon. Cootie Stark and Neal Pattman: Singer-guitarist Stark and harpist Pattman represent vital links to Piedmont blues traditions.
2 p.m. John Jackson/Cephas and Wiggins
3:30 p.m. Shari Kane/Madcat Ruth
Showcase Stage
Noon. Kraig Kenning & Steve Arvey
1 p.m. Jimi “PrimeTime” Smith
2 p.m. Larry Garner
3 p.m. The Fins: A retro jump-blues band
4 p.m. Howard & The Whiteboys: A party band
5 p.m. Rene Austin
6 p.m. Noah & Stratocats
Petrillo Music Shell
5 p.m. Mississippi Heat, featuring Zora Young and Katherine Davis
6:15 p.m. Barbara Carr: Though categorized as a contemporary blues and R&B singer, Carr has deep roots in traditional gospel music
7:15 p.m. Barbara Lynn: The extroverted singer and left-handed guitarist addresses several idioms (soul, R&B, rock, blues).
8:30 p.m. Denise LaSalle: Though known by contemporary listeners for her single “(Don’t Mess With) My Tu Tu,” LaSalle’s reputation as singer-songwriter rests on such tunes as “Trapped By a Thing Called Love,” “Man Sized Job” and “What It Takes to Get a Good Woman.”
Sunday, June 6
Front Porch
1 p.m. Otha Turner and his Rising Star Fife and Drum Band: The nonagenarian leads the only remaining Mississippi fife and drum corps.
2 p.m. Bobbie Mason, with Lena McLin: Mason, who also has been known as Barbara Mason Cannon, is an up-and-coming vocalist; she’ll appear with veteran gospel musician McLin (niece of gospel pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey).
3 p.m. Guy Davis: Part blues musician, part stage actor, the son of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee has achieved a measure of critical acclaim in the theater.
3:45 p.m. Corey Harris: The Virginia singer-guitarist is the rare performer to be admired by fans of both traditional and contemporary blues forms.
5 p.m. Willie and Kenny Smith, with Barrelhouse Chuck, featuring Hubert Sumlin: Sumlin, a Howlin’ Wolf protege, does his most important work as a guitarist.
6 p.m. Louisiana Red: He has recorded as Rocky Fuller, Crying Red and Playboy Fuller, but under any name he has earned acclaim for his slide guitar work, intense vocals and searing lyrics.
Crossroads
1:30 p.m. Tabby Thomas and Chris Thomas King. A merger of rock and blues.
3:30 p.m. Joe and Chris Beard. The father and son represent distinct views on Mississippi blues styles.
Juke Joint
Noon. Neal Pattman and Taj Mahal
1 p.m. Guy Davis
2 p.m. Corey Harris
3 p.m. Lil’ Ed: Leader of the Imperials.
4 p.m. Louisiana Red
Showcase Stage
Noon. Rene Austin
1 p.m. Little Al Thomas
2 p.m. Howard & The Whiteboys
3 p.m. Andy Gomes
4 p.m. Roger Connelly & The Blues Merchants
5 p.m. Pete Special: He’s best known as former guitarist with Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows.
6 p.m. Noah & The Stratocats
Petrillo Music Shell
5 p.m. Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials: A Chicago blues band with an emphasis on raucousness.
6 p.m. Corey Harris
7:10 p.m. Marcia Ball: An exuberant performer, Ball frequently has brought her hard-charging vocal-piano shows to FitzGerald’s, in Berwyn.
8:25 p.m. Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band: The uncategorizable Taj Mahal transcends genre, mixing jazz, gospel, folk, pop, blues and what-not.
