Jun 5

Jun 5 Blues Fest, Day 1

Blues, Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Festivals, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

The Chicago Blues and Jazz festivals used to take place solely in Millennium Park, and before the park was completed in July 2004, at Grant Park’s Petrillo Band Shell. To its credit, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (“DCASE”) has selected clubs and theaters throughout the city for one or two performances during each festival, hoping to showcase year-round venues for music. This year, DCASE opened the Blues Festival at the recently restored Ramova Theatre in Mayor Richard J. Daley’s old stomping grounds, Bridgeport.

Tonight, 91-year-old Bobby Rush headlined the bill, with Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues opening for Rush. But before any music was heard, there was a panel discussion where various writers and editors associated with Living Blues Magazine traded stories. Moderated by Dick Shurman, the panel included Jim O’Neal, Brett Bonner, Bruce Iglauer, and Deitra Farr. As the tales were spun, one consensus emerged: Rather than just focusing on the music, the 55-year-old publication has provided necessary context by covering the musicians’ personal lives, sometimes even interviewing them in their homes.

Farr’s specialty is interviewing musicians. Her first interview was with Willie Kent. The topic: reincarnation. Possibly her most memorable interview was with Pat Soul Scaggs, a female blues singer, who was in hospice. Scaggs had contracted lung cancer due to repeated exposure to secondhand smoke—she never smoked. Farr wanted her to testify at city hall, hoping that the city council would pass an ordinance prohibiting smoking in clubs. Farr, not deterred when Scaggs was unable to leave hospice to make the case for the ordinance in person, conducted an interview with her in hospice. Following Scaggs’ death, Farr distributed copies of the interview and the Scaggs’ obituary to each Chicago alderman. The ordinance passed.

In discussing the music’s future, one panelist recalled young people telling him for many years that the Blues is “Grandpa’s music.” Not anymore. The panelists pointed to the young crop of artists who have chosen to revive and modernize the Blues, including Saturday night’s headliner, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]

**Bruce Iglauer, Founder of Alligator Records, Discussing *Living Blues Magazine*, the Magazine He Co-Founded in 1970**

The Panel (L-R): Bruce Iglauer, Deitra Farr, Scott Baretta, Dick Sherman, and Jim O’Neal Discussing *Living Blues Magazine*

**Scott Barretta Reflecting on *Living Blues Magazine* and Its Importance in Chronicling Musicians’ Lives**

After a lengthy break, Julia Miller, the President/CEO of Delmark Records, was joined on stage by Blues legend Bobby Rush for a lengthy and highly enjoyable interview. Rush was born in Homer, Louisiana (or at least some place nearby) in 1933, 1934, or possibly 1938. He is not really sure. In 1953, he headed to Chicago, but because he couldn’t afford the $7.70 train ticket, Rush made an intermediate stop in Memphis, Tennessee, where he worked on Beale Street for $3.30 per week. Rush then headed to East St. Louis, where he met Red Foxx and Chuck Berry. There he made considerably more money per week—I recall him saying $9.90 per week. When not playing music, Rush was a bricklayer. Earlier in his life, he worked the cotton fields. Now, he owns a cotton field, but does not work it.

Eventually, Rush arrived in Chicago. While he recorded his music in the Chess Records studios, the company did not issue his records. Before meeting the studio’s owners, Rush, Bo Diddley and one other person were talking in a lobby area. Rush apparently had read that two musician unions were merging. When he told that to one of the Chess brothers, the brother refused to hire Rush because he could read. Rush’s retelling of this tale included some unprintable language uttered by the company executive. Rush went on to start his own record label.

Throughout the interview, Rush exhibited strong business acumen, discussing publishing and performance rights, as well benefits that come with owning the master recordings. Rush was able to retain the masters because he lied to convince others that he knew mobsters. At the point, the story became a little jumbled. Al Capone’s name came up, but Capone died in 1947, long before Rush arrived in Chicago. Rush also referenced Capone’s brother, which might have led people to believe that Rush was connected. Whatever? That’s a long time ago.

Miller also brought up Rush’s recent role in the hit 2025 film Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan. The film’s soundtrack includes the song Juke, which features Rush on harmonica. Rush also educated the cast about being a bluesman. He is pleased to say he wasn’t bitten by a vampire.

Finally, Rush good naturedly took aim at the rappers, including Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent, claiming he was rapping long before those two were born. Later, during his performance, Rush made the same claim.

At 91, Rush looks and sound fantastic. He has had quite the life. in Rush’s view, “It is all right to get old. If you don’t get old you die young.” Returning to his youth, Rush recalled using an outdoor privy, which “looked bad and smelled bad.” Today, he lives in a home with nine bathrooms. Some things do change. His nine bathrooms look good. According to Rush, other things don’t change. They still smell bad—presumably only when in use.

**Julia Miller, President/CEO of Delmark Records, and Bobby Rush Thanking Each Other Following the *Up Close & Personal* Interview**

After another lengthy break, Billy Branch and the Sons of the Blues took the stage. In my view, Branch’s set was a little bit more “Rock” than Blues, but that may have been more because he placed more emphasis on his vocals tonight than on the harp, but there was nevertheless plenty of harp.

I am used to seeing Branch in a smaller ensemble. Tonight he came with three backup singers, as well as Bill McFarland and the Chicago Horns. Together, these two additions added range and variety to Branch’s sound. I was particularly enthralled by the horns.

Branch came storming out of the gate with a a rockin’s anthem entitled If You Don’t Live the Blues, You’ve Got a Hole in Your Song. It was game on, particularly after he name-checked Taylor Swift in the lyrics. I guess she don’t got the Blues.

Of course, he had made my night with his third song, the Lou Rawls classic Dead-End Street. I usually associate this song with the dead of winter because of the extended rap about the Hawk—Chicago’s bone chilling winter winds. But given this past Spring’s bone chilling temperatures, the song was seasonally appropriate. Branch nailed the rap. Lou Rawls might as well have been on stage.

In a nod to past friends who recently died, Branch then sang, Last Night I Lost the Best Friend I Ever Had. He referenced Blues guitarists Carl Weathersby and Joe Louis Walker, among others. This tune certainly hit home with me, as my best friend, Maxwell, died Monday at Noon after a short illness.

I thought the next song was the Willie Dixon classic, Wang Dang Doodle, but I never heard that phrase as Branch sang. Afterwards, he credited it to Little Walker. Nevertheless, for me the Wang Dang Doodle reference is descriptive of the sound.

Branch than slowed things down, with I Am the Harmonica Man, a contemplative Blues that proved to be a crowd pleaser.

I don’t know if his intentions were political, but Branch finished with what started as a slow gospel song entitled, Begging for Change. After what has transpired during the first five months of the Trump Administration, I think we are all begging for change, particularly today as a WWE cage match came to the White House featuring Trump and his former best buddy, Elon Musk. But midway through the song, Branch sang, “Brother can I get a little change from you,” suggesting the song might be about a guy down on his luck. Branch seemed to have thrown the audience a double entendre. Whatever his intentions, the three female singers provided a spirited lead in. They were joined by a choir of about 15 enthusiastic teenagers who comprised the Chicago West Community Music Center Choir. They certainly added some heft.

Overall, Branch and company turned in an excellent set.

**Introducing Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues**

**Billy Branch Stepping Back from the Mic as Giles Corey Takes a Brief Solo**

**Sumito Ariyoshi, aka Ariyo, Adding Some Electric Piano**

**Bill McFarland Leading the Chicago Horns**

**The Saxophone Player with the Chicago Horns Adding His Two Cent**s

**One of the Female Vocalists Looking Very Serious**

**The Chicago West Community Music Center Choir Joining Billy Branch on Stage**

**Billy Branch Looks on as Ronnie Baker Brooks Lets It Rip**

Throughout his long journey through life, Bobby Rush has performed with such luminaries as Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed. The Recording Academy has awarded him the Grammy for Best Traditional Blues album three times (2017, 2021, and 2024). He has seven Grammy nominations under his belt. In short, Blues royalty took the Ramova stage tonight.

Rush may be 91 years old, but he moves like a 25-year-old, kicking his leg in the air, wiggling his hips, thrusting his pelvis, and flirting with his two backup singers. Throughout his set, he alternated between vocals and harmonica. He opened with a song entitled, I Can’t Stand It, which set the juke joint mood for the evening.

Everyone in the audience knew the third song of the evening, the Muddy Waters classic, Hoochie Coochie Man. What many may not have known is that Willie Dixon first offered the song to Rush, who told Dixon to give it to Muddy—at least that is Rush’s version. Imagine had Rush not been so generous. What might the Rolling Stones have called themselves—the Chicken Heads? Maybe not, because that song was released in 1971. Rush proudly notes that it went to Number One on the Billboard Black Music Chart, with James Brown and Bill Withers holding down the Number 2 and 3 positions.

During an extended tour of the audience, Rush sang, Someday You’re Going to Get a Man Like Me. He flirted with every woman seated in the front row, or at least it seemed so. Of course, he couldn’t pass up Lin Frauenhoff, who was seated next to photographer and her spouse Mark Sheldon. Mark knows Rush, so he laughed.

Toward the end of the set, Rush launched into, You Can Call Me Sugar; Sugar Never Looked So Sweet, which turned into a duet with one of his backup vocalists. For an extended period, she took over lead vocals as Rush played harp. Her voice was outstanding. Of course with a title that included the word “Sugar,” there was plenty of flirting between Rush and both singers.

At one point toward the end of the set, Rush put on a sequined glove, doing his best Michael Jackson impression. And as noted, he declared himself to be the original rapper.

For my money, the last two numbers were too long, which resulted in the set losing some focus, although I doubt most in the audience agree with me. My reaction may be attributable to the fact that I was flagging a bit.

In any event, at 91, Rush still can command a stage and entertain an audience. He is an amazing talent. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to shake his hand and tell him I enjoyed his work. I could tell, even in that brief moment, that he is both a warm and humble man.