Chicago Music
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Donny Hathaway in Chicago.
Donny Hathaway was born in Chicago and raised in St. Louis. Early in his career, he returned to Chicago. During that time period, roughly from 1968 until about 1971, Donny was very prolific. In this hour of Reclaimed Soul, Ayana Contreras explores Donny Hathaway’s early work arranging and writing for other artists in Chicago: from…
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You’re Tuff Enough: junior wells’ new breed blues
The title cut off this 1968 album is a bluesy monster produced by Charles Stepney with more than enough groove to stay squarely in the pocket. Also on this album is the local hit “Up in Heah”, another blues-infused party track. Both of the records will make sceptics rethink the blues. According to the back…
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Linda Clifford dishes it.
Here in Chicago, music fans know Linda Clifford as a singer affiliated with Curtis Mayfield’s camp in the disco era. But Clifford, a native New Yorker, is also a former Miss New York State, and at one time worked as an actress who played minor roles in major films like The Boston Strangler with Tony…
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Spanky & Our Gang, Harmony in the Breezy City
Chicago has a vast musical heritage. It is known for electrifying Delta Blues, known for creating House Music, renowned for its particular brands of Chicago Soul and Gospel, and also known as contributing its own twang to 60’s garage proto-punk, jazz, and just about every other genre out there. Why not loungy folk-pop goodness? Spanky and…
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Natural Four: Soul, if only for a moment
By way of the Bay Area, it’s Chicago’s own Natural Four. They signed to Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records in 1972, after five years without a hit, and within a year they gave us this blue light basement classic: “Can This Be Real.” Inexplicably, the Natural Four never reached the success they deserved, dissolving in 1976. Robert…
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This Day in Chicago Radio History
This week in 1967, at WBEE 1570-AM (out of Harvey), this was the Number One record on their BEE Line-up Chart. It’s the Radiants (on local Chess Records) with “(Don’t it make you) Feel Kind of Bad”. Also on the charts that week: 2. The Whole World is a Stage — Fantastic Four 3. The…
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Love is a Merry-Go-Round: Ginji James and “that thing”
I wanted to share this record with you….because I love it. From the 1971 (Chicago born-and-bred) album, “Love is a Merry-Go-Round”: it’s Ginji James with “Love Had Come to Stay”. It’s sitting-in-the-park music from Brunswick Records (recorded on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago). Sitting-in-the-Park music is that music you hear in your head when you’re…
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The Equalizer is Here…
Chicago-based Shala’s music is afro-punk/hip-hop/electro/freshness (and you can experience it tonight)… For the uninitiated, here’s a link to a sampling: get-yur Shala.-here Equalizer presents Shala. at Darkroom also featuring: Nikki Lynette mathpanda Doc Wattson and resident DJ LA*Jesus Friday, February 27, 2009 at 9:00pm – 2:00am Location: Darkroom Street: 2210 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL…
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Black Merda? Black Rock.
The year is 1969 on the South Side of Chicago (21st & Michigan). Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess), has taken the helm at Chess Records (the Seminal Chicago Blues/Jazz/Gospel label). A fairly hip young cat, Marshall realizes that the hottest acts in popular music at the time borrowed (or gangstered) heavily from the roster at…
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