Saturday, June 15, 2024
The COOLEST Blues Festival in the Midwest is back with an amazing line up.
FRIDAY
Toronzo Cannon: 7 PM
Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon defies all expectations. The blistering guitarist, soulful vocalist, singular songwriter and city bus driver fuses his muscular, rock-inspired blues guitar playing with his original, keenly detailed slice-of-life songs, blazing his own blues trail. “I want my songs to be heard and experienced, not just listened to,” says the cliché-defying, internationally beloved Chicago bluesman. With the 2016 release of his Alligator Records debut ”The Chicago Way,” Cannon burst onto the world stage as one the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades. Cannon has since played major cities all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and recently, for the first time in Japan. His third Alligator Records album, “Shut Up & Play!,” drops June 13, the same day he’ll be jamming live at Blues on the Fox. Cannon blazes his own path with 11 emotionally-charged originals, fueled by his powerful, cathartic guitar solos and his soulfully authoritative voice.
Robert Randolph: 9 PM
A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Randolph burst onto the music scene in the early 2000’s. His innovative approach to the instrument has earned him four Grammy nominations, multiple blues Music Awards, a BMI award, and Rolling Stone named Randolph one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” While Randolph cut his teeth playing in services at the House of God Church in his native New Jersey (a denomination where the pedal steel is a key part of the musical program), his talents were discovered by fans outside the church, and he made his debut with a live album recorded with his backing group the Family Band at 2001’s Live at the Wetlands. Randolph’s first studio set, 2003’s “Unclassified,” broadened his repertoire with flashes of funk and Caribbean sounds. His subsequent albums with the Family Band include 2010’s When We Walk This Road (produced by T-Bone Burnett) and 2013’s Lickety Split. Upon first listen, Eric Clapton tapped Robert Randolph to tour the world opening for his band and include him in every iteration of the legendary Crossroads Festival.
SATURDAY
Wayne Baker Brooks: 3 PM
Born and raised in Chicago amongst the most prolific blues legends in the world, Wayne Baker Brooks’s blues roots may run deeper and wider than the Great Lakes themselves. The youngest son of blues master Lonnie Brooks, Wayne was literally born into the blues. Growing up he was a regular visitor at Chess Studios, Checkerboard Lounge, Wise Fools, and many other blues landmarks where he witnessed live performances by Buddy Guy, Jr. Wells, Luther Allison, KoKo Taylor, the great Muddy Waters, and his father. Leaving no way around the fate appointed him, he soon joined his father’s band as guitarist. In 1997, while continuing to work with his father’s band, he formed the Wayne Baker Brooks Band. He has performed with Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor , Bo Diddley, Corey Harris, The Black Crowes, Otis Rush, Jr. Wells Shemekia Copeland , Johnny Lang , Susan Tedeschi, Keb Mo, Jimmy Vivino , Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal, Mick Fleetwood, Bobby Rush, Elvin Bishop, Billy Branch and many more.
Guy King: 5 PM
Guy King has built a reputation as one of the greatest blues and jazz artists to come out of Chicago in recent history His music is fresh and unique while maintaining a strong link to the musical masters that came before him. His natural musical abilities and his one-of-a-kind blend of blues, jazz, soul, rock and R&B are some of what makes King so special. His newest album, the autobiographical “Joy is Coming,” sees King showcasing his songwriting chops, bringing to mind Bill Withers, Eric Clapton and Steely Dan while presenting King’s true artistic voice. He has graced stages around the world. As a singer, King’s beautiful and soulful voice is perfect for his music. His unique approach to the guitar has been compared to jazz legend Wes Montgomery and blues legend Albert King.
Joanne Shaw Taylor: 7 PM
Critically acclaimed British guitarist and singer songwriter, Joanne Shaw Taylor was initially discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics at the tender age of 16 after he witnessed her remarkable guitar playing. Today, Taylor is universally hailed as the UK’s premiere blues rock guitarist. Over the past two decades, she has proven herself as a prolific songwriter, releasing seven acclaimed albums under her belt, each increasingly more successful. Taylor’s 2019 “Reckless Heart” broke into the UK Top 20 Album Chart, cementing her as one of the most important exports in British blues-rock. Her newest release, “The Blues Album,” is a collection of blues and soul covers produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith at Oceanway Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and released on Bonamassa’s independent label Keeping The Blues Alive Records. “The Blues Album” topped the Billboard Blues charts giving Taylor her first #1.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters: 9 PM
Big Head Todd and The Monsters have persisted as a rare force of nature in rock ‘n’ roll. The platinum-selling Colorado quartet — Todd Park Mohr (vocals, guitar, keys, sax, harmonica), Brian Nevin (drums), Rob Squires (bass, vocals), and Jeremy Lawton (keyboards, lap pedal/steel guitar, vocals) — have consistently churned out undeniable and uplifting anthems fueled by a hybrid of no-nonsense hard rock, simmering soul, dyed-in-the-wool blues and a twist of country. Todd, Brian and Rob started playing music together while still in high school during the early eighties. Becoming Big Head Todd and The Monsters during 1986, that lane has twisted and turned as much as Highway 66. Following a quiet D.I.Y. rise, the group shook the mainstream with 1993’s now-classic platinum-certified “Sister Sweetly.” In its wake, Robert Plant tapped the band to open his Fate of Nations Tour. Following “Strategem” (1994), they unveiled “Beautiful World” (1997) highlighted by a cover of “Boom Boom” (featuring John Lee Hooker)—which notably became the theme song for “NCIS: New Orleans.” The band welcomed Jeremy to the fold in 2001. After penning “Blue Sky” at the urging of friends connected to NASA, they notably performed the song live from Mission Control as an interplanetary wakeup call for astronauts on the shuttle. Along the way, the guys joined B.B. King for a “Crossroads” session and toured with blues heroes a la Hubert Sumlin and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. They have headlined Red Rocks Amphitheatre a staggering 35 times. Recognizing “38 years of continuous musical service to fans,” the Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted the quartet as part of its Class of 2023. Now, they’ve crafted the perfect soundtrack to this journey in the form of their twelfth full-length offering, “Her Way Out.”
Useful links:
romansobus.net
Photo by Alain Boucly