Latest news with #BobbyRush
Forbes
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mavis Staples, John Primer Deliver Soulful Sets At Chicago Blues Fest
Rick Holmstrom (left) and Mavis Staples (right) perform on stage during Chicago Blues Fest. Sunday, ... More June 8 at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, IL 'My name is Ivan Singh - this is a dream come true,' said the Argentinian guitarist, kicking off Blues Fest last month in Chicago. Singh now calls Chicago home and stands as a perfect example of the way the world's largest free blues festival continues to embrace local talent, drawing a massive early crowd at just after noon on a hot summer Friday along the lakefront in the Windy City's Millennium Park ahead of a run of European dates. Singh, 26, was backed on the Rosa's Lounge stage by a five piece group including a horn section that cooked, attacking his cigar box with a slide as he took on Muddy Waters' 'I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man' at the top of his set. Ivan Singh performs on stage during a birthday celebration at Rosa's Lounge. October 26, 2024 in ... More Chicago, IL Chicago Blues Fest began way back in 1984, just about one year after Waters' death, taking place annually since. This year's festival included an in depth look at the career of bluesman Bobby Rush, 91, a women in blues tribute to Denise LaSalle and a 75th anniversary celebration of Chess Records featuring Charles Berry Jr. and Charles Berry III, the son and grandson of the legendary rock and roller. Red-hot guitarist Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, 26, who was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the birthplace of the blues, performed two sets, taking part in a centennial tribute to legendary guitarist B.B. King ahead of a festival closing performance by Chicago native, soul singer and Civil Rights activist Mavis Staples. Mavis Staples performs on stage during Chicago Blues Fest. Sunday, June 8, 2025 at Jay Pritzker ... More Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, IL 'I've learned from Dr. King to just hold on and keep pushing - don't give up. If you fall down, pick yourself up, brush off and keep going. That's what we would do when we were marching,' said Staples, 86, looking back upon her time alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the 60s during a conversation in 2020. 'Everything he did was for us. And I do mine for the people,' she said. 'When people come to my concerts, I want them to leave there feeling better than they did when they arrived. So, I'm following in his footsteps.' Despite rain earlier in the day, Staples' offered up a full set nevertheless, closing out Blues Fest following the unique pairing of incendiary jazz saxophonist Frank Catalano and blues guitarist Lurrie Bell, with the duo nodding in the direction of B.B. King, who brought those worlds together magically on the 1983 album Blues 'N' Jazz. Saturday, Mississippi-born bluesman Jesse Robinson offered up a scorching set on the Visit Mississippi Crossroads stage, working up his take, appropriately enough, on 'Sweet Home Chicago,' early in his 75 minute performance. Frank Catalano performs on stage during a set with Lurrie Bell at Chicago Blues Fest. Sunday, June ... More 8, 2025 at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, IL Louisiana born singer Vickie Baker is now a Mississippi-based teacher and followed Robinson with over an hour of her own, taking a sultry approach to her set as she picked up harmonica for her latest single 'Cheatin' Tonight.' But Saturday belonged to John Primer, 80, who, over more than six decades, has collaborated with artists like Willie Dixon and Junior Wells while working as guitarist and band leader for Waters. Following a Friday duo set alongside harmonica player Steve Bell, who recently portrayed Sonny Terry in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, Primer delivered a rollicking 75 minutes alongside his Real Deal Blues Band. 'We're workin' up the king, y'all: B.B. King!' announced Primer proudly, introducing the six piece group's take on 'Baby, Look at You.' 'Tom Holland on the guitar. Johnny Iguana on the keyboards y'all!' he continued, shouting out longtime cohort Holland and guest keyboard player Iguana, who, alongside Jeffrey 'JQ' Qaiyum, scores the Chicago-centered FX on Hulu restaurant drama The Bear. 'You're probably too young to know this song,' joked Primer of the 1961 cut. John Primer and The Real Deal Blues Band perform on stage during Chicago Blues Fest. Saturday, June ... More 7, 2025 at Millennium Park in Chicago, IL Iguana sparkled on 'Hard Working Woman,' a song Primer sent out to his mother, before offering up an unexpected cover on stage at Chicago Blues Fest. 'I was born and raised on country and western in Mississippi back in the day,' said the singer with a smile, wrapping a fun take on Glen Campbell's 'Rhinestone Cowboy.' As the smell of barbecue wafted across Millennium Park, the all-star ensemble offered up 2019's 'Rainy Night in Georgia,' with Primer on a ripping slide guitar during 'I Can't Be Satisfied' moments later. John Primer (left) and Tom Holland (right) perform on stage during Chicago Blues Fest. Saturday, ... More June 7, 2025 at Millennium Park in Chicago, IL But just a year removed from a similar celebration of Chicago blues icon Buddy Guy, Blues Fest 2025 belonged to south side Chicago native Mavis Staples. 'I know people feel down and mishearted but you have to continue to hold onto your faith. Hold onto hope. If we don't, what do we got?' asked Staples during our 2020 chat, comments regarding COVID which nevertheless remain eerily prescient five years later. 'When I get ready to close the show, I let the people know that when you come out in the morning, if you're going to work or school or wherever, if you walk into someone, put a smile on your face. Just be kind! You'll feel so much better about yourself when you see that person smile back at you,' she said. 'The world just may as well get ready to be bothered with me,' said Mavis Staples. 'Because I'm gonna be right here in their faces.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bronzeville restaurant serves up politics as Pritzker, Mitchell make first campaign stop
CHICAGO (WGN) — Politics was again on the menu for Wednesday's lunch at Peaches in Bronzeville, with Gov. JB Pritzker and his new running mate, Christian Mitchell, making their first campaign stop together. With current Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton vying for a US Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Dick Durbin, Mitchell has stepped in for her on the ballot. Pritzker and Mitchell both stress the transition would be smooth; they worked well together during Mitchell's tenure as deputy governor. 'Everywhere in the state of Illinois we have worked hard to lift people up, we're going to continue to do that as a team,' Mitchell said. Gov. Pritzker announces Christian Mitchell as pick for Lieutenant Governor Various Chicago politicos happened to be at Peaches when the pair stopped by, including former Rep. Bobby Rush and Sean Harden, the president of the Chicago Board of Education. 'At the heart of it, I think they appreciate the importance of education,' Harden said. 'There's no doubt about that and we just have to rebuild the relationship.' Peaches, near East 47th Street and South Martin Luther King Drive, sits in the statehouse district Mitchell represented for six years. In selecting Mitchell, the governor said he wanted someone who could take over for him if necessary. While both men are from Chicago and made their first campaign stop here, they'll soon be taking their message downstate. 'When you're a state rep. you don't just represent, you also are voting on things that are good for people all across the state,' Pritzker said. 'My first hearing when I was chair of the committee on Economic Opportunity was in Carbondale to talk about the impacts of higher education cuts in the previous administration on those towns. I plan to go everywhere, be everywhere, meet people where they are,' Mitchell added. The path to securing statewide victory for a Democrat usually includes running up the vote totals among African Americans, making Bronzeville an obvious first campaign stop. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time Out
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The world's biggest free blues festival is back in Chicago this weekend
One of the biggest (literally!) names of summer festival season in Chicago is back again: The Chicago Blues Festival 2025, the largest free blues music festival in the world, is horn-blowing its way into the Windy City for its 40th installment (the only year it skipped was 2020, naturally), taking over Ramova Theatre, Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park from tonight, June 5 through Sunday, June 8. This outdoor festival is a great way to enjoy the city and Chicago's culture and history, closely tied to its music scene. You're sure to hear some quintessential Chicago blues, a specific electric genre that dates back to the 1940s when Mississippi blues artists made their way to the Illinois city, forever influencing its music and culture. The live music event regularly attracts more than 500,000 listeners to Millennium Park and fellow venues across its festival dates. In addition to celebrated professional artists, including real-deal icons like Mavis Staples and Bobby Rush, you can also listen to new and upcoming musicians as they take the stage—some for the first time. This year's lineup includes a B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, D.K. Harrell, and Jonathan Ellison as well as a Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle featuring Nellie "Tiger" Travis, Thornetta Davis, Nora Jean Wallace, and Mzz Reese with Jonathan Ellison. Good to know: While the event is indeed free of charge, admission is first-come, first-served so arrive early to secure your spot. Check out the full lineup of Chicago Blues Festival performances below: Thursday, June 5 Ramova Theatre 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Billy Branch and The Sons of Blues 9-10:15 p.m. - Bobby Rush Friday, June 6 Jay Pritzker Pavilion 3:45-4 p.m. - Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice 4-5 p.m. - D.K. Harrell 5:15-6:15 p.m. - Dawn Tyler Watson 6:30-7:15 p.m. - John Primer with Steve Bell 7:30-9:00 p.m. - B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, D.K. Harrell, and Jonathan Ellison with the B.B. King Centennial Band, co-presented with the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade) Noon-1:15 p.m. - Lady Adrena and LA Band 1:30-2:45 p.m. - Vick Allen featuring the Velvet Soul Band 3-4:15 p.m. - Johnny Rawls Soul Review 4:30-5:45 p.m. - Eddie Cotton Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12:30-1:45 p.m. - Ivan Singh 2-3:15 p.m. - Jamiah "Dirty Deacon" Rogers and the Dirty Church Band 3:30-4:45 p.m. - Rico McFarland 5-6:15 p.m. - Sheryl Youngblood 6:30-7:45 p.m. - The Mike Wheeler Band Saturday, June 7 Jay Pritzker Pavilion 3:45-4 p.m. - Emcee Intro Remarks, National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing 4-5:15 p.m. - Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle featuring Nellie "Tiger" Travis, Thornetta Davis, Nora Jean Wallace, and Mzz Reese with Jonathan Ellison 5:30-6:15 p.m. - Joey J. Saye, Stephen Hull, and Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Latimore 7:45-9 p.m. - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade) Noon- 1:15 p.m. - 2 Blues for You 1:30-2:45 p.m. - Jesse Robinson 3-4:15 p.m. - Vickie Baker, The V Souls, and The Groove Crew 4:30-5:45 p.m. - John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12:30-1:45 p.m. - Stefan Hillesheim Band 2-3:15 p.m. - Michael Damani 3:30-4:45 p.m. - Lynne Jordan and the Shivers 5-6:15 p.m. - Joe Barr and the Platinum Band 6:30-7:45 p.m. - Theo Huff Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace - Next Generation of Blues 11-11:45 a.m. - Wendy & DB Noon-12:45 p.m. - Chicago Blues Revival 1-1:45 p.m. - Curie Metro High School 2-2:45 p.m. - Bandwith 3-4 p.m. - VanderCook College of Music Sunday, June 8 Jay Pritzker Pavilion 3:30-3:45 p.m. - Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice and Sing 3:45-5 p.m. - Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation celebrates the 75th Anniversary of Chess Records with special guest artists, Mud Morganfield, Mitty Collier, Charles Berry, Jr., Charles Berry III, Melvin Taylor, Louisiana Al, Joe Barr, Steve Bell, Rodrigo Mantovani, Dudley Owens, Rick Hall, Simbryt Dortch, Lady Patice, Mae Koen, Sam Chess, and Joe Pratt 5:15-6:15 p.m. - C.J. Chenier and The Red Hot Louisiana Band 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Lurrie Bell and Frank Catalano 7:30-7:45 p.m. - Avery R. Young, Chicago Poet Laureate 7:45-9 p.m. - Mavis Staples Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade) 4:30-5:45 p.m. - Ms. Jody 3-4:15 p.m. - Jonathan Ellison 1:30-2:45 p.m. - Nellie 'Tiger' Travis Noon-1:15 p.m. - Stevie J and The Blues Eruption Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12:30-1:45 p.m. - Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport 2-3:15 p.m. - Jimmy Burns Band 3:30-4:45 p.m. - Nick Alexander Blues Band 5-6:15 p.m. - Sonia Astacio 6:30-7:45 p.m. - 3 by 3 Crew: Freddie Dixon, John Watkins, Maurice Vaughn with Tim Taylor
CBS News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Bobby Rush, Billy Branch kicks off 2025 Chicago Blues Festival in Bridgeport
Blues Fest kicks off Thursday in Bridgeport Blues Fest kicks off Thursday in Bridgeport Blues Fest kicks off Thursday in Bridgeport The Chicago Blues Festival is back in Chicago this weekend, featuring the biggest names in the genre. The free four-day festival kicks off on Thursday in the Bridgeport neighborhood and will be held in Millennium Park on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Festivities start Thursday night at the Ramova Theatre with Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues and Bobby Rush. Entry into the venue will be on a first-come, first-served basis. 2025 Chicago Blues Fest full schedule For those looking to attend the event, here's when and where you can find the performers: Thursday Ramova Theatre 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Billy Branch and The Sons of Blues 9-10:15 p.m. - Bobby Rush Friday Jay Pritzker Pavilion 3:45-4 p.m. - Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice 4-5 p.m. - D.K. Harrell 5:15-6:15 p.m. - Dawn Tyler Watson 6:30-7:15 p.m. - John Primer with Steve Bell 7:30-9:00 p.m. - B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, D.K. Harrell, and Jonathan Ellison with the B.B. King Centennial Band, co-presented with the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12:30-1:45 p.m. - Ivan Singh 2-3:15 p.m. - Jamiah "Dirty Deacon" Rogers and the Dirty Church Band 3:30-4:45 p.m. - Rico McFarland 5-6:15 p.m. - Sheryl Youngblood 6:30-7:45 p.m. - The Mike Wheeler Band Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade) Noon- 1:15 p.m. - Lady Adrena and LA Band 1:30-2:45 p.m. - Vick Allen featuring the Velvet Soul Band 3-4:15 p.m. - Johnny Rawls Soul Review 4:30-5:45 p.m. - Eddie Cotton Saturday Jay Pritzker Pavilion 3:45-4 p.m. - Emcee Intro Remarks, National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing 4-5:15 p.m. - Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle featuring Nellie "Tiger" Travis, Thornetta Davis, Nora Jean Wallace, and Mzz Reese with Jonathan Ellison 5:30-6:15 p.m. - Joey J. Saye, Stephen Hull, and Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Latimore 7:45-9 p.m. - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade) Noon- 1:15 p.m. - 2 Blues for You 1:30-2:45 p.m. - Jesse Robinson 3-4:15 p.m. - Vickie Baker, The V Souls, and The Groove Crew 4:30-5:45 p.m. - John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12:30-1:45 p.m. - Stefan Hillesheim Band 2-3:15 p.m. - Michael Damani 3:30-4:45 p.m. - Lynne Jordan and the Shivers 5-6:15 p.m. - Joe Barr and the Platinum Band 6:30-7:45 p.m. - Theo Huff Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace - Next Generation of Blues 11-11:45 a.m. - Wendy & DB noon-12:45 p.m. - Chicago Blues Revival 1-1:45 p.m. - Curie Metro High School 2-2:45 p.m. - Bandwith 3-4 p.m. - VanderCook College of Music Sunday Jay Pritzker Pavilion 3:30-3:45 p.m. - Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice and Sing 3:45-5 p.m. - Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation celebrates the 75th Anniversary of Chess Records with special guest artists, Mud Morganfield, Mitty Collier, Charles Berry, Jr., Charles Berry III, Melvin Taylor, Louisiana Al, Joe Barr, Steve Bell, Rodrigo Mantovani, Dudley Owens, Rick Hall, Simbryt Dortch, Lady Patice, Mae Koen, Sam Chess, and Joe Pratt 5:15-6:15 p.m. - C.J. Chenier and The Red Hot Louisiana Band 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Lurrie Bell and Frank Catalano 7:30-7:45 p.m. - Avery R. Young, Chicago Poet Laureate 7:45-9 p.m. - Mavis Staples Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade) Noon- 1:15 p.m. - Stevie J and The Blues Eruption 1:30-2:45 p.m. - Nellie "Tiger" Travis 3-4:15 p.m. - Jonathan Ellison 4:30-5:45 p.m. - Ms. Jody Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12:30-1:45 p.m. - Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport 2-3:15 p.m. - Jimmy Burns Band 3:30-4:45 p.m. - Nick Alexander Blues Band 5-6:15 p.m. - Sonia Astacio 6:30-7:45 p.m. - 3 by 3 Crew: Freddie Dixon, John Watkins, Maurice Vaughn with Tim Taylor Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace - Next Generation of Blues 11-11:45 a.m. - Wiggleworms featuring Amanda Payne & Will Fancher of Old Town School of Folk Music noon-12:45 p.m. - Fernando Jones Presents the Knott Us Band 1-1:45 p.m. - Kenwood Academy High School 2-2:45 p.m. - Nicholas Senn High School 3-4 p.m. - A Patch of Blues
Reuters
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Coogler's 'Sinners' brings cinematic spotlight to Clarksdale, Mississippi
CLARKSDALE, Mississippi, May 30 - Clarksdale didn't just provide history and blues for director and writer Ryan Coogler's hit movie about art, Jim Crow and vampires. One of the Mississippi Delta town's musicians contributed to the "Sinners" script. After a special screening in the town, which has no cinema, Coogler told the audience gathered in a community hall about the first time he described the movie's plot to a group of Clarksdale blues musicians he had asked to contribute to the score. He said he hesitated when he got to the part about the vampires. He went ahead. Then, Grammy winner Bobby Rush filled the silence. "I had a girl once that was a vampire," the musician joked. The line was given to Delta Slim, played by Delroy Lindo, a piano-playing character who brings both comic relief and depth to the movie. Thursday's screening and discussion came after Tyler Yarbrough, a community organizer and movie buff in Clarksdale, wrote an open letter asking Coogler and Warner Brothers to bring the movie to a town where people drive 80 miles (130 km) to Memphis, Tennessee to get to a cinema. Warner Brothers outfitted the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium with a big screen, projector and sound system. There was even popcorn. "Sinners" has been widely acclaimed by reviewers and moviegoers, who praised the film for its stars' performances, its showcasing of African American art, and its wrestling with painful history and big ideas. According to Variety, by the end of its opening month of April "Sinners" had grossed $122.5 million in North America and $161.6 million worldwide. At what was billed as a community screening, it was apparent the community was not just the geographical entity of Clarksdale. The audience came together around art and American history, including Jim Crow, the legal and often brutally policed racial hierarchy that subjugated Black people in America's South. Shelby Simes arrived at 7 a.m. from nearby West Helena, Arkansas, earning first place in a line that had grown to hundreds by the time the doors opened about an hour before Thursday's 11 a.m. screening, the first of six scheduled over three days. Simes said Coogler's film, which she had already seen seven times, was particularly important at a time when what many see as the truth about the Black American experience has been criticized by President Donald Trump as "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology." "They're taking books off shelves," Simes said. "They're not teaching us properly in the schools." She said with "Sinners," which is fiction but offers a realistic portrayal of the Jim Crow era, Coogler and his team made the past tangible. "I love how they were able to create a path to talk to our ancestors," she said, echoing the reaction of other Black viewers. Michael Johansson, who has worked with community members to memorialize lynchings in the county where the University of Mississippi is located, said it made sense for Coogler to weave vampire folklore into his storyline. "The horror genre is appropriate for the damage, the cruelty, the barbarism of what has been done to Blacks in this nation," said Johansson, who came from Jackson to see the movie on Thursday. Andrea Driver, who supports library sciences students at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, was touched on a personal level. She cried when she saw that a young character had survived horror and reached old age. "He somehow carried that experience with him for years and didn't perish, didn't take his own life. I don't know that I could live with those memories my whole life," she said, saying it spoke to the experience of many Black Americans. Poet C. Liegh McInnis, who was born and raised in Clarksdale, noted the hometown audience recited the Lord's Prayer along with a character during a tense moment in the film. He said Coogler had drawn from history, folklore and religion. "I love the fact that Coogler gave us a three-dimensional film," he said. "Sinners" is set at a time when Clarksdale was a bustling agricultural center in which Black residents were exploited. Many fled north, bringing the blues to cities such as Chicago and Kansas City. While Coogler set his movie in Clarksdale, he filmed it in neighboring Louisiana, in part because Mississippi lacked infrastructure such as the soundstages he needed. Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy said the attention "Sinners" had brought could help revive his majority Black town of about 14,000, where 40% live under the poverty line. He hoped to capitalize on Clarksdale's status as a cultural capital by expanding performance and educational opportunities. Coogler saw a future for Clarksdale because of the entrepreneurial spirit that led residents to reach out for Thursday's screening, and its cultural resources. "The thing that you guys have is a thing that can't be taught," he said.
