SATURDAY JUNE 7, 2025 CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL AT MILLENNIUM PARK

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Christone “Kingfish” Ingr

7:45-9:00pm - Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

The fiery guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has described his 2023 album “Live In London” as, “a short lifetime in the making.” He packed a lot into the years leading up to this immensely successful recording. Growing up in Clarksdale, Miss., Ingram’s musical family led him to his state’s musical lineage and he studied that history at the Delta Blues Museum. Things happened fast, as his skills brought him to stages across the country while he was still in his teens. Since then he’s brought his electrified traditional blues to unconventional media, including in the video game “Red Dead Redemption II.” In 2019 he made his debut album, “Kingfish,” on Chicago’s Alligator Records. That album also was the first of his three Grammy nominations. He clinched that award in the Best Contemporary Blues Album for the follow up, “662.” When Ingram received that trophy he said, “For years, I had to sit and watch the myth that young Black kids are not into the blues. So, I just hope I can show the world different.” (AC)

6:30-7:30pm - Latimore

When Latimore sings, his sensual moans and pauses speak volumes. One of the all-time greats of Southern soul, his gospel inflections, jazz inspiration and songwriting expertise have thrilled audiences for more than 60 years. Born in Tennessee (as Benjamin Lattimore), he began singing in a Baptist choir and then turned to secular music, initially as a pianist. But his deep voice started making an impact on the R&B charts in 1973 with a distinctive cover of the jazz standard “Stormy Monday.” The following year, his own “Let’s Straighten It Out” became a top selling soul anthem and highlighted his keyboard improvisations. He continued making strong albums throughout the decade, including “Latimore III” in 1975, which includes his telling story song, “There’s A Redneck In The Soul Band.” Now, 85, he has not lost his groove, even as he makes light of the passing years in his “I’m An Old Dog.” (AC)

5:30-6:15pm - Joey J. Saye, Stephen Hull, and Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport

A power trio of sharp young blues performers, this set will provide a look into the music’s future. Singer/songwriter Joey J. Saye was born in Liberia and grew up in Aurora, Ill., where he absorbed everything from country to blues while working in sounds from his own West African background. He has become a regular on the city’s blues circuit, working with such veterans as Billy Flynn and Bob Stroger. Guitarist/singer/harmonica player Stephen Hull started playing music as a 14-year-old in Racine, Wisc., and has gone on to perform at festivals throughout the world. Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport—a brilliant new artist from Mississippi—will headline his own set at the Rosa’s Lounge stage on Sunday, 12:30-1:45 pm. (AC)

4:00-5:15pm - Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle featuring Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Thornetta Davis, Nora Jean Wallace, and Mzz Reese with Jonathan Ellison

Denise LaSalle’s career spanned from 1970s-era soul through disco and funk to the modernist hybrid known variously as Southern soul and soul-blues. Born in Mississippi in 1934, LaSalle first moved to Chicago while in her teens; her 1971 breakout hit, the million-selling “Trapped by a Thing Called Love,” marked the official onset of a recording career that would extend through the following five decades and include 15 more chart hits, as well as such genre-defining soul-blues standards as “Lady In the Street” and “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In.” LaSalle’s music conveys womanly assertiveness and independence that links her directly to such legendary blues singers as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. This tribute features four top contemporary blues vocalists:

Chicago’s Mzz Reese and Nora Jean Wallace; Thornetta Davis, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues; and Nellie “Tiger” Travis, a former Chicagoan who now calls Atlanta home. Bandleader Jonathan Ellison was the guitarist for Blak Ice, LaSalle’s touring band. (DW)

Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade)

4:30-5:45pm - John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band

See Friday, June 6, 6:30-7:15pm, Jay Pritzker Pavilion listing.

3:00-4:15pm - Vickie Baker, The V Souls, and The Groove Crew

Whether she’s telling off an unfaithful lover or thinking about an affair of her own, soul blues singer Vickie Baker makes nasty situations sound classy. But her musical path started out in a very different direction as a gospel singer. Following the advice of her mother, she pursued formal training at Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Mississippi where she received a master’s degree in music education. After singing back up for such touring acts as Willie Clayton, Baker released her own debut album, “Don’t Gimme No Lip,” in 1997. She has continued performing and recording, including “Talkin’ In Your Sleep” in 2021 which highlights her explicit double entendres on such songs as “Honey Hole.” Her 2023 single “Cheatin Tonight” is a confessional that she delivers with just the right amount of restraint. (AC)

1:30-2:45pm - Jesse Robinson

Back in the early 1960s when Jessie Robinson was a teenager in Mississippi, Elmore James would regularly hand the younger musician his own guitar and tell audiences, “This little guy’s gonna be big someday.” True words, indeed. In 1965, Robinson had settled in Chicago and while working in a factory during the week, went onto sit in with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. Taking that education back down South, he settled in Jackson, Miss., in 1971. After working with Little Milton Campbell and hosting weekly events at Jackson clubs, he went on to lead Bobby Rush’s band in the 1980s. He released his debut album, “Blues Child,” in 2004. Multi-talented across disciplines, he co-wrote the song “Show Me A Love” with jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, which is on her 2002 album, “Belly Of The Sun.” (AC)

12-1:15pm - 2 Blues for You

2 Blues For You, the duo of keyboardist Eric Edwards and drummer Joe Eagle, is amassing a following at such venues as the Historic Club Ebony in Indianola, Miss. The pair has recently started to gain bigger audiences and accolades in the wider blues world, including earning second place honors in the best solo/duo category of the 2025 International Blues Challenge. Edwards—who also plays trombone along with singing—has mastered a versatile repertoire of blues, soul, gospel and country which he also performs with his sister Shara White in the duo Variety. Eagle has excelled in myriad idioms and is as rooted in the blues as his partner. He has also worked in music publishing and written numerous songs for other artists while leading community development initiatives geared towards teaching younger artists. (AC)

Rosa’s Lounge (North Promenade)

6:30-7:45pm - Theo Huff

A deep soul singer with a strong blues feeling and a versatile performer who is also an acclaimed actor, Theo Huff wins over all kinds of audiences. A lifelong Chicagoan, he started performing in talent shows as a teenager under the guidance of drummer and music teacher Jimmy Tillman. In 2008 he began acting with a role in the Black Ensemble Theater musical production, “That Sensuous Seventies.” Hitting the road as a singer, he continued to work with such elders as Denise LaSalle and Otis Clay while also using his entrepreneurial skills to promote many shows. With a mother from Alabama and father from Mississippi, he naturally fit into the slow grooves of the South on his 2014 album “Now’s The Time” and on his “The New Beginning” two years later. In 2016 he was also nominated for the Southern Soul Foundation’s Best New Artist award. (AC)

5:00-6:15pm - Joe Barr and the Platinum Band

Joe Barr is one of the last of Chicago’s old-school soul singers—his smoldering, deep-baritone vocals modulate from a whisper through a sexy purr to a full-out, soul-sanctifying shout. Barr started in church as pianist and musical director. His first secular gig was with Scotty and the Oasis, a longtime West Side mainstay. From there he went on to become a first-call keyboardist on the Chicago blues and soul circuit before forming his own Soul Purpose Band, allowing him to showcase his vocal gifts along with his piano prowess. He dropped his debut CD, “Soul for the Heart,” co-featuring guitarist Breezy Rodio, in 2021; it’s a lovingly assembled collection of classics by artists who served as some of Barr’s primary inspirations, such as Ray Charles, Tyrone Davis, and others. For this set he’ll be accompanied by Platinum, Chicago’s premier blues show band that has worked with virtually every soul and soul-blues artist who has performed in or near Chicago since the early 1980s. (DW)   

3:30-4:45pm - Lynne Jordan and the Shivers

Boasting an incredible range and theatrical training, Lynne Jordan’s voice can go anywhere but her home is in the blues. After studying acting at Northwestern University, she started singing at Blue Chicago and other area venues. Jordan has honored such heroes as Nina Simone and Janis Joplin while also performing in the jazz opera, “Don’t Worry, Be HaRpy.” Her ongoing projects include interpretations of contemporary songs written by Corky Siegel and Deitra Farr as well as original renditions of blues classics from the 1920s and 1930s. Along with being a 3Arts Make A Wave Artist, Jordan has received the Outstanding Achievement In Music Award in the rhythm & blues category from the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago.  (AC)

2:00-3:15pm - Michael Damani

Singer/songwriter Michael Damani is grounded in Chicago but he offers a more universalist vision in naming his style of music “cosmic blues.” The title also reflects his imaginative vision of the music, which embraces a blend of idioms, including hip hop on his 2020 debut single, “White City, Black World.” That piece was written in response to the social movements surrounding the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park. Other pieces, like “Hollywood City” in 2023, show off his assured sense of groove and guitar technique. That same year he served as a sideman to rising star jazz saxophonist Isaiah Collier on the album “Parallel Universe.” This multifaceted creativity is deeply rooted in the blues and Damani worked with the Chicago Blues All-Stars for five years (2016-2021) as well as with such stalwarts as Toranzo Cannon. (AC)

12:30-1:45pm - Stefan Hillesheim Band

Stefan Hillesheim knows the value of taking his time. Earlier this year, he released the single “January,” which features his lyrical slide guitar. His slow tempo makes this ode to a frigid month seem lovely and the flowing intonation makes the trickiness of slide technique seem effortless. Now a Chicagoan, Hillesheim has taken his own path to this city’s musical legacy, which he traces in another song, the autobiographical “Seduced By The Blues.” Born in Germany, he moved to Los Angeles at 27 to attend the Musicians Institute. After hearing gospel, he embraced the sound and included it in his repertoire as he became a sought-after session musician. His associates have included Tower Of Power’s Ellis Hall and Santana’s Emerson Cardenas. In 2022, Hillesheim relocated to Chicago and became a fixture on the local circuit as a bandleader. Last year he released “Live At Rosa’s Lounge” with his regular working group of drummer Dionte McMusick, bassist Darryl Wright and pianist Sumi “Ariyo” Ariyoshi. (AC)

Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace - Next Generation of Blues

3:00-4:00pm - VanderCook College of Music

2:00-2:45pm - Bandwidth

1:00-1:45pm - Curie Metropolitan High School

12:00-12:45pm - Chicago Blues Revival

11:00-11:45am - Wendy & DB

Singer/songwriters Wendy and DB are teachers and missionaries in delivering the blues to children. The group’s 2022 Grammy nominated album “Into The Little Blue House” is their collaboration with such Chicago-based blues artists as Kenny “Beedy Eyed” Smith to infuse upbeat messages about community for whole families to enjoy. Their follow-up record, “Back Home,” delves back into the acoustic roots of blues as it encourages families to get into where the music began. Prominent guests include Billy Branch, Ruthie Foster and Libby Rae Watson. The duo’s new album, “Get Your Sunny Side Up,” includes contributions from Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Flor Bromley. Wendy (Wendy Morgan) started emphasizing works for children after a long career in pop music an acting. Her musical partner, Darryl “DB” Boggs has been a band teacher and choir director in Chicago schools for more than four decades. (AC)