By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., Chicago Crusader
UChicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, a multi-disciplinary home for the arts at the University of Chicago, launches a new year-round Blues music initiative with the first Logan Center Bluesfest, an annual public celebration created to honor the South Side roots of the Blues tradition, October 13–15, 2017. The Logan Center Bluesfest will feature local and national musicians and artists in spaces throughout the Logan Center, located on the University of Chicago campus at 915 E. 60th Street in Hyde Park/Woodlawn. Then, throughout the year, there will be a series of performances by musicians and artists that reflect the diverse history of the Blues tradition; a major archiving program to capture the stories of local and national Blues artists; and workshops and educational programming to inspire the next generation of Blues musicians and aficionados.
The Logan Center continues its tradition of celebrating and promoting the rich cultural landscape of Chicago’s South Side with this new three-day festival of concerts, workshops, film, food and conversation. The following are among the expected weekend highlights:
Friday, October 13: A free “Acoustic Blues Lounge” performance by The Roots Duo, Eric Noden and Joe Filisko; and a headlining concert by Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Wee Willie Walker, and Terrie Odabi with the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra.
Saturday, October 14: Workshops for professional and amateur musicians with Eric Noden (guitar), Joe Filisko (harmonica) and Terrie Odabi (voice); youth workshops with Fruteland Jackson and Fernando Jones, and youth performance with Fernando Jones’ Blues Kids; a Blues BBQ with the Mike Ledbetter Trio; a Pro-Am Jam; and the “Bringing the Blues back to the South Side” showcase hosted by Billy Branch, featuring Jimmy Johnson, Eddy Clearwater, Corky Siegel, Lil’ Ed, and Melody Angel.
Sunday, October 15: Blues brunch with Mark Naftalin, UChicago alum and original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band; “Future of the Blues” panel, including Billy Branch and Mike Ledbetter, and moderated by UChicago Professor Mickie Dietler; and the Midwest Premiere of “Horn from the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story” from filmmaker John Anderson, featuring a pre-screening performance with Corky Siegel and Sam Lay, also an original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band; and a post-screening panel with the filmmaker, Sam Lay, Mark Naftalin, and Corky Siegel.
It was at the University of Chicago that Paul Butterfield, Elvin Bishop and Mark Naftalin first met and played together, forming the foundation of what would become 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, the Paul Butterfield Band. Notably, all surviving members of the original Paul Butterfield Band will be in Chicago for the Logan Center Bluesfest, with Bishop’s performance Friday evening, and fellow band members Naftalin and Lay participating in performances, and the post-screening panel discussion Sunday.
Augmenting the weekend programming will be an expansive photo exhibition, titled Chicago Jazz and Blues: A Photographers’ View, featuring photos by local Chicago photographers. Many of the events are free and open to the public. The Logan Center commemorates its 5th anniversary in 2017-18. For more information on the Logan Center Bluesfest, visit: https://www.loganbluesfest.org/.
