Fri, August 1 (BLUES) Ronnie Baker Brooks, 9:30pm, $12
In the Olympic tradition, when the torch gets passed on, the flame transfers from one sure hand to the next -- keeping it burning, while at the same time moving forward. It's a fitting image for young Chicago guitar hero Ronnie Baker Brooks on his aptly titled third release, The Torch. Not only does he sing with soulful fire and play with a white-hot intensity; he's also carrying the torch from the previous generation of soul and blues greats and moving the music into the future.
ronniebakerbrooks.com

Sat, August 2 (ROCK) Webb Wilder, Not Without; 9:30pm, $15 (TM/Club)
"With his obvious love of British rock and Southern roadhouse, Wilder could be a kind of Tom Petty for the trailer set." - San Francisco Chronicle.
For over 20 years, Webb Wilder has mined rock 'n' roll's most hallowed ground, but unlike so many others, he has approached it all with a rare irreverence and wit. His self-effacing persona – a tongue-in-cheek 1950s noir character, equal parts high school principal, tent preacher, and private detective – gives Wilder's music a sense of fun and imagination often lacking among his peers. Singer, guitarist, bandleader, filmmaker, humorist – Webb Wilder may be roots-rock's only true Renaissance man, and not to be missed.
www.webbwilder.com

Not Without is as diverse and eclectic in age as they are musically. Their music is a quirky blend of fusion and pop with classical, Cajun and rock overtones. Inventive and definitely electric! With the passionate and unique lead vocals of Quad Cities, Illinois native, Emily B. Cooper, the band is well on its way to defining a sound that is all their own. Chicago staple Jim Kasiewicz provides innovative, fiery guitar madness and is not “afraid” when it comes to writing catchy pop and rock hooks. Since being formed in October, Emily and Jim have already penned several finely crafted pop tunes. The entire band has brought their individual talents together to write several frenzied but memorable instrumentals as well. The band’s credo is “we can play whatever we want – we always make it sound like us.” The other members of Not Without include home grown drummer / percussionist, Ryan Shepherd, who engineered the band’s first CD sampler, bass player extraordinaire, Ian Martinek, and smokin' on violin, Rachel Baiman. Musical integrity and structured randomness - that’s Not Without!
myspace.com/notwithoutmusic (instant audio...)

Sun, August 3 (JAZZ) Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
A house band at FitzGerald’s since 1991, the Chicago Skyliners Big Band is one of the top big bands in Chicagoland. Besides original material by contemporary big band arrangers, the band also features the music of Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. Blue Birdland recording artists, the band has recorded 7 CDs. Big band is alive and well – celebrate this great art form most every Sunday at FitzGerald’s. On your way there, check out Bill’s big band radio show Sundays at 5pm on 90.9 FM WDCB!
ChicagoSkylinersBigBand.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, August 4 – Closed

Tues, August 5 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, August 6 (ROCK) The Frosting Collaborative, 8pm in the SideBar, Free!
myspace.com/thefrostingcollaborative (instant audio...)

Thurs, August 7 (FOLK/ROCK) South Austin Jug Band, The Band of Heathens; 8:30pm, $10.
Let’s just get it out of the way right now: There’s no jug-playing in the South Austin Jug Band. And the bluegrass connotation that name carries should be spilled down the drain along with any other moonshine-preconceived notions. Sure, there’s fiddle, mandolin, an upright bass … but there’s also drumming, occasional electric guitar and even digital looping. And Beck. The band’s latest album, Strange Invitation, gets its title from a lyric in Mr. Hansen’s 1997 charmer, “Jackass,” the only cover on this 11-song collection. Comparisons, if they must be made, might meander more toward a Jack Johnson vibe, only more melodic and even more laid-back, or a low-intensity Grateful Dead (which, it should be noted, started out as a real jug band). Lead singer/acoustic guitarist James Hyland, whose tenor redefines mellow, would be quite happy if you’d just go with “bitchin’ tunes.” “It’s the most accessible record we’ve made,” he says of the band’s third release, struggling somewhat to further clarify its style. “But it still has some of that whole acoustic – I’m not gonna use the word newgrass; throw that out the window – but that sort of progressive acoustic. …” He pauses, then finally admits, “It’s hard to come up with adjectives.”
southaustinjugband.com

The formation of The Band of Heathens is as natural and organic as the music they create. In early spring 2006, the three principle songwriters, Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist, were sharing the bill every Wednesday night at the venerable Austin club Momo's. Originally, it started as each songwriter performing his own set. But in a short time they started sharing the stage equally and collaborating on each other's songs, with bassist Seth Whitney as the anchor of the rhythm section.

A misprint in a local paper billed the act as "The Heathens." The moniker stuck and soon The Band of Heathens began to cultivate a loyal and growing legion of fans that immediately took to the expert musicianship, the finely-crafted songs and the band's distinct quality of having three front men, each one of whom sings, writes and plays lead guitar. In March 2007, drummer John Chipman joined the band and helped fortify their country-soul-rock-and-roll sound. With a new album released May 2008, they will continue to bring their unique brand of Texas twang and country soul to anyone who is curious, willing to listen and hungry for the American rock 'n' roll that The Band of Heathens deliver.
bandofheathens.com

Fri, August 8 (AMERICANA/BLUES/JAZZ) Joel Paterson, Devil in a Woodpile, 9:30pm, $5.
The Joel Paterson Trio is a Chicago based group featuring Joel Paterson on guitar, vocals and pedal steel; Beau Sample on string bass and vocals; Alex Hall on drums and vocals. The trio is dedicated to performing many styles of traditional American music, specializing in classic blues, hot jazz, western swing, rockabilly and everything in between.
myspace.com/joelpaterson (instant audio...)

“There’s a party in here! Tap your toes, move your feet, and laugh your dramas away. Devil in a Woodpile breathes new, booty-shaking high spirit into the string band, jug band, jump blues music, and hokum jazz that bequeathed its sass and energy to rock ‘n’ roll. In Your Lonesome Town is a cook’s tour of early-20th century devil’s music.” – Linda Ray, Illinois Entertainer
devilinawoodpile.com

Sat, August 9 (BLUES) Grammy™ nominated Texas Legend Doyle Bramhall, Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues, 8:30pm, $20 (TM/Club).
Doyle Bramhall's Is It News is Grammy™ Nominated for “Best Contemporary Blues Album!”

It’s apropos that Doyle Bramhall’s new Yep Roc CD is titled Is It News because, although they’re absolutely true to his deep roots in the blues, the dozen original tunes mark a turning point that is both ambitious and the logical summation of his artistic evolution. The answer to the forward-thinking, envelope-pushing CD’s title is a resounding yes – and the news is all good!

“I wanted to make an all-original record that was big, energetic, intimate, and unpredictable,” Doyle states. “We got a lot of the sounds by pushing everything to the limit and then pulling it back from there.” Fans already accustomed to Doyle’s high standards and willingness to chart new territory will nonetheless be pleased and surprised at just how high he raises the bar. This instant classic is the benchmark of Bramhall’s storied career – which is saying a lot! Continuing the tradition he started with the songs he co-wrote with Stevie Ray Vaughan, which struck a chord with the biggest audience the blues has ever enjoyed, he deftly expands the idiom’s vocabulary and texture.
myspace.com/doylebramhall1 (instant audio...)

Is it blues, is it classical? Walking the line between Beethoven and B.B. King, and armed with the creative genius and instrumental prowess that have defined his career for nearly four decades, Corky Siegel has pioneered an original, genre-busting Chamber Blues - a fresh, innovative sound capturing the sparkling qualities of classical music merged with the emotional melodic style of blues, all within an intimate chamber setting.

Under Corky's lead, The West End String Quartet and percussionist Frank Donaldson complete the Chamber Blues Band. Described by critics internationally as: remarkable, astonishing, extraordinary, hot, mesmerizing, joyous and outrageous fun, their music and concerts have delighted diverse audiences globally and their genre-defying presentations are drawing new and old concert-goers to places they have never been before.
chamberblues.com

Sun, August 10 (JAZZ) John Burnett Orchestra, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5.
This “all-star” band has recorded with and performed with such legendary jazz icons as Buddy DeFranco, Louie Bellson, Byron Stripling and more. John Burnett can also be heard weekday mornings on WDCB, 90.9FM, classic radio show, “All Things Jazz.”
johnburnettorchestra.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, August 11 – Closed

Tues, August 12 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the Club, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, August 13 (ECLECTIC) Chicago Singer Spotlight, 8pm, $8
Featuring Brooke Kosowski, La'Shaun McNicholas, The Shaker Sisters, Clarence Bernard Johnson, and host Becca Kaufman.

***Also on Wed, August 13 (SCOTTISH FOLK) Bodega, 8pm in the SideBar, $10, 12 & under $5.
Bodega is a young, five piece band drawn from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The band was formed in March 2005 while all five members were attending high school at The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music. They were the winners of the BBC Radio2 Young Folk Band award for 2005/06 and released their first self-titled debut CD on Greentrax in 2006. Since then, the band has played at most of the prominent UK festivals, and have toured France, Italy and Norway with returns to all in the near future. The band also had two very successful US tours in the Spring and Fall of 2007, performing at the Old Songs Festival, Summerfest in New Bedford, the Cincinnati Celtic Festival, and Celtic Classic in Bethlehem. They will be returning to North America in the summer and fall of 2008, to participate in the Celtic College and Festival in Goderich Ontario, the Milwaukee Irish Festival, the Chicago Celtic Festival, and a return to Bethlehem for the Celtic Festival.
myspace.com/musicbodega (instant audio...)

Thurs, August 14 (ROCKABILLY) James Intveld, Rosie Flores, 8:30pm, $15 (TM/Club).
Have Faith, only the third studio record from multi-talented singer songwriter James Intveld, may just as well be a metaphor for his life; a life that has been blessed with both the highs and the lows. Love and loss.

A native of Los Angeles, he started his career at an early age listening and singing along to his parents' recordings of Hank Williams, Sr., Dean Martin, Lefty Frizzell, and Elvis. By high school he was playing in cover bands and was soon a regular sitting in with the house band at the legendary Palomino Club.

Intveld wrote the Rosie Flores hit "Cryin' Over You" as well as all the material on his own first 1996 effort James Intveld. That was named the best studio recording project and the best country or roots CD of 1996 by California's Music Connection magazine. Intveld successfully produced, arranged, sang, and played all the parts on this magnificent release, dedicated to his brother and best friend, Ricky.
myspace.com/jamesintveld (instant audio...)

Born in San Antonio, TX and raised in Southern California, Rosie Flores' music blends the best of honky tonk, rockabilly, and jazz with the traditional sounds of her Tex-Mex heritage. Since the late '70s, she has been an important figure in the Los Angeles, Austin, TX and Nashville music scenes.

Rosie's reputation as a high-octane rockabilly star is well established. Critical raves from prestigious publications such as the Los Angeles Times and Guitar Player magazine leave no doubt about her talent for filling dance floors and lighting up rooms with her blazing guitar solos.
myspace.com/rockabillyfillyrosie (instant audio...)

Fri, August 15 (ROCK) Off Broadway, Javelinas, 9:30pm, $10.
In 1980, Off Broadway, a band born out of Chicago, released its first album On, including the hit singles "Stay in Time" and "Full Moon Turn Your Head Around".  On, the critically acclaimed debut album, sold nearly 300,000 copies in hometown Chicago alone.  The band took its live performances to hundreds of venues throughout the country, singularly and among diverse and often mismatched line-ups from the late '70s through the mid '80s. A second album, Quick Turns, was somewhat reluctantly released through Atlantic in 1981, but proved to be a strong offering, spawning the well-received singles "Automatic" and "Are You Alone.”

Today, "Off Broadway": Cliff Johnson, Rob Harding, Ken Harck, Mike Gorman and Mike Redmond have settled into a cozy, unaffected and quite successful niche in today's extremely diverse music community. Throughout the years, time tested and true, Off Broadway have developed a mature perspective on their material and delivery which translates most effectively - with reciprocation - to their loyal, growing audiences.
offbroadwayusa.com

Javelinas hold the gas can and the torch to the bonfire saluting years of growing up listening, learning, burning into their souls cassettes/vinyl/8trk of the history of Rock music from the late 60’s, through the massive explosion of the '70s rock gods, punk underground and Americana roots. Years of experience, triumphs, disasters, grand slams, depressions and realizations are the grounds for an amazing rock and roll machine. This is what makes Javelinas such a monster. With a 20yr history of making records, deals, touring incessantly, starting their own record label, Radioplay, and supporting some of rock and rolls icons, the four members of Javelinas within the last 3yrs have created one of the most formidable rock/Americana bands to hit the pavement.
myspace.com/javelinas (instant audio...)

Sat, August 16 (ROCK) April Verch, 7pm, $15 (TM/Club).
When you see twenty-seven year old April Verch perform, the first thing that strikes you is the pure energy that infuses her fiddle playing and stepdancing. When you listen to Take Me Back, her third disc for Rounder Records, though, what draws you in are more subtle things – her confident, winsome singing, the finely detailed elegance of her fiddle phrasing, and the depth of a repertoire that ranges through material from Americana mainstays Buddy and Julie Miller, to simple country songs and rollicking tunes from her native Ottawa Valley, to sparkling original instrumentals. Like its predecessors, Take Me Back is rooted in a deep musical tradition, yet it also serves notice that April Verch has taken a bold step forward and stands on the threshold of a new and exciting stage of her career.
aprilverch.com

***Also on Sat, August 16 (ROOTS) Patrice Pike, 10pm, $10 (TM/Club)
Patrice Pike is a multi-dimensional artist who has dedicated her life to mastering authentic live performance and sincere studio recordings. Since her early roots playing guitar, percussion and singing lead in the band Sister Seven, to her current melding of rock, pop, and soul, she has brought together people from all different walks of life in her process. In the early years, barely out of high school, she traveled with Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler and Dave Matthews among others in the jam band scene because of her ability to not only craft solid songs, but because of her unique talent with vocal soloing and improvising. Through the years she also shared stages with Natalie Merchant, Soul Asylum, Cake, Stone Temple Pilots, The Neville Brothers, Ray Charles and so many more…
patricepike.com

Sun, August 17 (JAZZ) Chicago Grandstand Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
The Chicago Grandstand Big Band has been an integral part of Chicago's entertainment community for over 25 years. This band has an extensive selection of arrangements that encompass everything from the Swing Era (Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, etc.) to Big Band Jazz (Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, etc.)
chicagograndstandbigband.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, August 18 – Closed

Tues, August 19 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, August 20 (JAZZ) Rob Parton’s JazzTech Big Band, 7:30pm, $10, 17 & under $5
The Chicago Tribune has called the JazzTech Big Band "one of the best big bands in the country". The Chicago Sun-Times characterizes the band with "hard hitting ensemble brightly crafted harmonies and expansive solos." Rob’s goal for the JazzTech Big Band is to promote and commission new arrangements of great jazz standards as well as original compositions by Chicago composers .
rparton.com

Thurs, August 21 – Club closed.

Fri, August 22 (ECLECTIC) 93 XRT and FitzGerald’s present: Dog Days Jamboree! – Sonny Landreth, Iguanas, Del Castillo, Michelle Malone; 6pm, $25 (TM/Club).
On the Eve of the Roosevelt Road Roundup, FitzGerald's will have a mini Jamboree with four amazing acts!

In the Tent:
Del Castillo at 8pm
Sonny Landreth at 10pm

In the Club:
Michelle Malone at 9:15pm
Iguanas at 11pm

When it comes to Sonny Landreth, even Eric Clapton is a fan. "He’s probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also probably one of the most advanced," he says. Landreth performed this past July at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. Landreth also received another long overdue nod with a Grammy™ Award nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Recording” for his seventh album, The Road We’re On, released on Sugar Hill Records.
sonnylandreth.com/

The Iguanas, New Orleans’ (and Chicago’s) favorite bar band, is back to offer up the best in Latin-tinged, roots rock. The '60s rock influences, the New Orleans R&B and the Tex-Mex flavorings make every song a favorite.
iguanas.com

Del Castillo has become a symbol of the cross-cultural power of music with their eclectic blend of Flamenco, Rock, Latin, Blues, and World music.
Brotherhood, the band’s third CD, was released in the Spring of 2006, and it was immediately acclaimed by the media across the board. Billboard Magazine said, “…Whether Del Castillo works in Spanish or English, it rocks righteously…They pull together Latin music’s romance and rock’s grit.” At SXSW 2007, Brotherhood won “Album of the Year” at the 2006/2007 Austin Music Awards. The band continues to tour throughout the country, thriving on performing live and building new audiences, and songwriting and recording are a priority during breaks in their tour schedule.
delcastillomusic.com

Armed with a bottleneck slide, blues harmonica, and her signature gut-wrenching vocals, Moanin' Michelle Malone is having so much fun these days that she can’t help but shake her sugarfoot.
Malone was born in the dirty south and grew up listening to her mother sing in the church choir every Sunday. When it came time to craft her own sound, she took those religious roots, blended in enough rock and soul to keep the devil satisfied, and came up with her 9th studio CD, Sugarfoot. It's a high-spirited stripped down blend of rootsy acoustic slide, gritty electric blues and explosive vocals - rock with just enough blues edge to get the medicine down. Sugarfoot sounds like the lost recordings of Bonnie Raitt and the Rolling Stones meeting up in Susan Tedeschi's garage for a late night jam session. And as is usually the case with Malone, the disc is an experience best enjoyed at high volume.
michellemalone.com/

Sat, August 23 (ECLECTIC) Roosevelt Road Roundup 1st Annual Street Fair! – C.J. Chenier, Chicago Catz, & More! 10am-6pm, donation of $3 requested. [note: link opens in new window]
Music Schedule:
The Chicago Catz: 11am
Big Smith: 1pm
The Mother Truckers: 3pm
CJ Chenier: 4:45pm

C.J. Chenier turned the music up a notch with his new Alligator release, Step It Up!, undoubtedly his most musically and lyrically ambitious album to date. Step It Up! was recorded at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, and produced by Chenier and Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer. This is state-of-the-art zydeco from a masterful musician and performer. Chenier flavors The Red Hot Louisiana Band’s bayou beats with elements of funk, blues and ballads, as well as turning them loose on more traditional zydeco material. The resulting record is loaded with irresistible dance grooves and songs that stick in the memory long after the dancing is over. Chenier contributed eight originals and carefully chose the rest of the material. Regardless of what he’s playing, Chenier infuses every song with strong, soulful vocals and skillful accordion playing. From a cover of his father’s “Johnny Can’t Dance” to the original and autobiographical “Road Dog” to the tender “The Power Of Love” and “The Right To Walk Away,” Step It Up! boasts a modern, rollicking zydeco sound devoid of cliché, and loaded with soulful rhythms and deep feeling.
myspace.com/cjchenier (instant audio...)

The Chicago Catz are one of the Windy City's best-kept secrets and treasures. For more than 21 years, this group of professional musicians have performed at some of the most prestigious private parties and events in Chicago. "High society hors d'oeuvre music", you're thinking. To the contrary, The Chicago Catz serve up and dish out the hottest "get out of your seat and dance" music in town!
chicagocatz.com

***Also on Sat, August 23 (BLUEGRASS/ROOTS) Big Smith, The Mother Truckers, 9pm in the SideBar Music Room, $15.
Hailing from the Missouri Ozarks, Big Smith is a family affair composed of five cousins, including two sets of brothers. Truly an exciting combination, these five songwriters, five vocalists, five creative individuals are bound together by blood and harmony.
Long before the O Brother soundtrack, Big Smith was demonstrating to unsuspecting audiences what joy and liberation could be found in the unlikely combination of the energy of bluegrass, the soul of gospel harmonies, and the raw mojo of indigenous, authentic Ozarks culture. Starting up in 1996, they quickly earned a devoted national following – thanks to playing raucous acoustic music that captured the spirit of their native Ozarks, equipped only with an acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass fiddle, and washboard. In recent years they have branched out from Hillbilly music, but haven’t forgotten their roots as they explore expanded instrumentation and sonic palates.
bigsmithband.com

The Mother Truckers’ music is high-octane Americana, blending hard hitting electric guitars with soaring vocals and irreverent lyrics. They take the Texas mix of Country, Blues and Rock to a higher place with their creative songwriting and high energy live performances.
Named “Best Roots Rock Band Of The Year” at the 2007 SXSW, The Mother Truckers are currently on the road celebrating the 2008 release of Let's All Go To Bed. The album has been doing great on radio and the band has been receiving tons of awesome press!
themothertruckers.com

Sun, August 24 (JAZZ) Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
A house band at FitzGerald’s since 1991, the Chicago Skyliners Big Band is one of the top big bands in Chicagoland. Besides original material by contemporary big band arrangers, the band also features the music of Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. Blue Birdland recording artists, the band has recorded 7 CDs. Big band is alive and well – celebrate this great art form most every Sunday at FitzGerald’s. On your way there, check out Bill’s big band radio show Sundays at 5pm on 90.9 FM WDCB!
ChicagoSkylinersBigBand.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, August 25 – Closed

Tues, August 26 (ECLECTIC) Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, August 27 (ROCK/POP) Ladies of the Canyon Present an Evening Honoring the Music of Sheryl Crow, 7:30pm, $10.
Ladies of the Canyon - this moniker came from the album title by Joni Mitchell, the first artist this group of women, lead by vocalists Kim Frost and Ingrid Graudins chose to "tribute". It's funny how tributes used to be for people no longer living, but in this day and age it seems we're hungry to express gratitude to the artists we are inspired by, look up to, and adore today instead of later on. LOTC does this through performing the music of legendary female songwriters and singers, hopefully to bring awareness to those who may never experience these women in a live concert situation, or to turn new ears toward the music that shaped our own musical lives.
myspace.com/lotcchicago (instant audio...)

Thurs, August 28 – Democratic National Convention, 6pm, Free!
Join us as Barack Obama accepts the Democratic party's nomination as presidential candidate. 9x16 foot screen, hi-def telecast if available; Wishbone restaurant will be open next door. This is a free event – families welcome!
barackobama.com | democrats.org

***Also on Thurs, August 28 (COUNTRY) A Country Night in Berwyn, 8pm in the SideBar, $5.
Tonight’s featured performers are the Long Gone Lonesome Boys, The Ridgeland Ramblers, and John Wesley's Band.

The first thing you notice about the Long Gone Lonesome Boys: tight, cutting vocals, spot-on harmonies and arrangements. The second thing: excellent songwriting. The third thing: It's eerie how much these 'brothers from different mothers' – Patrick Penney and John Milne – sound alike. Their voices mirror each other seamlessly, and not even the Everly Brothers could claim to have a better blend." – Marty Larkin, HankFest
longgonelonesomeboys.com

The Ridgeland Ramblers – “Maximum Twang & Hillbilly Swing,” featuring Steve Szczeblowski on Guitar & Vocals, Mark Ardito on Steel Guitar, Michael Ebersohl on Drums, and Noah Schroer on Upright Bass. myspace.com/ridgelandramblers (instant audio...)

John Wesley’s Band is a collective of some of Chicago’s finest Americana, rock, alt-country and jazz musicians. Performances cover an engaging variety of songs – from “Americana neo-gospel” to inventive new takes on old spirituals to originals influenced by '50s country, gospel, and bluegrass. Featuring Mike Niebauer, string bass and guitar; Julia Klee, vocals; Michael Krasovech, lead guitar; Trevor Ewen, string bass; Nathan Dillon, lap steel/dobro; Amy Leach, violin; and Bob Bechstein, drums.
myspace.com/johnwesleysband (instant audio...)

Fri, August 29 (BLUES) Anthony Gomes, The Steepwater Band, 9pm, $12 advance, $14 at the door (TM/Club).
When he was a kid Anthony Gomes asked for a computer and got a guitar instead. He hasn’t put it down since, gaining a national reputation for his fire-hot shows. Anthony headed to the US from his native Canada in the late 1990s, first settling in Chicago and winning Buddy Guy's Legends 1998 "Best Unsigned Blues Band" competition. Like Lennon, Singer-guitarist Gomes believes that music really is the Medicine. As an artist he constantly challenges himself to expand his explorations of heart and sound. His latest release Music Is The Medicine raises the bar and reaches beyond it, taking all he's discovered in enduring American sounds and applying that knowledge and experience to create a vibrant, contemporary masterwork of blues-based rock, soul and R&B.
anthonygomes.com

The Steepwater Band (guitarist / vocalist Jeff Massey, bassist Tod Bowers and drummer Joseph Winters) have played together since their teens in various rock and blues combos. The three musicians united to form The Steepwater Band in 1998, taking the name from a barge Massey spotted in Lake Michigan.
The Chicago-bred trio’s organic, hard-driving synthesis of gutsy hard rock, gritty Delta blues, soulful backwoods boogie and down-home psychedelia has taken its hometown by storm. The frenzied power of the band's live shows has won them a fiercely loyal fan base, and their last CD Dharmakaya (produced by Sean Slade & Paul Kolderie – Radiohead, Uncle Tupelo, Hole, Warren Zevon) received substantial airplay across the Midwest, including Chicago's influential WXRT.
http://steepwater.com/ (instant audio...)

***Also on Fri, August 29 (ROCK) Cannonball, playing happy hour: 6 to 9pm in the SideBar, more details TBA.

Sat, August 30 (BLUES) Double-Fisted Night of Chicago Blues featuring Eddy “the Chief” Clearwater and Lonnie Brooks Blues Band, 9pm, $15 (TM/Club).
During the 1950s, Chicago’s West Side was a breeding ground for some of the world’s greatest bluesmen. Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Freddie King and others ruled the clubs. With his fierce guitar playing, soulful and emotive vocals and wild stage shows, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater easily belongs on this list. A Chicago legend, Clearwater is an intense, flamboyant blues-rocking showman. He’s equally comfortable playing the deepest, most heartfelt blues or rocking, good-time party music. DownBeat magazine said, “Left-hander Eddy Clearwater is a forceful six-stringer... He lays down some gritty West Side shuffles and belly-grinding slow blues that highlight his raw chops, soulful vocals, and earthy, humorous lyrics.”
eddyclearwater.com

Even after 40 years away from his Louisiana home, Lonnie Brooks’ music is still instilled with the funky, swampy bayou rhythms of Opelousas and Lafayette, and his lyrics often speak of black cat bones and "Mojo Hands". But along the road from Louisiana to Chicago, he's combined the swing of Texas, the soul of Memphis and the pure power of Chicago blues into a musical gumbo that is all his own.
lonniebrooks.com

Sun, August 31 (JAZZ) Mulligan Mosaics, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5.
The Mulligan Mosaics Big Band is a 13-piece jazz orchestra, founded and lead by Ted Hogarth, with the mission of preserving and performing the music of Gerry Mulligan, and those composers and arrangers whom he influenced.
mulliganmosaics.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, Sept 1 – Closed.

Tues, Sept 2 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, Sept 3 – TBA

Thurs, Sept 4 (JAZZ) Red Rose Ragtime Band, 8pm, $10
The Red Rose Ragtime Band was formed in the early 1980s in the Chicago,Illinois, area with the express purpose of playing a musical repertoire reflecting almost every aspect of early jazz music, including ragtime. Red Rose delves into early Dixieland with seldom-heard tunes by the pre-1920 Original Dixieland Jazz Band – then continues into the "hot '20s " with the marvelous music generated by the legendary Bix Beiderbecke and others. The "West Coast Revival" period is represented by Lu Watters and Turk Murphy compositions. No matter what the tune, Red Rose plays each in the style in which it was originally played or recorded.
redrosejazz.com

Fri, Sept 5 (AMERIPOLITAN/ROOTS/COUNTRY) Dale Watson, Gin Palace Jesters, 9:30pm, $12 (TM/Club).
Dale Watson isn't one to uphold the music industry's status quo. Even with frequent proclamations declaring him one of country music’s last authentic voices, Watson is done with the “C” word and what it's come to represent in modern times. So much so that he's created his own genre, simply called Ameripolitan. Dale explains it like this: "I've been trying to come up with a name the best describes this music that me and folks similar do. If you say traditional, or old, or western swing, most folks think 'retro' and dismiss it without hearing it. I wanted a name that didn't say country anything and didn't give anyone a preconceived idea. I came up with Ameripolitan. I even put it in Wikipedia defined as: Original music with 'prominent' roots influence." And so it goes with Dale Watson, the kind of unparalleled iconoclast that's far too rare in music today.
DaleWatson.com

“Chicago's original honky-tonk fools,” the Gin Palace Jesters are purveyors of the finest in hard hitting hillbilly Honky-tonk, Country Boogie and Western Swing. Delivering 3 and 4 part harmonies, they prove that authentic country and cowboy music can be found in brand new originals, as well as the traditional songs – and hold court where the thrones are bar stools, the lights are made of neon, the holy spirits are served on the rocks, and Hank Williams is King.
ginpalacejesters.com

***Also on Fri, Sept 5 (SINGER/SONGWRITER) Slaid Cleaves, 9pm in the SideBar, $15 (TM/Club)
Doing roadside van repairs, hauling equipment in and out of venues, answering a dozen e-mails a day, planning and booking tours and their financial details, these are not things Maine-raised songwriter Slaid Cleaves envisioned when he said goodbye to a string of day jobs and became a musician full time. But perhaps these mundane tasks ground him, for he is revered for turning out rawneck songs that capture the essential struggle of the Everyman within the resin of a fine melody.
slaid.com

Sat, Sept 6 (BLUES/ROCK) Paula Nelson Band, 9:30pm, $10 (TM/Club)
When your dad is a founding father of outlaw country and a major musical legend, at some point, you realize resistance is futile: Even if you don’t seek a career in music, eventually, it’s gonna seek you.

Like the Cash and Jennings kids, Paula Nelson picked up “Papa Bear” Willie’s way with a song early on – along with her aunt Bobbie’s skill on piano, which Paula started playing at age 7. Although her dad once advised her, “Remember to watch everything I do and do the exact opposite,” she drew influences from his Highwaymen pals and contemporaries such as Kris Kristofferson’s then-wife, Rita Coolidge, whose bluesy, supple vocal style provided one of Paula’s earliest templates as she found her own voice. Texas Monthly has called that voice “torchy,” and the Los Angeles Times praised, “There’s no missing the unforced power of Paula’s singing.”
paulanelsonband.com

Sun, Sept 7 – TBA

Mon, Sept 8 – Closed.

Tues, Sept 9 – Open Mike in the Club, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, Sept 10 – Chicago Singer Spotlight, 8pm, $8.
Tonight’s featured performers include, Carolyn Chiovino, Nickey Farr, Liz Walker and Joe Scumaci; hosted by Becca Kaufman.
singerspotlight.com

Thurs, Sept 11 (JAZZ) David Polk Project featuring Pamela Rose, 8:30pm, $8
David Polk is a Chicago born and bred professional saxophonist. He has been writing and performing his original music for the past 28 years, and in 1998 came out with his debut CD titled Feel Good. David was a member of the jazz fusion group “Juggular” and currently plays professionally with the “Orchestra 33” band. He has opened for such artist as Al Jarraeu, Dizzy Gillespie, and Kenny G. among many others. David brings an Allstar group featuring Victor Miranda - Bass, Bob Baglione- guitar, Jamie Pastman- keyboards, Rick Vitek- drums, and Pamela Rose on vocals.
davidpolk.com

Fri, Sept 12 (ROOTS/FOLK/BLUES) Bruce Robison, Guy Forsyth, Luke Sayers; 9pm, $15TM
“Texas songwriter” is one of those job descriptions -- like “French chef” or “Kenyan runner” – that packs a lot of implied historical weight. Any occupational title that invites immediate comparison to Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, and Willie Nelson is not for the faint of heart.

But Bruce Robison is more than up to the task, and his latest set of stellar songs, The New World (Robison’s sixth album release), merely confirms what everybody knew already: this cat is a tunesmith to be reckoned with. A longtime hometown favorite in Austin, in the last couple of years his songs, No. 1 hits like "Angry All the Time" (Faith Hill & Tim McGraw), "Travelin' Soldier" (Dixie Chicks) and "Wrapped" (George Strait) and another Top 5 hit with Strait’s version of "Desperately," have worked their way indelibly into the American consciousness. Real songwriters know that it’s not about how many units you move so much as whether people sing your songs to themselves when they’re alone. By either standard, Bruce Robison is among the first rank of Texas – and, by extension, American – songwriters.
myspace.com/brucerobison (instant audio...)

It’s been a long and dusty, winding road for Austin singer/songwriter Guy Forsyth that’s lead to a recent surge in praise over his dazzling live shows and his rich Americana roots sound. Forsyth (vocals, acoustic, electric, & slide guitar, harmonica, ukulele, singing saw), along with Will Landin (bass/tuba) and Rob Hooper (drums/Cajon), bring a unique mixture of styles such as folk, rock, country, and Tin Pan Alley to create a sound that’s as heterogeneous, raw and compelling as America itself. You’ll hear powerhouse vocals deliver energetic yarns about love, the government and the apocalypse, to name a few, as Forsyth and company squeeze everything they have into each song and rarely come up for air.

Guy is known today as a musician with gripping, powerful vocals as well as a master of numerous instruments. He started his musical development first with singing, and began playing harmonica at 16. Shortly thereafter he heard a very distinct and overwhelming sound on Kansas City radio that changed his life; it was Robert Johnson. After that, he borrowed a guitar, fell in love and learned to tune it with his feet from a friend who had lost both his arms in an accident. In college, he lasted a single semester at the University of Kansas, and then he found the music he had been seeking – gritty, organic folk and blues, “from a practical hands-on, gears, joints and joists level.” And he struck out to learn it.
guyforsyth.com

The American musical heritage has a common thread that weaves through blues, jazz, country, and folk music; one which Luke Sayers has woven into his songwriting along with the structure and emotion of pop and rock music. Luke has been hard at work establishing himself throughout the country over the past 2 years. The former bassist, a songwriter, singer, and acoustic guitarist with Tangerine Trousers left the group to pursue a solo career in the fall of 2004. Since then Luke’s debut solo CD "Songbook, the introduction" was released in 2005, and Luke has reunited with his fellow former Tangerine Trousers band mate Mark Iannace. Their unique sound featuring “the duo's bang-up harmonies at times recalling Barenaked Ladies” (the Grand Rapids Press), nylon string acoustic guitar, and accordion have recently been complimented by the dynamic drumming of Ann Arbor’s Mike Gabelman.
lukesayers.com

Sat, Sept 13 (COUNTRY) Bill Kirchen, more info TBA.
Grammy™ nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen is one of the fortunate few who can step on any stage, play those trademark licks which drove the seminal Commander Cody classic “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top Ten nationwide, and elicit instant recognition for a career that’s spanned over 30 years and includes performances with names like Nick Lowe, Emmylou Harris, Doug Sahm, Elvis Costello and Danny Gatton. Named ‘A Titan of the Telecaster’ by Guitar Player magazine, he celebrates an American musical tradition where country music draws upon its origins in blues and bluegrass, and in the Western swing of Texas and California honky tonks. An apt description of Bill’s singing, songwriting and guitar playing skill is provided in this quote from Nick Lowe: “He's like a devastating culmination of the elegant and funky... a really sensational musician, with enormous depth.”
billkirchen.com

Sun, Sept 14 (JAZZ) Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
A house band at FitzGerald’s since 1991, the Chicago Skyliners Big Band is one of the top big bands in Chicagoland. Besides original material by contemporary big band arrangers, the band also features the music of Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. Blue Birdland recording artists, the band has recorded 7 CDs. Big band is alive and well. Celebrate this great art form most every Sunday at FitzGerald’s. On your way there, check Bill’s big band radio show Sunday’s at 5pm on 90.9FM WDCB.
chicagoskylinersbigband.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, Sept 15 – Closed.

Tues, Sept 16 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, Sept 17 (JAZZ) Rob Parton’s JazzTech Big Band, 7:30pm, $10, 17 & under $5
The Chicago Tribune has called the JazzTech Big Band "one of the best big bands in the country". The Chicago Sun-Times characterizes the band with "hard hitting ensemble brightly crafted harmonies and expansive solos." Rob’s goal for the JazzTech Big Band is to promote and commission new arrangements of great jazz standards as well as original compositions by Chicago composers .
rparton.com

Thurs, Sept 18 (ROCK) Spade Kitty Presents Alex Mizicko and special guests TBA, 8:30pm, $5

Fri, Sept 19 (LATIN/ROCK) Rico! 9:30pm, $8
Rico! is defined as a band with a rich sound of diversified musical cultures. The band creates an immense fiery soulful sound through bass, congas, percussion, drums, timbales, keyboards, guitar, and pure passion. Rico! will move you physically and mentally with their hypnotic blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms, or purge deep into your soul with their eminent sense of melody. They are influenced and inspired by all the innovative rock, soul, jazz, Afro-Cuban, blues, funk, reggae, and hip-hop pioneers. The world's music is Rico! and their vision is to play inspiring music bridging the gap and bringing all people together in peace, harmony and happiness.
ricojams.com

Sat, Sept 20 (ROCK) Monte Montgomery, 9:30pm, $15 (TM/Club)
Monte Montgomery has taken the acoustic guitar beyond anyone’s expectations.  With his amazing fretwork, unique combination finger and pick style playing through trailblazing “chordal” thoroughfares often baffling even the most accomplished players. While Monte remains a huge enigma in the guitar universe, his legendary reputation has spread like wildfire since he appeared on Austin City Limits.  In 2004, Monte was named in Guitar Player magazine’s list of “Top 50 greatest Guitarists of All Time,” and in 2005, he was featured on the covers of Frets and Acoustic Guitar magazines.  
montemontgomery.com

Sun, Sept 21 (JAZZ) Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5
The Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, now led by Jim Peterson, is one of the Chicago area's most exciting big bands. This twenty-piece group consists entirely of professional musicians, many of whom have toured with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and others. Jim has recently taken over the leadership of the Band, and is honored to do so.

The CMJO has an extensive library, including many of the original arrangements the Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, and Buddy Rich Big Bands. The CD Live and Screamin', with guest trumpet soloist Dennis Noday, was released in February 1998 by the Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. A new CD, Labor of Love, was released in December 1999. The CMJO is also featured on the CD, Mile by Jazz Mile, which includes many Chicago jazz artists and was produced to commemorate The LaSalle Banks 1999 Chicago Marathon. The CMJO was founded by longtime jazz educator, mentor, and bandleader, Lenny King.
cmjo.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, Sept 22 – Closed.

Tues, Sept 23 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.

Wed, Sept 24 (JAZZ/BLUES) Leon Redbone, 8:30pm, $20 (TM/Club)
Though his iconic guise of his Panama hat, jacket and sunglasses has been thoroughly satirized (anybody remember the "Leon Redbone Workout" Far Side cartoon?), it's easy to overlook what a genuinely gifted artist he remains -- a role he inevitably tries to downplay. "In some ways I've always been complacent in my approach to music," Redbone says. "So in some ways maybe I'm the pure definition of consistent."

At the core of his initial calling (which he might say arrived sometime between 1820 and "Black Tuesday") was the desire to simply honor songs from the past – a waltz with bygone days that established him as sole curator of the museum of 20th century music. Most folks were introduced to the man during his network debut on Saturday Night Live in 1976, where he showcased his indelible version of "Walkin' Stick." Over the course of his 30+ year, 15+ album, super-star-of-stage-and-screen-and-Madison-Avenue career, the bard has continued his love affair with tunes from the turn-of-the-century (as in the second-to-last century), flapper-era radio ditties, Depression-spawned ragtime and World War II folk-jazz.
leonredbone.com

Thurs, Sept 25 (SINGER-SONGWRITER) Paul Amandes Cd Release Local Wonders w/special guest Anne Hills, 8pm, more info TBA.
Paul Amandes is a Chicago singer-songwriter and a theatre guy (actor-singer-director-playwright-composer-lyricist). For the past few years, he’s been singing & playing with Jamie O'Reilly, Michael Smith, &/or Anne Hills (who produced & sings on Local Wonders) in concert and in stage shows. He writes tons of songs for shows – on the guitar! Folk music collides with musical-theatre, never looking back and telling the truth ‘til a better-sounding lie comes along.

For twenty years Paul shared the stage with his brother, actor-singer Tom Amandes and with Jamie O. in the Irish-and -then-some band: Jamie O'Reilly And The Rogues.
localwondersmusical.com (instant audio...)

Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” – Tom Paxton
annehills.com

***Also on Thurs, Sept 25 (COUNTRY) Country Night in Berwyn, 8pm in the SideBar, $5
Featured artists tonight include: Long Gone Lonesome Boys, Lisa DeRosia & Lush Budgett, Possum Hollow Boys.

The first thing you notice about the Long Gone Lonesome Boys: tight, cutting vocals, spot-on harmonies and arrangements. The second thing: excellent songwriting. The third thing: It's eerie how much these 'brothers from different mothers' - Patrick Penney and John Milne - sound alike. Their voices mirror each other seamlessly, and not even the Everly Brothers could claim to have a better blend." --Marty Larkin, HankFest
longgonelonesomeboys.com

Reviewers have likened Lisa Derosia and Lush Budgett to everything from "vintage country gems" to "a countrified version of the throwing muses" to "twangy helium rock." Whatever it is, with Lisa Derosia's angelic voice, the band's solid musicianship and an emphasis on writing good songs, Lush Budgett avoids the country sub-genre flavor-of-the-month in favor of a lonesome and steady sound with catchy hooks and sensible lyrics.
lushbudgett.com

“The Possum Hollow Boys have warmed up crowds for some of the finest acts to come through FitzGerald's in the last year, including Webb Wilder, Leon Russell, Robbie Fulks, and Junior Brown.  A dynamic 3 piece made up of Casey McDonough (Beatle Brothers, Western Elstons, The Federales) on lead guitar/vocals, Casey Stockdon
(Gin Palace Jesters) on upright bass/vocals and Dennis Leise (The Knuckletones) on fingerstyle and rhythm acoustic guitar/vocals, they shift with ease between TraditionalAmericana[sic] styles including Rockabilly, Bluegrass, Ragtime, Western Swing, Classic Country and even an occasional contemporary pop hit in the style of the classics, not to mention their own originals. Come join us for "A Night in the Country" as we welcome them in support of their upcoming CD 'It's the Possum Hollow Boys.' ”
myspace.com/possumhollerboys (instant audio...)

Fri, Sept 26 – TBA

Sat, Sept 27 – TBA

Sun, Sept 28 (JAZZ) Mulligan Mosaics, 6pm, $10, 17 & under $5.
The Mulligan Mosaics Big Band is a 13-piece jazz orchestra, founded and lead by Ted Hogarth, with the mission of preserving and performing the music of Gerry Mulligan, and those composers and arrangers whom he influenced.
mulliganmosaics.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Mon, Sept 29 – Closed.

Tues, Sept 30 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover.