I don’t have the slightest idea what drew me to Chris Smither or what caused me to give him a listen, but it was a wise choice. There just aren’t many people who do what he does, and that’s refreshing. So what does he do? He’s a finger style guitarist, (think Mississippi John Hurt or Lightnin’ Hopkins), and that’s worth listening to, but he also is a brilliant songwriter, and interpreter.  Bonnie Raitt recorded Smither’s “Love Me Like A Man” which has become one of her better known songs. He almost exclusively plays solo, accompanied by his own guitar and a “foot box” that serves that kee ..read more

 I don’t have the slightest idea what drew me to Chris Smither or what caused me to give him a listen, but it was a wise choice. There just aren’t many people who do what he does, and that’s refreshing. So what does he do? He’s a finger style guitarist, (think Mississippi John Hurt or Lightnin’ Hopkins), and that’s worth listening to, but he also is a brilliant songwriter, and interpreter. Bonnie Raitt recorded Smither’s “Love Me Like A Man” which has become one of her better known songs. He almost exclusively plays solo, accompanied by his own guitar and a “foot box” that serves that ..read more

                                   I admit it. I forgot about Michael McDermott. Since tending bar in the early 90s allowed me the luxury of playing whatever I wanted on the house stereo system, I kept McDermott’s debut release 620 Weed Street in heavy rotation. It was great to see a local artist sign a major label deal and receive airplay on WXRT. He soon appeared on MTV which played the video for his first single "A Wall I Must ..read more

The South side of Chicago has never been a great place to play original music. On any given weekend live music venues are filled with cover bands. Give the folks what they want to hear. But in recent years things have changed as several roots based bands have recently emerged with recordings of original songs. Say hello to the new roots scene and its most prominent artists: South City Revival, The Railway Gamblers, Pat Egan and the Heavy Hearts, and the Liam Durkin Band.  South City Revival is comprised of Joe Pacelli (vocals, guitar), John Quinn (lead guitar, vocals), Mike Fitzgerald (ba ..read more

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                                                                                        Rose Records was a record store on Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago. There were s ..read more

 Rose Records was a record store on Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago. There were several floors of recordings separated by genre. I always headed for one of the upper floors where the folk and country records were located. It was a music lover’s paradise. On one particular day, in the early 90s, I was reading the cover notes 0f Poor Man’s Dream. I had not heard of Russell, but something told me to take a chance. It was a wise choice.  Tom Russell has produced several great albums over the course of his career, but I have chosen to write about Poor Man’s Dream since it was my introdu ..read more

Chicago has had its share of accomplished singer/songwriters, most notably Michael Smith, Steve Goodman, and John Prine. But another artist, just as talented, was the late James McCandless. He passed away in 2013, but his music still deserves a larger audience.   I first heard McCandless around 1990, at Fitzgerald’s night club just outside of Chicago. It was their Tuesday evening open mic. I sat at the bar as various aspiring musicians wandered in with guitar cases in hand. Others huddled in a corner talking shop or tuning up to prepare for their performance.  The proceedings be ..read more

                                                     Chicago has had its share of accomplished singer/songwriters, most notably Michael Smith, Steve Goodman, and John Prine. But another artist, just as talented, was the late James McCandless. He passed away in 2013, but his music still deserves a larger audience.  I first heard McCan ..read more

What exactly is “Americana “music? It can be argued at length, but perhaps the best way to explain it is  to give my list of favorite recordings that I consider outstanding examples of the genre. Drum roll please...  Guitar Town - Steve Earle  This was the record that put Steve Earle on the map. It rocks and has enough twang to earn some success on the country charts. Key tracks: “Fearless Heart,” “Someday”  Trace - Son Volt  After the break-up of Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar released this stunning collection with new band mates as Son Volt. This 1995 release still holds u ..read more