G's Free Thoughts

Al Viola passed away last Wednesday. He was a senior member of the skilled guild of studio musicians that powered so many records after Wo...

Photo by Rick Trankle/Alex Cuevas Charlie Musselwhite visited Chicago this past weekend to headline at Buddy Guy's Legends on Saturday ...

I have been traveling and shoveling snow like a madman recently (today, the thaw finally arrived in Chicago). This has kept me away from th...

I noted in early January that Chord-On Blues, the huge, beautiful club in St. Charlse, IL, shut its doors. Here is a letter that the manage...

I am not a huge country music fan, but I appreciate the skill and professionalism of country music cats. Terry Lee McMillan was an excellen...

So the Bears got whipped in the Super Bowl and it is nine below zero in Chicago this morning. The sun is out, but everything feels gloomy.

The wind is stiff this evening, making a frigid night damn near unbearable. It will be worse tomorrow and miserable all week as the low tep...

The sad news of Susan Greenberg's untimely death has rippled through Chicago's blues community. Susan was a terrific photographer a...

January is only two-thirds over, and I am already feeling bad that I have missed a bunch of great musical performances. Here is my list of ...

We lost two musical giants - Alice Coltrane and Michael Brecker. She was born Alice MacLeod in Detroit MI; she died Swamini Turiyasangitanan...

I got a news flash from a member of the Eddy Clearwater Band . The 14,000 square foot blues club/supper club, Chord-On Blues , has shut dow...

Have you ever had a series of events knock you down a bit? Nothing hugely tragic, but just an accumulation of small to medium-sized bummmer...

Tonight, the Mystery Band will be playing at Bill's Blues in Evanston. Tomorrow night, Sammy Fender will be holding forth at Bill's ...

It isn't often that my day job and my blues obsession collide. It happened today when I worked my way to the last page of the last secti...

Mr. G crashed early on New Year's Eve. After a lovely (and heavy) meal with the wife and girlies, bed seemed like a better destination t...

The Mystery Band played at Duke's Bar last night. The crowd was sparse; I guess everyone is saving their partying energy for New Year...

Katherine Davis is one of Chicago's finest blues singers. Her voice is fabulous, but it the soul behind the voice that is the real stor...

James Brown crossed over at 1:45 AM this Christmas morning. I am therefore listening to old skool JB this morning instead of Christmas carol...

The Mystery Band is getting busy as we head into 2007! As I posted earlier this month, on Saturday December 30, Mr. G and the Mystery Band w...

It Has Been a Sad, Sad Month So Far Homesick James Passes: Chicago blues legend Homesick James Williamson passed away Wednesday, December ...