Author: Lisa Torem
The current leg of this promotional tour will feature Carlton drawing from her new album, but she will undoubtedly come armed with an arsenal of seasoned hits.
When Jardine returns to the City Winery Chicago, he’ll be supported by singer Matt Jardine, his son, and keyboardist Debbie Shair. No doubt, when he draws from A Postcard from California, he will illustrate his remarkable career through anecdotes and powerful visuals.
Did I walk into a “burnin’ ring of fire?” Um, no, it was actually Carol’s Pub in Chicago, an outrageously friendly country-western themed saloon, where a packed room full of locals and a couple of Nebraskans swing-danced along to FOLSOM’s greatest hits as a curious table of South Americans looked on. These factors pooled together formed the perfect marriage of band and venue. Carol’s walls boast dozens of celebrity photos and eye-catching portraits of Parton and Nelson. An empty gasoline jug with dollar signs sat on the stage unbeknownst to the band members. The setting alone rivaled Nashville’s Tootsies, but…
All the while, he conflates tragedy with humor. Even as he tuned an acoustic guitar (switching between two), he made damn sure the fourth wall was kept down.
Shortly after ringing in the New Year, troubadour Nicholas Tremulis, prodigal son of a jazz pianist and blues vocalist, will be blowing out Chicago City Winery candles in celebration of his 60-year birthday (not to mention three decades in show business!) and the release of Rarified World. Long-term fans will be also be pleased to know that special cuts from Island Record’s chestnut, More Than the Truth (one of eight studio albums Tremulis recorded with Chris Blackwell’s reggae-plus-more label), will balance out the explosive set list. To help him rejoice, of course, will be the Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra’s Derek Brand, Rick Barnes,…
In an evening that exceeded expectations, Booker T. Jones entertained Chicago City Winery fans with a triple-threat performance beginning with a lively Q and A, followed by an intimate reading from his long-awaited memoir, Time is Tight. Under the subtle spotlight, the multi-instrumentalist/author drew the audience in with recollections of the “Great San Fernando Earthquake” and “the long and tedious” process of learning meditation. As for his relationship with “The King,” he mused: “I was right down the street from Elvis Presley. Don’t know why I didn’t get in to the band!” Of course, everyone knew that Jones would bring up the storied studio which…
When Booker performs at Chicago City Winery on November 14th for an ambitious 8 pm set, he’ll begin with a reading from Time is Tight and stick around afterwards to greet fans and autograph books.
Although the L.A. transplant has enjoyed a solid reputation as a solo singer-songwriter, he is known as much for his poker-faced wit as his sonorous and scrappy vocals.
The record is based on a very simple idea: if you returned after an absence of decades to something that enchanted and mystified you as a teenager, what would you make of it?