Like nearly all great duos, jazzy jam/groove two-piece Family Order makes it hard to believe that such musical depth can be achieved with only a pair of people. Keyboardist/bassist Eitan Bernstein and drummer Charlie Dresser achieve this through engaging melodies, driving organs, wild synth freak outs, and rock-solid beats. This performance at Kinetic Playground marks the release of the duo’s seven-song debut album, and for the time being, interested parties can head to edigitalstudios.com/dl/familyorder.zip to download the entire album for free. If you’re into the Benevento/Russo Duo, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Critters Buggin or Phish, don’t miss this show. (Scott Morrow)
Best known for her 11-year stint playing for Lenny Kravitz, Cindy Blackman is a versatile drummer whose solo material bops between funky jazz, jazzy rock, and soul jazz. Though the tickets are steep, catching her at the Morse’s swank digs is highly recommended for those into accessible instrumental jazz. Touring in support of Music for the New Millennium, released in late November, Blackman is joined by tenor saxophonist JD Allen, Fender Rhodes pianist Carlton Holmes, and bassist George Mitchell. (Scott Morrow)
Friday, December 5 at 8pm Venue: Morse Theatre Tickets: $25-$30
Free-jazz dynamo Fred Anderson has been a staple in the city’s jazz scene for years, performing blistering sets with countless groups and hosting potent shows at his Velvet Lounge. He has also released a number of live albums that feature performances at his venue, and on December 5th and 6th, Anderson and his quartet will celebrate the release of Live at the Velvet Lounge, Volume III. Released through Asian Improv Records, the album showcases the group’s exceptional skills-- often the complementary players holding it down while Anderson works through expressive passages. On the album, and for these performances, Anderson is joined by the outstanding cast of San Francisco saxophonist/flutist Francis Wong, New York percussionist Chad Taylor, and local multi-instrumentalist Tatsu Aoki. (Scott Morrow)
Friday, December 5 at 9:30pm Venue: Velvet Lounge Tickets: $15
Acoustic legend and 93-year-old David "Honeyboy" Edwards is one of the last living links to Delta pioneer Robert Johnson, the man who wrote "Sweet Home Chicago." Aside from Pinetop Perkins, Edwards is arguably the last true blue Delta musician alive. He’s certainly past his freight train, moon-howlin’ prime, but makes up for it with impromptu chord changes and decades of innate angst that won’t ever quit his steel-lap-and-rasp pipes. Two harp warriors fill the gap; Billy Branch opening proper and Matt Hendricks hosting the free 6:30 p.m. acoustic intro. (Gavin Paul)
Those who missed out on Tribe Called Quest at the Rock the Bells tour this past summer can make up for it with Q-Tip’s show at Chicago’s House of Blues. Tip parted ways with TCQ back in 1998 and since then he’s pursued a couple of solo projects with varying success. His latest album The Renaissance (slated for release on November 4) boasts production work from J-Dilla. This bold attempt at bridging the gap between underground and mainstream hip-hop will undoubtedly go down as one of 2008’s most noteworthy shows. And while the spotlight is on Q-Tip, it’s also a big night for The Cool Kids, who have claimed themselves as the next Beastie Boys. (J. Min)
Saturday, December 6 at 9pm Venue: House of Blues Tickets: $30.50-$33
From doo-wop diva to Motown queen, Gladys Knight rode the R&B train for quite some time, bursting with brassy Supremes-style hits. But once the break-up, waltzy soul of "Neither One of Us" topped the charts in 1973, she brought that same adult-contemporary mood into the new millennium. More recently, Knight has returned to up-tempo tracks with a little help from Verve and MCA records, dabbling back into R&B (with At Last, 2001) along with a few jazz shakes (on Before Me, 2006). This sparkling, Vegas-like tour is certain to showcase some late-career bravado. (Gavin Paul)
Odd jobs working for candy and box-folding companies supported this gritty guitarist since he and his family moved to Chicago in the 1950’s. Why his lyrics are so angry is a mystery, but they do fall in line with the very root of blues. Smith’s guitar work is reminiscent of B.B. King speed, of which he pieced together with pointers from Chicago friends Robert Lockwood, Jr. and Hubert Sumlin, and cousin J. B. Lenoir. Byther toured the world before cutting his first record on Texas-based Grits Records, which as irony would have it, made him a success in the UK. Over the course of six records spanning Delmark to Black and Tan, Smith has built a passionate niche based on genuine rasp and post-war hops.
Tonight's show at Martyrs' is a bride-to-be's dream. It's got something old; any rock band with 20-plus years of service qualifies in that category, even if it's a group as unpredictable as psychedelic pop-rockers Mercury Rev. It's got something new - two new things, actually, as the Buffalo group just released a couple of albums of original material this fall, both of which see the group heading in yet another direction. It's got something borrowed (sorta); Leila Moss, the moaning lead singer of The Duke Spirit, has drawn many comparisons to Jefferson Airplane-era Grace Slick on her group's addictive second album, Neptune. And it's got something blue - you, if you miss it. (Ben Rubenstein)
Thursday, December 11 at 8pm Venue: Martyrs' Tickets: $25
If Carlos Santana filled in for a missing KISS member, the result might sound strikingly similar to Toronto-bred guitarist Anthony Gomes’ 1970’s rockstar swagger. The new-gen artist caught his break with 1998’s "Best Unsigned Blues Band" competition at Buddy Guy’s Legends, immediately receiving tour opening invites from stars like Koko Taylor and Sugar Blue, as well as a 1999 appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival. Nowadays Gomes and his band are very much crusaders of pick-up heavy, rock-blasted funk with careening guitars set deep into the genres future.
Friday, December 12 at 9:30pm Venue: FitzGerald's Tickets: $12
Many talented artists have taken the Hideout's stage over the years. As the music club's Workers' Comp series demonstrates, many have stood behind its bar, too. At this release party for the second staff compilation, you'll find a mix of Hideout bartenders and soundmen (and the bands they belong to) offering up everything from metal to bluegrass. Former bartender—and current indie chanteuse—Neko Case probably won't make an appearance, but you can expect a few long-winded speeches from co-owner Tim Tuten, whose voice graces five tracks on the album. (Ben Rubenstein)
Saturday, December 13 at 8pm Venue: Hideout Tickets: $10
Contrary to the "hardcore" image of hip-hop, Yoome’s inspiration is steeped in intimate stories about breaking up and the ensuing loneliness that follows. Their debut album, The Boredom of Me, features the stripped down synthesized beats of Tony Trimm (and Jeff Parker of Tortoise on guitar), the highly introspective lyrics of Serengeti and the whimsical voice of Auckland native Renee Louise Carafice. Together they’ve managed to shatter the blueprint of mediocre hip-hop, or what Serengeti and Tony Trimm call “Rap that raps about rap”. They’ve performed once earlier this year at the Abbey Pub, and had no problem engaging the crowd on a more intimate level. It won’t be your typical “throw your hands in the air” hip-hop show (don’t expect the Serengeti from Dennehy or Haiku form Blew), but it will be an exclusive showing of tight progressive hip-hop at its absolute finest. (J. Min)
This week at the Hungry Brain, an assortment of regular Chicago avant-jazz and rock performers unite in a unique arrangement. Guitarists Toby Summerfield (Algernon) and Matt Lux (bass in Isotope 217) join brass performers Nick Broste (Herculaneum) and Jaimie Branch (Branch/Riordan Duo) as well as vibraphonist Katie Wiegman (Algernon) and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise). The performers’ groups span straight-ahead jazz, psychedelia, post-rock, free jazz, experimental and electronic music. It will be mighty interesting to see what this group, performing for two sets, has in store for the bar’s patrons. (Scott Morrow)
Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS) is one of those bands that not only looks effortlessly cool, but has the clever lyrics and music to match. You may not know the group by name, but if you've paid attention to lowbrow dance music for the past few years, you've surely heard one of its singles. Hailing from Sao Paolo, CSS first caught on in America for the catchy "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above," and the often-remixed (most famously by Radioclit) "Alala," but its biggest hit is easily the "Music is My Hot Hot Sex," used in a recent iPod commercial. The girls are known to let it all go on stage, so this one is definitely not for the faint of heart. (Maya Henderson)
Sunday, December 14 at 7:30pm Venue: Metro Tickets: $18
