Chicago Club Scene
Photos by John Broughton
February, March & April 2010

Story by Brad Walseth
All photos by John Broughton, Copyright 2010

Spring has sprung in the city of Chicago, and what better way to shake off the rust of a long ugly winter than to hit one of the many fine jazz clubs in our fair city. Rather than sitting in front of the tube again watching annoying wannabee American idols, you truly owe it to yourself to get out and catch some of the exciting local and national acts in one of the many friendly and comfortable nightclubs in ChiTown.

Photographer John Broughton is out in the jazz clubs almost every night and he shares some great photos from his visits. So sit back and take a virtual club tour of some of these great Windy City hotspots and check out some of the talented artists that perform on a nightly basis for our lucky audiences.

Fred Hersch at Club BluJazz

Pianist Fred Hersch overcame a recent near death experience to come back strong - performing for jazz fans who thrill to his critically-acclaimed keyboard work. He visited our city April 9-10 and is an example of the high level of talent being booked by our city's newest jazz club - Club BluJazz - located at 1540 W. North Ave - just 1/2 block off of 94 with plenty of street parking in the immediate area. We caught Fred on Friday - and his combination of sensitivity and technique on pieces like "Mrs. Parker of K.C. " and "When Your Lover has Gone" was truly breathtaking - especially in such an intimate setting. You can check out the upcoming schedule at Club BluJazz at www.clubblujazz.com/.

Fred Hersch

Frank Russell with Nicholas Barron at Andy's

For those not aware of Frank Russell - he is considered to be one of the greatest funk bassists in the world - spoken of in the same breath with folks like Marcus Miller and Larry Graham - and he lives and performs here in Chicago! Catching Frank is an exciting experience as his fingers fly up and down the fretboard on songs like his great "Georgy Porgy," and don't blink or you'll miss 50 notes. But he can also make his bass sing - as on his version of Christopher Cross' "Sailing." On Friday, April 9, Frank and drummer extraordinaire Rick Heath were laying down the grooves at Andy's, while keyboardist Greg Spero and guitarist Peter Lerner rounded out this exceptional combo. Meanwhile, R&B singer Nicholas Barron (backed by these furious funkmeisters) whipped the crowd into a frenzy by performing an ultra-hot medley of Al Green and Stevie Wonder tunes. We were there for a rare occurrence as the entire crowd (John and I included) were pulled onto the dancefloor by the lovely ladies - and everyone in Andy's was dancing up a storm. Fortunately, John's photos of yours truly doing the "funky chicken" are not included (your check is in the mail, you blackmailer, you). The conveniently located Andy's (11 E. Hubbard) is well-known as one of the most popular jazz clubs in Chicago - and they feature great jazz 7 nights a week. Andy's complete schedule can be found at www.andysjazzclub.com.

Frank Russell

Peter Lerner

Nicholas Barron

Hiromi at the Jazz Showcase

Exciting young pianist Hiromi was a recent visitor to the Jazz Showcase, where her bubbly personality and active piano playing and other acrobatics was a sight to behold. Joe and Wayne Segal's renowned Jazz Showcase is a great room to catch jazz in and they feature local jazz artists Monday through Wednesday and an international star Thursday through Sunday. Check out the Jazz Showcase at www.jazzshowcase.com.

Hiromi

Bobby Broom at Pete Miller's Evanston

There is a reason why legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins chose Bobby Broom when he needed a guitarist for his band several years ago. Bobby continues to thrill the crowds with his intelligent and creative playing style whether with Mr. Rollins, the popular Deep Blue Organ Trio or with his own group. On Friday February 26th, he was joined by his usual bassist Dennis Carroll, drummer Mayaka Mccraven, singer Milton Suggs and up-and-coming young trumpet player Ryan Nyther at Pete Miller's in Evanston. Besides being and outstanding restaurant, Pete's in Evanston (along with the sister location in Wheeling) has been featuring sizzling jazz to go along with their food and drinks for many years. Check out the music schedule at both locations at www.petemillers.com.

Bobby Broom

Ryan Nyther

Makaya Mccraven

Dennis Carroll

vocalist Milton Suggs

Yoko Noge with Jimmy Burns at Andy's

Catching Chicago-based, Asian-American singer/pianist Yoko Noge live is a must. Her unique blend of American jazz and blues with Asian music is incredibly effective, and her band features such stars as drummer Avreeayl Ra (Su Ra's Arkestra) and under-appreciated veteran saxophonist Jimmy Ellis. On Feb. 25th, Yoko was joined by veteran Delta Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Ellis. If you've never seen and heard Yoko sing "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" you are missing a true highlight. She appears at Andy's (11 E. Hubbard) quite often - so be sure to check her out. Andy's full schedule can be found at www.andysjazzclub.com.

Yoko Noge

Jimmy Burns

Jimmy Ellis

Avreeayl Ra

Algernon at The Darkroom

For those whose tastes in jazz are open to including progressive rock influences, guitarist Dave Miller brought his Algernon group to The Darkroom at 2210 W. Chicago Ave in the Ukranian Village neighborhood. Algernon's churning rock rhythms are aggressive, but the music features quiet atmospheric elements and Katie Wiegman's ethereal vibes as well. The Darkroom features all sorts of music - so check their music schedule at www.myspace.com/darkroombar.

Dave Miller

Katie Wiegman

Tom Perona

Toby Summerfield

Rose Colella and Paul Marinaro at Katerina's

Enjoying a romantic dinner and wine by candlelight is a perfect experience at Katerinas (1920 W. Irving Park). This cozy club often features cabaret singers or gypsy jazz, but has opened its stage for artists ranging from Dee Alexander, Paulinho Garcia, and Jodie Christian to Eastern Blok, Chris Greene, Juli Wood and Kelly Brand. John caught singers Rose Colella and Paul Marinaro Feb. 25th for an enjoyable evening at this luminous North side gem. Check out Katerina's upcoming music schedule at www.katerinas.