If you’re looking for more Christmas songs to add to your rotation this year, the last song on Rockin’ Johnny’s most recent Delmark record, Grim Reaper, “Party This Christmas” is a great addition. Despite this albums morbid title, and Rockin’ Johnny’s reputation for sharp notes and an intense persona and playing style, “Party This Christmas”…

“Delmark Records’ rebirth. It was only a matter of time before Delmark Records founder Bob Koester, 86, would need to decide what to do with the label he founded 65 years ago. Would he shut it, sell it, bequeath it or something else? And what would he do with its catalog, inventory and studio at…

By Keegan Morris | December 18, 2018 Fareed Haque and the KAIA String Quartet perform in WFMT’s Levin Performance Studio WFMT welcomed guitarist Fareed Haque and the KAIA String Quartet for an Impromptu. To kick off the program, the ensemble shared “I Know a Rose Tree Springing” (“Es ist ein Ros entsprungen”), a traditional Christmas carol….

Soulful Days is the debut album by Soul Message Band but, for the most part, these masterful musicians are not appearing on Delmark for the first time. Organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham both came from the now defunct Deep Blue Organ Trio who have two Delmark albums and one DVD. Alto saxophonist Greg…

  Jazz Beyond Jazz Howard Mandel’s Urban Improvisation Chicago blues at 90 December 16, 2018 by Howard Mandel 2 Comments Guitarist Jimmy Johnson’s birthday at Space Jimmy Johnson at Space, Evanston — all photos thanks to Harvey Tillis Blues have been heard in Chicago for about 100 years — and blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson has…

Reviews Music, Video & Books Fareed Haque & KAIA String Quartet New Latin American Music For Guitar And String Quartet (Delmark) By Bobby Reed  |   Published December 2018 Earlier this year, musicians Julia A. Miller and Elbio Barilari acquired venerated Chicago label Delmark Records from its founder, Bob Koester, and the new owners wasted…

“Fareed Haque and Kaia String Quartet: “New Latin American Music for Guitar and String Quartet” (Delmark Records). Just as violinist Rachel Barton Pine acknowledges the indispensable contributions of African-American composers to classical music in “Blues Dialogue,” guitarist Haque and the Kaia ensemble do so with Latin American creators. It’s impossible to overstate the melodic beauty…

GOOD NEWS!  Fareed Haque & Kaia String Quartet, “New Latin American Music For Guitar And String Quartet” has been chosen as a DECEMBER 2018 DownBeat Editors’ Picks to be featured within the upcoming December 2018 issue.