DELMARK DAY: Masterclass Series + Concerts

By The Venue Aurora

The Fox Valley Music Foundation is proud to present DELMARK DAY on Saturday, April 25th!

Join us for the third installment of our community related partnership between FVMF and the historic Delmark Records.

DELMARK DAY is a new event series filled with music, mentorship, good times and most of all, the blues!

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DELMARK DAY: Masterclass Series + Concert

ByThe Venue Aurora

Saturday, April 25  •  Starts at 6 PM

The Fox Valley Music Foundation is proud to present DELMARK DAY on Saturday, April 25th.

~ Event Tickets ~General Admission = $25~ Day of Show ~Additional Door Charge = $5

Join us for the third installment of our community related partnership between FVMF and the historic Delmark Records.

DELMARK DAY is a new event series filled with music, mentorship, good times and most of all, the blues!

The evening begins with a one hour Masterclass will be led by blues legends The Delmark All-Stars (Mike Wheeler, Big Ray, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy) as they mentor up and coming vocalist, Jaden Allen. The event will be a “window in” to the rehearsal process complete real time mentorship, live “q and a” and steeped in Chicago Blues. DJ Julia Miller will spinning rare and classic Delmark Records vinyl immediately after class. The evening concert will feature a performance from the legendary Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band.

This celebration, funded by a Music In Action Grant from Live Music Society, brings together the power of live music, education, and Chicago music history.

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EVENT SCHEDULE
~ 6pm = Masterclass featuring Jaden Allen & The Delmark All-Stars with Mike Wheeler, Roosevelt Purifoy, Big Ray, & Larry Williams
~ 7pm = DJ Julia Miller
~ 8pm = Concert: Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band

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~ THE VENUE is brought to you by Fox Valley Music Foundation, dedicated to local music awareness, education and preservation. the musicvenue.org

~ TICKETS: We strongly recommend that you avoid buying tickets for our shows from any third parties. We will be unable to honor tickets purchased anywhere other than our website through Eventbrite or at our Box Office.

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Delmark Days highlights Chicago blues at The Venue in Aurora April 25

April 14, 2026 at 11:31 am CDT

By Shaw Local News Network

The Venue in Aurora will host Delmark Day, a grant-funded workshop and masterclass that will take a look inside Chicago blues at 6 p.m. on April 25.

“The mission-based program consists of an interactive workshop with Blues masters and mentors as well as a concert,” Scott Tipping, artistic director at The Venue, said in a news release. “This installment specifically will be a window in, so to speak.”

Delmark Day will begin with a live blues rehearsal session as The Delmark All-Stars nurture 18-year-old vocal prodigy Jaden Allen. The interactive masterclass will offer attendees the opportunity to watch Blues musicians at work, honing their craft of authentic Chicago Blues.

Later in the evening, Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band will bring the blues to the stage as they perform songs from his hugely successful Delmark album “Full Circle.” DJ and Delmark president Julia Miller will spin records from the Delmark catalog between the two acts.

“It will be an evening of pure Chicago Blues,” said Elbio Barilari, artistic director at Delmark Records in Chicago.

Chicago Blues musicians joining Delmark Day include Mike Wheeler, vocals and guitar; Roosevelt Purifoy, keyboards; Larry Williams, bass; Big Ray, drums; Chris Foreman, Hammond B3 organ; Greg Rockingham, drums; Greg Jung, sax.

The Venue is located at 21 S. Broadway, Aurora. For tickets and additional show information, visit themusicvenue.org.

https://www.shawlocal.com/thescene/2026/04/14/delmark-days-highlights-chicago-blues-at-the-venue-in-aurora-april-25