Delmark News Blog
“Memorable” says Robert Sacre of Johnny Iguana Chicago Spectacular album.
English and French versions of the review, inside. Posted by Robert Sacre on 5 Oct 2020 Delmark – Catalogue DE 864 Iguana is a pianist very present in Chicago clubs and festivals. He is very appreciated as partner of the whole Gotha dictionary of the bluesmen of the Windy City and he finally had the…

“Splendid sonic journey” says Step Tempest of “General Semantics”.
The trio of Geof Bradfield (tenor and soprano saxophones), Ben Goldberg (clarinet and contra-alto clarinet), and Dana Hall (drums, percussion) first met in 2017 at The Hyde Park Jazz Festival in Chicago, IL. That chance encounter led to “General Semantics” (Delmark Records), recorded a year later. All three musicians have years of experiences behind them…
ROOTSTIME MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS DAVE SPECTER’S “THE BALLAD OF GEORGE FLOYD” FEATURING BILLY BRANCH
“The Ballad of George Floyd” is Dave Specter’s new song, featuring Billy Branch on vocals and harmonica (though Specter also sings and plays guitar on the song), John Kattke on keyboards and Danny Shaffer on acoustic guitar. While hearing this song it is clear that the civic spirit of these blues musicians goes as far…

CLICK! Tail Dragger is 80 today. Happy birthday!
James Yancey Jones, known professionally as Tail Dragger, was born in September 30, 1940 in Altheimer, Arkansas. Check his albums out! Read his interview with the Chicago Defender. INTERVIEW:

A TRIBUTE TO IRA SULLIVAN, by Howard Mandel.
Ira Sullivan (May 1, 1931 – September 21, 2020) Howard Mandel ©2020 jazzmandel@gmail.com Ira Sullivan was a Chicago jazz original and devout near-native son. Born May 1, 1931 in Washington D.C., he resettled with his parents in the Midwest before he was four, about the same time he found his father’s trumpet behind as sofa…

“Iguana demonstrates that the blues is still alive and even always evolving,” says ROOTIME.
Great review by Rootime’s writer Dani Heyvaert. We were only recently spoiled with “High Times in The Dark”, the fourth album by The Claudettes, the band around singer Berit Ulseth, in which Johnny Iguana plays a rather prominent piano role, or there is already a new project of the piano playing, whiskey -drinking and Havana-smoking…

“Keys and Chords” gives a 5 STAR review to JOHNNY IGUANA “CHICAGO SPECTACULAR” Delmark album!
Piano virtuoso Johnny Iguana grew up in Philadelphia and at the age of fifteen became obsessed with Chicago blues greats like Junior Wells and Otis Spann. A few years later, he met Junior Wells at a show in New York and was thrilled when Junior hired him after some live auditions in Boston and Rhode…

Chicago SunTimes: Dave Specter, Billy Branch launch protest anthem ‘The Ballad of George Floyd’
When Chicago bluesman Dave Specter watched the video of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee on the neck of George Floyd for eight minutes and 46 seconds, causing his death, he knew that the times — pandemic and all — called for more than the usual platitudes.

Listen to “The Blues Lounge Radio Show” Delmark Records Special with host Steve Hoare!
Blues Lounge Radio Show brings you another two Hours of great Blues including a Special look at Delmark Records. featuring Jimmy Johnson, Dave Specter, Billy Flynn, Johnny Burgin, Linsey Alexander, Willie Buck, Breezy Rodio.
CHICAGO Music Guide interviews Dave Specter & Billy Branch about “The Ballad of George Floyd” (also listen & download the ballad)
INTERVIEW – Dave Specter and Billy Branch on The Ballad of George Floyd By: Matt Perius On: September 12, 2020 Interview: Dave Specter and Billy Branch on “The Ballad of George Floyd” Dave Specter, a Blues musician from Chicago, has been performing for over 35 years and has played an integral part in the Chicago…