35th Annual Chicago Blues Festival

Chicago’s history of music is a rich one ; and specifically, of the era when The Blues arrived. from the Deep South up to the northern regions of the Midwest, near Lake Michigan. The roots of Classic Blues arrived in The Great Migration, sown with the heartache and hard work of millions of African Americans. Today it has. blossomed into what it is known as Urban. Electric, or Chicago Blues. The City Chicago’s 35th Annual Chicago Blues Festival was celebrated this year from the eighth of June through the tenth. It was a weekend of special performances by both local and national artists honoring the legacy of producers and musicians such as Bob Koester and the 65th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Little Walter, Gene Barge, and many more.- Some may be familiar, while others maybe not. It is this celebration of this music and its contributors that takes us back to the roots of The Blues. The text, sound, and atmosphere at the festival created a feeling of hope, as well as a vivacious and welcoming ambiance. Chicago and the millions of its citizens and fellow fans of these Blues are interwoven into this the very culture of our city. On a rainy weekend, full of dark and dismal clouds, thousands of people gathered together at the 35th Annual Chicago Blues Festival. To participate in this commemoration of the history of The Blues, music those attending needed ponchos, umbrellas, and light clothing to shield themselves from the wet and gloomy weather. However, he state of the spirits of those attending were at an all-time high. Smiles were contagious, and almost impossible to prevent when the magical sound of the musicians' tunes pouring from the many stages in Chicago's beautiful Millennium Park There were five main stages including The Budweiser Crossroads Stage, The Mississippi Juke Joint Stage, the Front Porch, the Rooftop Lounge, and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. In addition, along with the Park Grill Stage and Southwest Airlines Blues Lounge, the three-day festival had close to 100 performers. This was more than last year's festival which just illustrates that that the quantity was all quality! Cosmopolitan Chicago’s festival drew in a broad swath of blues fans. These included tourists who simply overheard the music and decided to join in on the fun. There were loyal fans who attended the festival year after year. There are some have been coming since they learned to walk! The Chicago Blues Festival is one of the largest music festivals in the city and those dark clouds and muddy fields did not stop blues fanatics from witnessing their favorite musicians perform, nor the casual passerby from attending a free music event in the Windy City. Jake Anderson and his wife were among those attendees who were simply in the area and decided to check out all the excitement. He said: "I'm from Minneapolis. I'm here with my wife who is in town for work. We love to catch live music anywhere we can whenever we can, and we thought this was a really great event. It's the second year we've been here. I don't know any particular artist necessarily. We're just kind of seeing whatever we can see in the time we have. We really like how they moved it over here to Millennium Park as opposed to Grant Park, two years ago. You can kind of just meander through all of Millennium Park and see lots of different musicians.” For others, this event brought back memories because attending it has for them become a true tradition. Two attendees, Susan and Kathie are sisters who’ve been coming here since 1984, which was the original Grand Opening of the ChicagoBlues Festival. They were enjoying some spicy brat sandwiches from the local food vendors while listening to the lively music at the Budweiser Crossroads Stage. According to Susan, they’ve only missed one or two shows since then: "This is a family reunion, it’s a friend reunion. We're from Chicago. I've brought my kids here, raised my kids here, and now they are coming on their own." Her sister Kathie, originally from Illinois but now living in Ohio said,: ”I come back here to see my family, and we usually come to the Chicago Blues Festival] most years. So, it’s a really great tradition for us.” Whether its tradition, growing up with the music, or just enjoying the weekend in Chicago with some outdoor entertainment, the Blues Festival has it all: dancing, food, drinks, bar-style, concert style. At the truly grand Jay Pritzker Pavilion, people have the choice between having a picnic on a blanket or relaxing on lawn chairs in the grass while enjoying the performance with the likes of the Fantastic Negrito, Mavis Staples, Willie Clayton, and others. One particular individual who appreciates this festival for all that it is, and who happens to be a fellow fan of the artists mentioned, as well as the person who helped make this event happen is the manager of the Chicago Blues Festival, Program Manager Mr. Carlos Tortolero.. In our interview with him, Tortolero told us that he began programming Blues music events for the city of Chicago as far back as 2004. He also managed the Chicago Summer Dance Festival and World Music Festival -making for quite the résumé! Most people get by at work, counting the minutes until they get to go home. However, for Tortoleros, this festival is where he feels right at home: "It is the largest Blues Festival in the world. It's the most comprehensive, definitive presentation of Blues as it stands. Other festivals simply don't compare in scope, in terms of longevity and history. This Festival was started the year after Muddy Waters [father of modern Chicago Blues] died in 1983. And we are going on our 35th year. In my opinion it's the most prestigious, and that's why I've always wanted to be a part of it.” The musicians, both old school and new, the fans, whether traditional or recreational, and planners such as Tortolero and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, are significant members of the millions of voices around the world who agree that Blues is a testament to an Age of Struggle. They believe that coming together and celebrating this music and the history behind it is a manifestation of that history. The 35th Annual Chicago Blues Festival raised the bar this year with the quantity of performers as well as the quality, and they are all looking to beat all expectations the next year!