April 2008

Tuesday, April 1 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover

Wednesday, April 2 – Club closed for a private event; SideBar is open.

Thursday, April 3 – Club closed for a private event; SideBar is open.

Friday, April 4 – The Special Consensus, with featured guest Howard Levy, 9:30pm, $15
Howard Levy is a musician without limits. His musical adventures include journeys into jazz, pop, rock, world music, Latin, classical, folk, blues, country, theater, and film. Universally acknowledged as the world’s most advanced diatonic harmonica player, Howard developed a fully chromatic style on the standard 10 - hole diatonic harmonica, revolutionizing harmonica playing and taking the instrument into totally new territory. Howard is also a founding member of Bela Fleck and The Flecktones. Though he is known primarily as a jazz musician and composer, Howard has played and loved Bluegrass, old- time fiddle tunes, Western Swing, and Country music for years. Howard Levy first played with Special C as part of a concert he MC’d at Highland Park HS a few years back. It felt so good that Howard and Greg Cahill talked about doing a concert together. Finally, this is it. This is Howard’s first appearance in a banjo-led group since his stint with Bela Fleck and The Flecktones.

The Special Consensus formed in the Chicago area in 1975 and has been touring nationally and internationally ever since. The band has released 13 recordings that feature traditional bluegrass, gospel, swing and original songs. Greg Cahill is also President/Board Chair of the Nashville, TN-based International Bluegrass Music Association. Howard Levy and Greg Cahill were both very involved in the big studio jingle scene here in Chicago years ago. Chicago was the hotbed of radio and TV commercial jingles for several years before most of it moved to L.A. You may recognize that harmonica and/or banjo sound in a Budweiser, Jiffy Lube or Oil Express commercial.
specialc.com | levyland.com

***Also on Friday, April 4 – Ben Schmidt, in the Sidebar Music Room, 8:30pm, $10
“Great songwriting with fingerstyle guitar that drives, shakes, shuffles, and swings with a fresh approach to the roots of folk/blues, and an honest and rich soulful voice, Ben Schmidt has been called "an extraordinary talent" and "the total package" by music critic Jim Musser (No Depression). His warm, versatile voice, alternately sweet and dark, colors compositions from ballads to blues. Self-taught, thirty-four year-old Schmidt has been playing guitar for 20+ years and writing songs since he was fifteen. The landscapes of his songs draw equally from his upbringing in Chicago, as well as his current home in Iowa City, Iowa. Ben is a favorite of Eastern Iowa public radio stations and is a featured artist on WSUI's Java Blend compilation CD, as well as KUNI's Best of Live from Studio One compilation disc. Schmidt's latest CD, While You Were Sleeping, was released in July of 2005. Cohesive and musically intricate, While You Were Sleeping speaks to contemporary issues in our culture, and gives a mature voice to classic themes of love and loss. Ben Schmidt lives in Iowa City, Iowa with his family and his dog, Django.”
myspace.com/benschmidtmusic (instant audio...)

***Also on Friday April 4 – Terry White and Pete Cimbalo with Special guest, Andon Davis, 6:30pm in the SideBar, no cover
Happy hour? HAH! Let’s make it TWO Happy hours with an acoustic set from the guys of Heartsfield, the Yellowhammers and, of course, Pie Eyed Pete!
yellowhammers.com | pieeyedpete.com | heartsfield.com

Saturday, April 5 – 93 XRT Welcomes an evening with Alejandro Escovedo, 7pm, SOLD OUT!
Throughout his lauded 14-year solo career, Alejandro Escovedo’s artistic aspirations have always aimed as high as the stars. And all along, his work has inspired the sort of rapturous critical praise that is unequalled for a contemporary artist who hasn’t (yet) achieved widespread cultural impact and fame. He has consistently earned a virtual music press thesaurus of acclamation, and enjoys an ever-expanding audience as devoted as any in rock’n’roll, thanks to the stunning breadth of his musical vision, depth of his emotional expression, and the sheer quality and musicality of his work. Or in short, the artistry of Alejandro Escovedo is as good as contemporary music gets.

Escovedo created what Rolling Stone’s Fricke calls “his own genre,” describing him as a “folk-blues classicist with a gritty, plaintive voice and an equal fondness for dirty boogie and spectral balladry.” His sound melds such diverse inspirations as Lou Reed, Townes Van Zandt, the “Glimmer Twins” of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, classical string quartets, the Mexican-American music of his home state of Texas and the English glam rock of David Bowie, T-Rex and Mott the Hoople, to name some but hardly all of the colors and hues to be found in his music. He has toured solo as well as with a rock combo, a string quintet and various combinations and permutations thereof, and performed in the mid-1990s with his 13-piece Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra in his hometown of Austin. Alejandro Escovedo returns to FitzGerald’s Night Club for a single, intimate, early evening of music.
alejandroescovedo.com

***Also on Saturday, April 5 – Rob McShane, Eli Jones and Church On Sunday, 10pm, $5
“Robert McShane is a late bloomer, other than imitating Elvis as a four-year-old, he didn’t pick up a guitar until he was 21. Writing comes easily and thankfully his singing and guitar developed during FitzGerald’s Tuesday Open Mike Night. Others were quick to notice his talent and charisma and after completing a 4 song EP in May 2006, Robert began the summer by opening for the legendary Charlie Musselwhite at FitzGerald’s. Rob’s voice combined with carefully chosen covers and lyrically strong originals capture this man as a songwriter on the move and earn him comparisons with his heroes like Townes Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams. See him here now, before it’s too late.”
myspace.com/robertmcshane (instant audio...)

Sunday, April 6 (JAZZ) John Burnett Orchestra, 6pm, $10
This “all-star” band has recorded with and performed with such legendary jazz icons as Buddy DeFranco, Louie Bellson, Byron Stripling and more. John Burnett can also be heard weekday mornings on WDCB, 90.9FM, classic radio show, “All Things Jazz.”
johnburnettorchestra.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Monday, April 7 – Closed

Tuesday, April 8 – Open Mike in the Club, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover

Wednesday, April 9 – Chicago Singer Spotlight, 8:00pm, $8
Chicago Singer Spotlight is a showcase open to anyone, male or female, from the seasoned professional to the aspiring beginner. And the diversity doesn’t end there. A typical show encompasses music genres of all types including jazz, rock, country, musical theater and original material. Each show consists of four vocalists performing a four-song set with a professional house band. Tonight’s featured performers include Larry King, Shawn Christopher, Liz Healey and Charmane DuPont with host Becca Kaufman.
singerspotlight.com

Thursday, April 10 – Johnny A., with special guest Eric Noden, 7:30pm show, 6:30pm Doors, $15
“Johnny A. is widely regarded as one of America's finest contemporary guitarists. His interests lie in the big world of blues, jazz, and rock. His latest CD, Get Inside reveals a dozen instrumentals that span a gulf of style from cool a go-go to finger-lickin' guitar pickin' to laying pure rock n' roll rubber! This is music for an open mind aching for the open road.

Gibson Guitars is a fan of Johnny A. as well. Their Custom Shop designed a Signature Edition guitar per his specific requests which, when it was marketed in 2003, placed him in an exclusive club that included legends like BB King, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Joe Perry, Pat Martino and Les Paul himself.

Before striking it out on his own, Johnny toured as music director and guitarist for Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band leader), and Bobby Whitlock of Derek & The Dominoes. He’s also performed on stage with B.B. King, Robert Cray and Jeff Beck.”
johnnya.com

“Eric Noden -- Best know for his command of early 20’s and 30’s acoustic blues, Eric Noden’s style reflects his influences--early blues masters like Reverend Gary Davis, Tommy Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt. Blues Critic David Whiteis has called Eric’s knowledge of early blues styles “Encyclopedic” Noden’s rhythmic finger-picked guitar and barrelhouse piano playing blends perfectly with his well traveled voice. From the Carolinas to the Mississippi delta Eric takes his audience on a journey through many moods and styles of American music. With One foot in the past and one in the present, Eric Noden is a unique voice in American roots music.”
ericnoden.com

Friday, April 11 – Dale Watson, 9:30pm, $12
Austin, Texas troubadour Dale Watson continues to build momentum behind his acclaimed album, From The Cradle To The Grave, on Hyena Records. He's just been nominated for two CMT Music Awards for the videos "Justice For All" and "Hollywood Hillbilly." Additionally, at the invitation of longtime fan and friend Johnny Knoxville, he performed live with his band on MTV during a "Jackass 24 Hour Takeover."

Released in the Spring of 2007, From The Cradle To The Grave was recorded at Johnny Knoxville's Tennessee mountain cabin, which previously belonged to Johnny Cash. Upon the album's release, Watson rejected the country music label and declared his sound, "Ameripolitan," in protest over what modern country music had become. Critics raved about the album. American Songwriter stated: "On From the Cradle to the Grave, Dale Watson combines Bakersfield filigree and basic country stomp for a record of terse, elegant fatalism." Popmatters.com wrote: "When Dale Watson sings something, it stays sung...it's kinda difficult to argue with a man who sounds like God." "Dale Watson writes songs that wouldn't sound out of place on one of Johnny Cash's best albums -- songs that will endure...addressing matters of life and death, truth and justice, loss and longing in a voice that rings – make that, rumbles – with conviction." - The Washington Post
dalewatson.com

Saturday, April 12 – Closed for a private event.

Sunday, April 13 (JAZZ) Chicago Grandstand Big Band, Woodridge Junior H.S. Jazz Band, 6pm, $10
The Chicago Grandstand Big Band has been an integral part of Chicago's entertainment community for over 25 years. This band has an extensive selection of arrangements that encompass everything from the Swing Era (Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, etc) to Big Band Jazz (Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman etc. The featured vocalist is Julie Ann Casell. Chicago Grandstand Big Band will perform compositions that have not been heard in some time. These will include some compositions that were performed by the Don Ellis Orchestra and there will be some other newer things as well (besides some of our traditional favorites). Tonight we also welcome the Woodridge Junior H.S. Jazz Band.
chicagograndstandbigband.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Monday, April 14 – Closed

Tuesday, April 15 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover

Wednesday, April 16 – Rob Parton’s JazzTech Big Band with Benet H.S. and Warren H.S. Jazz Bands, 7:30pm, $10, students and kids under 12: $5
The Chicago Tribune has called the JazzTech Big Band "one of the best big bands in the country." The Chicago Sun-Times characterizes the band with "hard hitting ensemble – brightly crafted harmonies and expansive solos." Rob’s goal for the JazzTech Big Band is to promote and commission new arrangements of great jazz standards as well as original compositions by Chicago composers . Throughout the year Parton hosts college and high school bands to serve as opening acts at their home club FitzGerald’s. This is an excellent opportunity for young aspiring jazz musicians to get a chance to hear a full blown professional big band comprised of some of the finest musicians in the country close up and in person. Tonight’s special guests include Benet High School Jazz Band directed by Jesse Nolan, and the Warren High School Jazz Ensemble directed by Drew Russell.
rparton.com

Thursday, April 17 – Andrea Dawn & Jeremy Junkin, 8:30pm, $5
Andrea Dawn and Jeremy Junkin are two singer-songwriters from Chicago, IL. Rather than attempt to put a label on their musical collaboration, Andrea and Jeremy simply learn, and perform, each other’s original material. The result is a unique yet accessible array of music. From the raw, folk infused choruses of Jeremy Junkin to the bluesy, often haunting anthems of Andrea Dawn, the duo explores the full palate of musical styles as well as human emotions. The songs are honest, poignant, and ultimately beautiful, and even amidst full or distorted arrangements, there remains an acute attention to lyric and melody.
myspace.com/andreadawnjeremyjunkin (instant audio...)

Friday, April 18 – 93 XRT Welcomes Sonny Landreth, with special guest, Tony Furtado, 9:30pm, $20
When it comes to Sonny Landreth, even Eric Clapton is a fan. "He’s probably the most underestimated musician on the plant and also probably one of the most advanced," he says. Landreth performed this past July at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. Landreth also received another long overdue nod with a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Recording for his seventh album, The Road We’re On, released on Sugar Hill Records.
sonnylandreth.com

Tony Furtado, who grew up in the East Bay area of Pleasanton California, took up the banjo at 12 and was hailed as a prodigy at age 19. As he was cementing his reputation as a banjoist extraordinaire, Furtado was also developing himself into an equally virtuoso slide guitarist. With his 2006 release of Thirteen, this restless artist makes an exponential leap into the wide-open spaces of mythopoetic America, a terrain inhabited by such personal heroes as Cooder, The Band, Creedence, Petty, and Waits. No two ways about it – this heartfelt, multileveled work completes Tony Furtado's ascent from the folk circuit to the big leagues.
tonyfurtado.com

Saturday, April 19 – 93 XRT Welcomes Sonny Landreth, with special guest, Patrick Sweany, 9:30pm, $20
When it comes to Sonny Landreth, even Eric Clapton is a fan. "He’s probably the most underestimated musician on the plant and also probably one of the most advanced," he says. Landreth performed this past July at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. Landreth also received another long overdue nod with a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Recording for his seventh album, The Road We’re On, released on Sugar Hill Records.
sonnylandreth.com

Patrick Sweany - On any given night (or on any given album) he'll swing through blues, folk, soul, bluegrass, maybe some classic 50s rock, or a punk speedball. He's a musical omnivore, devouring every popular music sound of the last 70 years, and mixing 'em all together seamlessly into his own stew. Yet, the one thing that most people notice about Patrick isn't his ability to copy - it's his authenticity. Like his heroes, folks like Bobby "Blue" Bland, Eddie Hinton, Doug Sahm, and Ray Charles, Patrick somehow manages to blend all of these influences into something all his own.
patricksweany.com

***Also on Saturday, April 19 – Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough, Victory Auto Wreckers (Phil Angotti of the Beatle Brothers, Steve Dawson and Jim Barclay) and the Vaporizers, 9pm, $5 in the Sidebar Music Room.

Sunday, April 20 (JAZZ) Mulligan Mosaics Big Band, 6pm, $10, 17 and under $5.
The Mulligan Mosaics Big Band is a 13-piece jazz orchestra, founded and lead by Ted Hogarth, with the mission of preserving and performing the music of Gerry Mulligan, and those composers and arrangers whom he influenced.
mulliganmosaics.com

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Monday, April 21 (JAZZ) St. Charles North High School Big Band, Chicago College of Performing Arts Jazz Orchestra, 7:30pm, Free – all ages!

Tuesday, April 22 – Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover

Wednesday, April 23 (JAZZ) West End Jazz Band, 7:30pm, $10, 17 and under $5.
The West End Jazz Band has been playing classic American jazz and dance music from the '20s and '30s since 1975, and have seven CDs available, most recently Singin’ in the Bathtub. The band plays festivals and concerts throughout the country and have twice represented the City of Chicago at travel expos in Europe. The band is based in Berwyn and frequently plays at FitzGerald’s Nightclub.
westendjazzband.com

Thursday, April 24 – Spade Kitty Records presents: Holiday House, Heather Perry And Todd Leiter-Weintraub, 8:30pm, $5.
Heather Perry - Her lyric-driven songs have elements of folk, rock, pop, and even blues and old-school country; her influences include PJ Harvey, Neko Case, Loretta Lynn, Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power, Jenny Lewis, Patti Smith, and Francoise Hardy.

Todd Leiter-Weintraub – formerly of Hop on Pop, is working on new material, with broader ranges of style. His new creations delve more-deeply into Todd's love of traditional American music, such as bluegrass and country, as well as into the electronic pop influenced by Brian Eno.
heatherperry.net | myspace.com/hoponpopmusic (instant audio...) | spadekitty.com

Friday, April 25 – Chévere, 9:30pm, $15
Chévere is Chicago's leading Latin/Jazz/Funk/Blues Band, mixing Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Jazz, Blues, and just about everything else together into an exciting and unique collage of sound. Characterized by high voltage percussion and compelling original compositions, Chévere has performed in and around Chicago and the Midwest for 30 years. It’s a veritable “who’s who” of the Chicago Latin and Jazz music world, with Alejo Poveda, Howard Levy, Ruben Alvarez, Chris Cameron, Ernie Denov, Steve Eisen, Eric Hochberg, Mark Ohlsen, and Joe Rendón.
cheveredechicago.com

***Also on Friday, April 25 – Bruce Lambert & his Blockade Runners with Chris Neville, Don Stiernberg, John Rice, & Jon Paul, in the Sidebar Music Room, 8:30pm, $8

Saturday, April 26 – Black & Blond, Not Quite Right, 9:30pm, $12 .
Pezband was the power pop group of the late ‘70s that earned a reputation as Chicago’s FIRST glam band in fashion and musical content. The music ranged from blues to Bowie to Beck (Jeff, that is.) Members Mimi, Mick and Mike continued with Pezband into the ‘80s, while Cliff moved on to perform with Off Broadway – the group that put Chicago on the Map of Pop with tunes like “Stay in Time” and “Full Moon Turn Your Head Around.”
They now re-unite as Black & Blond - Black representing the darker/blues roots and Blond, the pop /more melodic side. This four piece lineup is true to original roots of Pezband and Off Broadway with new material as well as choice, rarely covered “covers.”
myspace.com/pezband (instant audio...) | offbroadwayusa.com

Sunday, April 27 (JAZZ) Mike Vax Kenton Alumni Band, 6pm, 3 sets! 5pm doors, $18
Alumni from the 1956-1978 Stan Kenton Orchestras come together to perform for festivals, clinics, concerts, cruises and dances. They perform some of the well-known music of the Stan Kenton Orchestra; plus in keeping with Stan’s insistence on not just performing nostalgia type music, they also perform fresh new material written in the Kenton style, as well as original material written by members of the Band. “We are NOT trying to be the “Stan Kenton Orchestra,” but we are carrying on his tradition of dedication to creative music and to jazz education,” says leader Mike Vax.

Mike Vax has led a big band off and on since his days at College of the Pacific over 45 years ago. A few of his credits include being first trumpet, soloist and road manager of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, as well as being co-leader while Mr. Kenton was recovering from surgery; leading the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans; producing and/or music directing for over 30 jazz festivals; and performing workshops for more than 2000 high schools, colleges and universities all over the world.
mikevax.net

FitzGerald’s “WDCB Sunday Big Band Jazz Party” is generously sponsored by 90.9FM WDCB – Public Radio from College of DuPage.

Monday, April 28 – Closed

Tuesday, April 29 – Club closed, Open Mike in SideBar – please see below...

***Also on Tuesday, April 29 - Open Mike in the SideBar, 8pm signup, 9pm showtime, 21+, no cover

Wednesday, April 30 – The Northside Southpaws, in the SideBar, starting around 8pm, no cover!
“The Northside Southpaws are an all-left-handed, all-resophonic mandolin/guitar duo based in Chicago. They perform obsolete ragtime, archaic country, proto-grass, and other obscure string band music on lefty resonator instruments. Their debut all-instrumental CD, Stomp Glide Wobble, was released in January, 2008.”
northsidesouthpaws.com