"chicago 2002"

Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades. In Billboard Magazine’s recent list of Top 100 artists of all time, Chicago came in at #13, the highest charting American band.
Over the course of their career they have charted 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive Number One albums, 11 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles. An incredible 25 of their 32 albums have been certified platinum, and the band has a total of 47 gold and platinum awards.

Alone among the first eight albums of the ECM Rarum series, the Art Ensemble of Chicago edition is a group effort, with surviving members Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Don Moye offering only a brief greeting in the booklet. There were only four Art Ensemble of Chicago albums over only a half-dozen years (1978-1984), so listeners get two tracks from the initial offering, "Nice Guys" and "Full Force," and one apiece from Urban Bushmen and The Third Decade.

This sophomore disc from the Chicago multi-instrumentalist (but mainly harpist/vocalist) Lester Davenport follows his solo debut by a whopping 11 years. Although it's impossible to justify the wait, this is a terrific West Side Chicago blues album, confirming he's an under-recognized and way under-recorded musician. Guitarist Jimmy Dawkins (who also produced) adds more authenticity to this rugged album, one that could have been recorded for Chess in the '60s. Well, except for a rollicking instrumental entitled "To Our Lost Ones 9/11/01," and even that ignores its contemporary title, capturing the spirit of Little Walter's glory days. Piano duties are shared equally by Detroit Junior (on tracks 1-7) and Allen Batts (on 8-13). Both play with remarkable restraint, as does the entire band…

This album is one of only a few that Chicago blues singer and guitarist Lefty Dizz recorded, and it is a very good one. Here he is backed by a solid group that includes Willie James Lyons on second guitar, Johnny "Big Moose" Walker on piano, "Mojo" Elam on bass and Odie Payne on drums. Highlights include great renditions of classics such as "Take Out Some Insurance", "Cummins Prison Farm", and "Blue Shadows", as well as a few Dizz originals, including "I Found Out" and "Funny Actin' Woman". "Big Moose" Walker takes over the lead on the final four cuts, which are solid as well. These include a version of "Well Alright", Walker's own "One Eyed Woman", and two rocking boogie instrumentals. If you want to hear some pure Chicago blues, pick this album up, you will definitely be satisfied.

This sophomore disc from the Chicago multi-instrumentalist (but mainly harpist/vocalist) Lester Davenport follows his solo debut by a whopping 11 years. Although it's impossible to justify the wait, this is a terrific West Side Chicago blues album, confirming he's an under-recognized and way under-recorded musician. Guitarist Jimmy Dawkins (who also produced) adds more authenticity to this rugged album, one that could have been recorded for Chess in the '60s. Well, except for a rollicking instrumental entitled "To Our Lost Ones 9/11/01," and even that ignores its contemporary title, capturing the spirit of Little Walter's glory days. Piano duties are shared equally by Detroit Junior (on tracks 1-7) and Allen Batts (on 8-13). Both play with remarkable restraint, as does the entire band…

Javier Vargas from Spain has long been one of the blues/rock world's best kept secrets. He has produced 8 very fine recordings, with a ninth being a greatest hits collection, but has never seemed quite able to gain the attention of a lot of North American fans. That was, until now…

Chicago V (from 1972) was in some ways the end of the "old" Chicago, pointing the way towards a smoother, mellower style they'd adopt in the years to come. V still has jazz and progressive elements ("A Hit by Varèse," "Dialogues"), political commentary ("State of the Union"), and melodious, sunny, horn-laden pop (the huge hit "Saturday In The Park"). The playing was still tight and clean, and the vocals still earnest and heartfelt, but a lighter mood began to replace the urgency of the band's late-'60s recordings.