it Not me

The least enviable aspect of being a successful artist in this genre is no doubt trying to meet three sets of expectations. First, there's the ongoing desire to evolve disc to disc and challenge oneself creatively. Then, there's heeding the criticism of purists and cynics who may hold a kernel of truth when they say your music's a little lightweight. And finally, the matter of not straying too far from everything that's proved magical and successful in the past, lest you alienate your precious supporters. How to strike a balance between all three? Ask Gregg Karukas, whose melodic touch and diverse sense of style have bound him from first generation Rippingtons circa 1987 to one of this decade's most popular performers.

Many of Chicago's blues clubs could be described as "blues and soul clubs" because that's exactly what they are. Although blues is the main focus of those West Side, South Side, and North Side venues, so many of the artists they book include a lot of R&B in their sets. One of those soul-minded bluesmen who lives in Chi-Town is Detroit native Quintus McCormick, whose Put It on Me is a perfect example of an album that has one foot in electric urban blues and the other in soul (specifically, old-school soul of the ‘60s and '70s variety). Actually, McCormick's résumé says a lot about his musical outlook; he has been a sideman for both James Cotton and Otis Clay….

Léon is ten years old, has lots of problems and an overly fertile imagination. Of course, there is mom and dad who are always fighting, and those annoying neighbors who get to spend the summer at the beach. And then, there's Léa, the exasperating girl who's always right about everything. In the summer of '68, when mom decides to leave everything behind to start a new life in Greece, Léon is prepared to do anything to kill the pain. Destroy the neighbors' house, become a professional liar and even, why not, fall in love with Léa. Together, they will overcome the pain of growing up when you feel abandoned.