Farsighted Fly Girl

I've been writing for a slew of new publications this year, including a few international sites. I was excited to be contacted by Brilliant Noise Media to craft a story about the best places to hear classic Chicago music for London's Heathrow site, Good to Go . You know I was pumped about sharing Windy City sounds! I supplied details about where to hear signature Chicago blues and jazz. Check out my post here.

It's been a wild and wonderful year and I can sincerely say that I'm sad to leave all of the year's experiences behind. I've made some great connections and created unforgettable memories. Here are just some of my favorites: Exploring the rich and enchanting culture of Andalusia,Spain. The photo above shows a lovely courtyard building in Granada. Beauty was everywhere I turned in Southern Spain. The intoxicating charm of Martinque will always remain with me. The image above reveals just a glimpse of the island's magic, from the top of the famous town of St. Pierre. I was thrilled to visit Asia for the first time and Macau was a fascinating introduction. The people, the culture, the history and food supplied me with nonstop excitement. I think I'm still calming down from that trip. Montreal will always be a favorite city and I was as enchanted to visit this year as I am every time I go. I was lucky enough to catch the city's Caribbean pa...

I mentioned that I had completed writing my book a couple of months ago and it will soon be published on April 8! Exploring Chicago Blues; Inside The Scene Past And Present,  is an accessible guide to Chicago blues history, with suggestions on where to go, who to see and where to eat for an authentic blues experience. I've researched and experienced the varying aspects of Chicago blues culture for several decades, first as part of my heritage and then as a fan and finally as a columnist;I write a monthly blues column called Sweet Home for the Illinois Entertainer . With this book, I take travelers and music fans on a trip to one of my favorite places and cultures. It guides you inside the local blues clubs, helping readers savor the experience of listening to artists like Peaches Staten, above, belt out soulful blues accompanied by her frottoir , or washboard, inside the friendly walls of Rosa's Blues Lounge. I guide travelers through the best soul food spots to sampl...

You know I love the blues. Besides being a part of my heritage, I really respond to the tangible emotions that run through the music, from joy and raunchiness, to melancholy and regret. You have not experienced the real Chicago until you have felt the embrace of live blues late at night, in a dark room filled with liquor fumes and laughter. You can catch Chicago blues on any night of the week in many neighborhoods but all blues clubs are not created equal. Beer selection and a convenient location don’t make a great blues club, the music and the atmosphere does.  I often get asked about the best Chicago blues clubs to visit so here are my  personal picks for the best spots to hear high quality blues, like sets by blues divas Deitra Farr, Nellie Travis and Peaches Staten, above. 1.   Rosa’s Lounge The warmth of this small neighborhood joint extends from the gregarious Italian-born owner Tony Mangiullo, to the musicians and regulars who greet visitors like long ...

Last week, the world lost a wonderfully illuminating spirit and the last living link to the Delta blues. David "Honeyboy" Edwards was a legendary musician and beloved Chicago blues icon. There was such wisdom and skill that flowed through his sharply dressed, 96-year-old frame that I felt like he was divinely guided. He is mourned as the last Delta bluesman and the last connection to Robert Johnson, Honeyboy witnessed the "King of the Delta Blues" sip his last drop of poisoned whiskey but he represents so much more than that. I'm still struggling to articulate this devastating loss and what it means to blues in particular and American music in general. As the blues community battles for our heritage and birthright, I believe that Honeyboy will be assisting us.  Here is my favorite Honeyboy quote: " Blues ain’t never going anywhere. It can get slow, but it ain’t going nowhere. You play a low-down dirty shame slow and lonesome, my mama dead, my papa across...

The blues runs through my blood. It seeped in through the Mississippi cotton fields of my father and the New Orleans swamp land of my grandfather. It jumped out and grabbed me in Chicago blues clubs and never let go. Although the genre reveres and focuses on men and manhood, Koko Taylor snatched the spotlight with gutsy vocals and growls that few men matched. She was born to Memphis sharecroppers and scrubbed floors in Chicago houses until Willie Dixon heard her formidable contralto and urged her to record. He wrote her signature 1965 hit "Wang Dang Doodle," which pushed her to the forefront of the blues, where she remained for four decades straight. She won 29 music awards over her impressive career, including a Grammy and an NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award. What made Koko Taylor the Queen of the Blues was not just her voice but a regal, commanding spirit that forces your attention. The blues doesn't just represent pain and sorrow, but strength and the joy of livi...