radiomusicsociety_esperanza_spalding_city_winery_980
Reviews

Radio Music Society – LIVE at the City Winery with Esperanza Spalding

On this breezy fall evening, the crowd sits patiently waiting for her arrival. The wine is being poured as the servers dance effortlessly between the chairs and tables. The new darling of the jazz world, Esperanza Spalding is about to grace the stage with her refreshing and inspirational brand of …

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Mary j Blige
Reviews

Melanie Fiona, D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige’s Liberation Tour Hits High Notes in Chicago

    All I can say is wow, what a night! Three talented artists wowed the crowd as they adorned the stage in Chicago’s United Center. The very first on stage on this rainy night was Melanie Fiona, who came out dressed in an all-black fitted, leather, short set. Creating …

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Prince
Reviews

Violets in Bloom – LIVE from the United Center – Prince’s “Welcome 2 Chicago” Tour

  “I may be little, but I take up a lot of space,” Prince told concert goers at his third and final performance of his “Welcome 2 Chicago” tour at the United Center. After such a long and illustrious career, it was only fitting that Prince would remind his audience …

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Madonna
Reviews

Stretching Madonna’s MDNA – LIVE at the United Center

  As I gazed across the pulsating crowd at the United Center, I began to wonder how many people there were actually old enough to know the vast musical canon of Madonna. It is hard to believe that she has been doing music for over 30 years, with hits that …

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Lionel Loueke
Reviews

Lionel Loueke Heritage CD Release with Special Guests Robert Glasper, Mark Guiliana and Derrick Hodge

  September has been an auspicious month for New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club. It played host to Chick Corea & Gary Burton, Stanley Clarke & Hiromi, The Brecker Brothers and Roy Ayers! This saturation of renowned dates was kicked off by an equally formidable artist. Fatefully, from Sept. 4-6, …

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Wynton Marsalis
Reviews

LIVE at the CSO! – Symphony Center Presents The Wynton Marsalis Quintet

With the passing of Von Freeman, the Chicago jazz scene lost one of its great local stars. His loss has reverberated across the jazz scene, garnering attention from many jazz artists. Wynton Marsalis and his quintet came into Chicago with a heavy heart after learning about Von’s passing. He dedicated …

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Afro-Punk Festival
Reviews

Cannabinoids, Cummerbunds & Contact Highs: Brooklyn’s Afro-Punk Festival 2012

The Afro-Punk Festival sure has come a long way. What once started in a basement in Lower Manhattan, soon spilled over to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, until even BAM could no longer accommodate its increasing attendees. Now, after eight years, it’s grown into a mammoth celebration of freedom. To …

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Reviews

The Worlds’ Best Come to Play at the Detroit Jazz Festival

  Now in its 33rd year, the Detroit Jazz Festival continues to live up to its reputation as North America’s largest free public jazz festival. It occupies a whopping two million square feet of downtown Detroit, culminating into a large soundstage at the beautiful Campus Martius Park near Cadillac Square. …

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The Jacksons
Reviews

Making A Memory Out of Three Songs: A Photo Essay of the Jacksons Live at the Apollo Theater

  Three songs. As I emerged from the A-train and swiftly made my way down 125th Street, the words “three songs” echoed in my mind. As I crossed the stoplight at Frederick Douglas BLVD, the big red neon letters became clearer and clearer with every swift step: A-P-O-L-L-O. I squinted …

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St. Lucia Cotton Bay
Reviews

St. Lucia – Hidden Jewel of the Eastern Caribbean

  It has been called the next “It” island of intrigue. It is where Jake proposed to Vienna on the 2010 “The Bachelor” finale. It is where George Foreman owns a home and where Oprah Winfrey is a regular visitor who claims this lush Caribbean Island is one of the …

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Reviews

Ledisi and Eric Benet Wow Fans at Country Club Hills Concert

  The mesmerizing and talented singer, Eric Benet, who is on tour with Ledisi, started the show giving us a perfect vibe with perfect weather at the beautiful Country Club Hills–a large outside venue, where some of the fans were on the grass, in bleachers or in chairs. Benet’s presence …

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Reviews

George Duke and Stanley Clarke – Bringing The Memories

For those fans of ‘70s jazz fusion, and for those who might not have been old enough to remember that period, the legendary pairing of keyboardist George Duke and bassist Stanley Clarke provided a time machine of sorts during their electric performance at the Country Club Hills Theater on Friday, June …

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