When Chicago blues musician Lurrie Bell howls "the devil ain't got no music," he does it with so much conviction that you have to believe him.
"The Devil Ain't Got No Music" is the title track of his latest album. Bell's deep and honest vocals are allowed to shine on the stripped down, gospel-fueled record.
Bell is sure to add a lot of excitement when he appears at this weekend's Blues on the Fox festival
in Aurora.
Bell will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. Saturday as part of Chicago Blues: A Living History, also featuring Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch and Carlos Johnson.
Blues on the Fox will take place Friday and Saturday at North River Street
Park in downtown Aurora, just west of Hollywood Casino. Kicking things off in exciting fashion Friday night will be singer and guitarist Shane Dwight, who will take the stage at 6:30 p.m, followed by blues rock guitarist Kenny
Wayne
Shepherd
at 8:30 p.m.
Also set to perform during the festival are Chicago's own Shemekia Copeland, sacred
steel band Lee Boys and New Orleans musicians Art, Charles and Cyril Neville, performing together as The Nevilles.
Admission to the Blues on the Fox festival is $5 per day, with children 12 and younger entering for free. More information
is available at www.bluesonthefox.com.
Q - What should people who come out to the Uncommon Ground show expect?
I'll be bringing my keyboard player Ben Cook-Feltz with me, who played on my new CD, "Stray Songs," so we'll definitely be playing lots of those songs as well as some old favorites and fun covers. We also hope to collaborate with my friends The Sea The Sea, who are sharing the bill with us.
Q - Your music has gained critical acclaim, including that you were selected as a 2008 Midwest finalist in the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. Has the acclaim surprised you at all? Is that something you aimed for?
When I applied for the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, I had just started playing out, so I really didn't expect anything to come from it.
When I got the email from Mountain Stage, I almost deleted it, thinking they were just sending me news about the contest. Thankfully I opened it, and I couldn't believe I had been selected as a finalist!
It was a great honor and came at a time when I really needed the encouragement to continue pursuing my music.
Q - What drew you to the banjo in the first place? Who are your biggest musical influences?
I was classically trained on piano, oboe and voice, but as I got more into folk and country music, I really wanted to learn a stringed instrument. Everyone I knew already played the guitar, and I figured the world didn't need another mediocre guitar player.
But I always loved the banjo - especially its percussive quality - and so I decided to pursue that, figuring I could always rope in one of the other million great guitarists to play with me.
Q - You also are a music publicist. Do you need both in your life, to be a musician and a music publicist? Do you think there will ever be a time in your life when you just concentrate on being a musician?
For now, I really love being able to do both. Helping my favorite musicians get a bigger audience could be one of the most rewarding jobs there is, and it gives my left brain more of a workout.
But I've been a musician my whole life, and that need to create will never go away. And I love getting to tour, getting to explore new places and work with musicians from all over the world.
Q - I understand that you were first attracted to folk music as a teenager. Was it a given that you would become a folk musician yourself?
I think my teenaged self would be shocked to find I'm a banjo-playing songwriter that records music, plays with a band and tours all over the continent! I actually had much more mundane aspirations as a kid.
I thought I might be a piano teacher or work in a cubicle or something. Thankfully my life has turned out much more interesting.
Q - I understand that famed singer-songwriter Dan Navarro stopped by as a special guest during a recent studio appearance of yours. That must have been quite the thrill.
I couldn't believe it! I had brought in David Glaser in to accompany me on guitar and mandolin for this in-studio performance I was doing at SiriusXM radio.
He was on tour with Dan Navarro, so Dan came in with him for the session. During soundcheck, David and I were running through one of my gospel tunes "Revival Train," and David suggested that Dan sing a third harmony part.
Dan was game so we did it on the fly, and I think it turned out great.
Q - How would you rate the folk music scene these days? Are there things that the folk music scene can do to improve its standing?
It's a very exciting time in the folk music scene...there are so many talented musicians, and more and more of them are interested in breaking down the boundaries.
I'm seeing more folk artists incorporating elements of other genres, like beat boxing and spoken word. I find there's a fabulous spirit of experimentation right now in the genre.
Given the number of music competition shows on TV these days, there is no shortage of people wanting to become the next big thing.
The instructors at North Shore Music Institute in Northfield know what it takes to make it in the music industry. This month, the music school will launch its Summer Rock camp program for kids age 8 to 15. More information is at www.northshoremusicinstitute.com/#/summer-rock/4561652601.
I had the chance to talk to instructor Myles Kanzer about the program.
Q - What made you want to start a summer camp program for youngsters this year? Is the program generating a lot of interest?
Both Michael Poukpo and I have participated in other camps in the past,
and with other area camps not running programs this year, we saw an
opportunity to fill a void.
Our past experience has shown us that kids
love going to camps like this, and not only have a great experience
socially but a lot of musical development takes place over course of the
program. It's inspiring and gives us a lot of pride to see kids make
strides with their art and grow in their abilities and confidence.
Q - What should those who sign up for the program expect to learn?
Some learning is very straightforward: chords, scales, soloing and other
musical information that can be relayed from one person to another.
Most of the learning is not as textbook.
Working with a group, learning
your role in a band or a particular song, meeting other kids your age
who enjoy and play music, being exposed to music you may not have heard
before because of the new friends you meet, etc. It's a great
opportunity not just to to learn more about music, but about being a
musician.
More importantly, we hope to inspire kids to love music so
that it becomes part of them for the rest of their lives the same way
that we were inspired at a young age.
Q - Since 2002, the studio has been providing instruction to students of all
ages. Have your students ever surprised you with their talents? Did the
movie "School of Rock" help or hurt what the studio strives to do?
We have had some very talented people come through the school. More than
a handful of students have gone on to Berklee in Boston, and other
students have formed some really impressive bands that have some
followings and notoriety, like Will Jacobs and Derek Song.
We have
students that start learning multiple instruments and are successful and
accomplished in all their musical pursuits.
The movie "School of Rock" was part of a larger resurgence of classic
rock music. "School of Rock", as well as the Guitar Hero video game
series and Rock Band video game series, have all contributed to an
increased interest in music that may have otherwise been lost on a
younger generation that was further removed from those bands and styles.
One of the main things that we do differently is providing musical
education in many styles, not just rock. We prepare students for high
school and college auditions in jazz bands and anything else they need.
Q - Likewise, what do you think is the effect of all the music reality shows
on TV today? Is everybody looking for their 15 minutes of fame?
Andy Warhol must have been some kind of prophet because we are getting
closer and closer to that as a reality. But TV has a far less impact today, regardless of how popular a show may be.
It's all about YouTube
and online content. You don't have to make it past auditions, or drive
to a big city for taping or sign up or do paperwork. You just need a
laptop and your talent, and if people like it, the world will start
clicking.
Q - What separates North Shore Music Institute from other music schools? How
do the instructors use what they have learned in their own music
careers in teaching the students?
The instructors are what separates [NSMI from other music schools]. No
one has better instructors than we do.
They have all the qualities you
want in an instructor and with wildly impressive resumes. Our drum
instructor, Marty Binder, was a regular drummer for Buddy Guy, Albert
King and Koko Taylor, and is one of the most sought after blues drummers
in Chicago.
Guitar instructor Louie Zagoras had fame with his band
Rollover and has toured with The Allman Brothers, Sheryl Crow and Joe
Satriani, just to name a few. And our drum instructor, Jim Hines, won a
Grammy with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
You can't beat a Grammy
winner. We also have professional composers who have written and
currently write music for television, film and Internet shows. We are
very proud of all of them and are privileged to have them all teaching
here.
Q - What have been the biggest accomplishments of the studio since its
formation? What other things would the North Shore Music Institute like
to accomplish?
Putting together this phenomenal group of instructors who have guided
great kids to become great musicians is everything we want to
accomplish.
We can only hope to keep growing and adding more impressive
staff to keep young artists inspired and motivated to strive, improve
and feel passionate about music.
Remembering former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch, who was found dead Thursday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Welch, who also enjoyed success as a solo artist, was 65.
