Sunday, June 29, 2025

Chicago band Liquid Soul kicks off The Venue's outdoor concert season in exhilarating fashion



By ERIC SCHELKOPF


There are not many bands that can match the energy level of Chicago band Liquid Soul.

As such, Liquid Soul was the perfect band to kick off the outdoor concert season at The Venue in downtown Aurora on June 28.

 

Liquid Soul certainly has made its mark not only locally, but nationally as well. With its blend of jazz, hip-hop, world music and other genres, the band caused quite the stir when it burst onto the scene in the mid-'90s.  

The band quickly gained a following and in 2001, its album "Here's the Deal" was nominated for a Grammy Award for best contemporary jazz album.



The band's sound is as fresh as ever. And the spirit of founder Mars Williams remains strong with the band.

Williams, who passed away last year following a battle with cancer, was the man behind the band's vision.

One of the things that makes Liquid Soul so fun to watch live is the interplay between band members. It's like watching friends hanging out with each other.

 

The show was filled with magical moments, including when singer Omega took the stage and elevated the show to another level with her strong vocal power. 

 

More videos from the show are at https://www.youtube.com/@ericschel12/videos.

The Venue's outdoor concert series will continue on July 13 with Cesar Rosas & The Chi-Town Playboys. The third annual Summer Jam concert featuring Peach Jam, Cream Puff Warriors and Scott Tipping will take place on July 25.

More information is available at The Venue's website, themusicvenue.org.


Saturday, June 7, 2025

Chicago band Ascendant to bring its uplifting sound to City Winery Chicago




By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

With the release of its latest single, "Love Saved My Life," Chicago band Ascendant continues to make music that lifts your soul.

Those who come to the band's show at 7:30 p.m. June 11 at City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, will hear that for themselves. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at City Winery Chicago's website, citywinery.com/chicago.

I had the chance to talk to Ascendant frontman Kael Mboya about the band and the new single.

Q – Congratulations on the release of your new single, “Love Saved My Life.” What were your goals in sitting down to make the song and does it meet or exceed your expectations?

"Love Saved My Life" was an idea I've had since around 1999. I had the bass line, beat and chorus. 
 
Sometimes, I'd go through the unfinished songs we had and remember it was there: "Oh, man. Maybe we should finish this." We never got around to fleshing it out until about 10 years ago but still didn't get to record it until a few years later. 
 
 
With that being said, the goals were to finally lay that recording down. The idea kept coming back so it was meant to be.
 
Any time the band gets hold of my ideas they take them places I wouldn't expect. They bring so much life and musicianship to the songs.

Q – The song is from your forthcoming album, "Illuminate: RED,” which I understand will be released in the fall. What should people expect from the rest of the album?

They can expect songs about love...many aspects of love, romantic and personal. "Love Saved My Life" is both the first single from the album and the first track.
 
It sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Love Saved...(Reprise)" is also on the album (but further down in the track listing) as an echo or a whisper of what was initially stated. 
 
It will make sense when you hear the album. 

Q – As I understand, "Illuminate: RED” is the fourth chapter in the four-album “Illuminate” concept. How did you come up with the concept?

After our first release, "Where You Are Now," our lives started to go through some transitions (band mates leaving, parents passing away, children born). We wanted to shine some light on those transitions. 
 
Many of the songs from "Illuminate" are taken from our own personal life lessons. We went with "Illuminate" to present that idea. 
 
Once we landed on that concept, it became clear very quickly that we could give focus to different aspects of life we were living at the time. So as light can be fractured/separated into different colors by a prism, each color would then set a theme. 
 
BLUE represents wisdom...from mistakes; GREEN represents rebirth...for the band; YELLOW represents joy/reminiscing of life; RED represents love.  
 
Initially, I thought of "Illuminate" as being a double album. Unfortunately, I forgot that you can only fit so much music on a side (vinyl). If we come out with a vinyl record for the Illuminate series, it might have to be a quadruple LP.
 
Q – After “Illuminate: RED” is released in the fall, what’s next for the band? 

We're working on setting up a tour after the RED release. That tour will comprise most of the songs in the 'Illuminate' series and we'll take the live versions to some new places like we always do live. 
 
After that is another album for which there are already song ideas.

Q – The band is composed of some of your musical friends from over the years. I would imagine that creates a closeness that other bands might not have.

There is a trust, musically, that I have in these individuals. It happens in studio as well as on stage. All you have to do is tell them where we're going...where we want to land...then allow the water...the journey, to take you there.
 
"Brand New Me" from "Illuminate: GREEN" is a great example of that. "Love Saved...(Reprise)" is another good example. We set the groove and then allowed it to breathe. This happens when you know each other and trust that we'll all get to where we intend to be (musically) together.
 
Q – It seems like the band wants to release songs that carry a positive message, such as your song “Power” from your debut album “Where You Are Now.” What are you trying to do with your music?

Really, I'm just trying to uplift people...starting with myself. These songs are for me as much as they are for anyone else.
 
When we started, I didn't fully believe in myself. It was easier to believe in US than just myself alone. "I've got all this power in me" is a mantra.
 
I wanted to believe it. I wanted to become it but I needed to get that self-doubt out of the way. 
 
I figured if I'm getting something from these songs, there must be more people who could use it too. It has been helpful to me and to the people who have become fans over the years. 
 
The more Ascendant performs, the more I rise in myself and we hope the audience rises with us.

Q – Soul music has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. I personally am a fan of the Black Pumas and Thee Sacred Souls. What do you think it is about soul music that draws people in? 

When it's authentic, it takes you to some place inside yourself; your core being, for lack of a better concept. It's a place where you don't feel wrong, or right or short or tall. 
 
It's a place of BE-ing where feeling, being, and doing are one and the same. This is because, I think, that is where the music is originating from...that same place.
 
It is music that is meant to be truly listened to and not skimmed over. If you take a moment and really listen, it can transform that moment, your mood and your mind. That is an authentic purpose...soul music. 
 




Monday, May 26, 2025

Musicians Anne Harris, Joanna Connor engage in music and conversation at The Venue in Aurora

Chicago area musician Anne Harris, left, interviews Chicago-based blues musician Joanna Connor, right, on May 17 at The Venue in Aurora.

 

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

For me, going to a concert is not just about listening to the songs being performed on stage.

It's also about being able to connect with the musicians on stage. 

Fortunately, Chicago area musician Anne Harris is helping to do that through She Said, the music and conversation series that she hosts at The Venue in downtown Aurora.

 

The series, which features performances and conversations with female musicians, is funded in part through a grant from the Aurora Women’s Empowerment Foundation.

On May 17, Harris and Chicago-based blues musician Joanna Connor engaged in conversation and performed together.

 

Those attending the show had the opportunity to hear Connor's riveting guitar work as well as learn how she became the powerhouse guitarist that she is today.

Once a student of the Chicago blues scene, Connor is leading the scene today. 

 

As we learn through the conversation, Connor first saw Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy perform when she was 10 years old. After that experience, she became hooked on the blues and eventually moved to Chicago.

Connor learned what it takes to be a Chicago blues musician by performing at Guy's club, the Checkerboard Lounge. Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry were some of the notable musicians who performed at the Checkerboard Lounge.

 

She was taken by surprise after Guy challenged her to a guitar battle. Guy was mesmerized by her playing and acknowledged that Connor "has got the blues."

Guy was right. And we are blessed to be able to hear her play the blues.

More videos from the show are at youtube.com/@ericschel12/videos.


Sunday, May 18, 2025

Chicago-based band The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres provide tasty songs on debut album

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

For those looking to bite into some tasty upbeat songs featuring a trio of talented local musicians, then you need to check out the newly released debut album from Chicago-based The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres.

I had the pleasure of interviewing The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres frontman Andrew Robert Palmer about the album.

Q – Now, you've probably heard this before, but your middle name is Robert and your last name is Palmer. Has anybody ever told you that your songs are simply irresistible? 

No, but I am addicted to love.

Q – Well played. Nice. 

My dad's actual name is Robert Palmer, so he gets it more than me.

Q – Well, that's interesting. A lot of pressure there.

Of course, your band The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres just released its debut record on your new acoustic-only record label, Andy! Records. Along with you on vocals and acoustic guitar, the band also features Shelly Baldridge on the violin and Charlie Ford on the stand-up bass.

Yeah, I'm trying to kind of transition. This record label is kind of my attempt to really focus what I've been doing into something that is a little bit more curated instead of me just kind of flinging spaghetti at the wall and trying to figure out what sticks.

My sister, Becca, and I had kind of an indie pop band, The Mother Z's, and then she wanted to do something else. I missed having a band and working with my sister, because she was a good editor.

And I want to collaborate with folks and be like, 'Is this a good fit? Is this good?'

Q – Having a band with your sister, that must have been pretty special.  

Oh, yeah, it really was. We both had a really great time. 

We were living in Homewood at the time and traveling to the city for shows. It was really a lot of fun.

With The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres, I've been trying to kind of recreate the magic.

Q – I don't know when you have time to sleep. I looked on Bandcamp and I saw that you have 27 solo albums.

I just write a lot of songs. My favorite thing to do is write a song. 

Q – This band's sound is kind of moving in a different direction than your solo stuff.

Yeah. My solo stuff was kind of influenced a lot by the same thing that kind of influenced The Mother Z's, I guess – that alternative indie rock/folk kind of thing.

My last solo record, "Letters to the Moon," which I released in January, kind of has straight-up power pop elements.

The Mother Z's was trying to be like Violent Femmes meets '60s pop.

Q – The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres formed about two years ago. How did The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres come together?

I wanted to do something kind of as a reaction to feeling isolated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  I wanted to bond with other people and I wanted to be out playing shows and not so worried about making records. 

For a long time, I was kind of obsessed with making records. As the pandemic was ending, I got heavily into Cajun music and Zydeco music.

I like the upbeat nature of being an all acoustic band and playing this really fun, danceable music. I wanted to create a band like that, understanding that I can't speak Cajun French.

I kind of set out intentionally to make a band like this.

Q – The Heavy Hors D'Oeuvres opened for Joe Pug last year. What did you like about the experience?

It's cool to watch how he pulls people in to what he's doing on stage. It was a learning experience.

For us, we were just excited to have that kind of opportunity.

It was cool and I was lucky to be able to do it.