Chicago area musicians Ray Johnson and Dave Bieritz team up again for the album "Other Times And Other Places"

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

On their latest album, "Other Times And Other Places," Ray Johnson and Dave Bieritz continue to make a good team. 

They originally played together in the band Saldo Kreek, which dissolved in 2002. Johnson and Bieritz resumed their musical partnership in 2019.

Johnson, a St. Charles singer-songwriter, has his own publishing company, Soon To Be Famous Publishing LLC, and is responsible for all distribution and promotion of his work. He makes music out of his home studio in St. Charles. 

I had the chance to talk to Johnson about the new album. We spoke last year about their album "Appealing To Angels."

Q –  You just released "Other Times And Other Places" in August and I understand you're already working on your next album. Is that because you have so many songs brewing?

Ray Johnson

 

Yeah, it basically is that. We really don't ever take a break with the writing.

Either we are finishing songs for an album or writing new material immediately afterwards for the next album.

Q – And that's another way to keep your name out there too.

It is. Your chances are better at creating and keeping an audience through doing that.

Everything has an expiration date to some degree. 

Q – It seems like there is a story behind the album's name.

There's an instrumental song on the album called "Other Times And Other Places." There was just something that rang true in my head about the title being "Other Times And Other Places."

And the music itself is reflective of things gone by in a style that kind of reflects '60s jangle pop that is also heavy on the storytelling and songwriting of the songwriters from the '70s, which is my biggest inspiration. 

 

Dave Bieritz

So that's kind of where the title came from. It's a mesh between the two, history and the future.

Q – Do you have any favorite songs on the album?

One of my favorite songs on there is "Words We Didn't Say (Friday Afternoon)." The song is almost 7 minutes long. 

https://open.spotify.com/track/70TsX7BLRAXs5axOQMq2MG 

It's very cinematic. It's a really good song that would work in TV or film. 

It's a really beautiful song. It's probably one of my favorite songs, if not my favorite song, on the album.

The album is a great listen, from the start to the end.   

Q – Why do you and Dave work so well together?

Dave, like me, enjoys the whole experience of writing and creating one's own music. And he's so creative.

His contributions tie everything together. We're also really good friends and do other things outside of music.

But what really keeps us together and focused is the music. The whole process of creating a song is just exhilarating to the both of us.

Q – What should people expect from the new album that you are working on?

I think people will see additional development and growth in what we do. 

More information about Johnson's music can be found on his website, ray-johnson.com.

Chicago-based Surabhi Ensemble taking its Global Peace Tour to India this month

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

After visiting Vietnam, Spain, Portugal, Senegal and Mexico in recent years, Chicago-based Surabhi Ensemble will take its Global Peace Tour to India this month.

I had the chance to talk to Surabhi Ensemble band leader Carlo Basile about the upcoming tour.

 

Q – Great talking to you again. Of course, Surabhi Ensemble's Global Peace Tour of India will begin on Dec. 17. What are you looking forward to the most from the upcoming tour?

 

Well, I’m glad to be taking our art to India finally. This was always a goal of the Surabhi Ensemble with four of the artists being born there. 

 

It’s also so divisive in the U.S. and I don’t mind taking a break from that and news stories, in general. 

 

But the best part is usually the people you meet in artistic circles and the new inspiration you may get for future work. 

 

Q – I understand Surabhi Ensemble will release an album based on the group's experiences from the tour. When do you plan to release the album and what should people expect from the album?

 

We have a very limited release of the Surabhi Ensemble "Respiro Libre" album to bring with us on the tour. We will mostly give that out free to folks who appreciate our music.

 

So, I think we will add a few tracks to that album and officially release all of it later next year. 

 

Q – I know the group has traveled to Vietnam, Spain, Portugal, Senegal and Mexico in recent years. Why is it important to you to bring the band's music to other countries?

 

Most of the artists in the group are world travelers and I think it’s fun to visit new places and see how different cultures respond to our original work. It’s been a really rewarding experience all around. 

 

 

We get such a positive response everywhere. Additionally, I think it’s important for folks around the globe to see the U.S. represented by such a diverse group of cultures with a message of peace and unity. 

 

Q – You have lent your talents to several groups over the years. It seems like there are many Chicago musicians who like to collaborate with other Chicago musicians. Is that one reason why the Chicago music scene is so strong?

 

Yes! Chicago seems to be just the right size and so diverse. Folks tend to be a bit more easy going than I have witnessed with some artists from LA or NYC. Maybe I’m just biased being born here? 

 

Q – It seems like you are always busy doing something, including running. Congratulations on qualifying for next year's Boston Marathon. 

 

Thanks! That was a BIG goal of mine.

 

I really focused on improving my form and training program. It worked! I’m working on a solo release for next year with the title (roughly translated from Spanish) of “Globetrotting Guitar.” 

 

Q – How did you develop a taste for running? As you are running, are you thinking up new musical arrangements?

 

So, during the pandemic, Bob Garrett (percussionist from Surabhi Ensemble) and I started running every day. I had been playing hockey and I think running felt like a good substitute.

 

Then I realized that running daily with the correct form and lower body weight really felt good! I was getting too old for hockey but I still wanted to compete.

 

So, now I run against the clock and I’m usually in the top 10% of my age group. Yes, when I run, I think about new ideas for music or I listen to other music to get ideas.

 

If I have newly recorded pieces of my playing, I might take those with me to listen for ways to improve. 

 

Q – And of course you and your wife operate a highly regarded hot dog stand in Chicago. That is something that runs in the family, right? Did your father Paul own the "Music Man Hot Dog Stand" in the 1970s at Amundsen Park in Chicago?  

 

That must make you and your wife Kim feel pretty good that Kim and Carlo's hot dog stand is so highly regarded. What do you try to do to make your hot dog stand stand out from others in the area?

 

Yes, that’s all true! But really, my wife is the driving force behind that business.

 

When I started doing music full-time about 25 years ago, she took over. Yes, the hotdog carts have been featured in the New York Times and on many TV series. 

 

 

I think because we have kept it small, Kim has been able to maintain a very high level of quality. We were also one of the first hotdog stands to sell vegetarian “Chicago Style” hotdogs in the 1990s!

 

Q – I understand that people can request ketchup to put on their hot dog, but if they do, they have to dance for it. Have you had many takers? Hopefully you have captured that on video. 

 

True, and always a few willing to dance. Those videos (if they do exist) are top secret!

Bernard Allison, son of legendary Chicago blues musician Luther Allison, talks about his career ahead of Ruf Records' 30th anniversary show at the Arcada Theatre

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

Ruf Records certainly has done its part to keep the blues alive.

The independent record label was founded in 1994 by Thomas Ruf, the manager of Chicago blues legend Luther Allison, to help promote Allison's career.

The label is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a tour featuring several of its artists, including Luther Allison's son, Bernard Allison, who has made his own musical impact.

Allison along with Samantha Fish, Canned Heat, Mitch Ryder and Ghalia Volt’s One Woman Band will perform Nov. 10 at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles.

The show starts at 5 p.m. and tickets are available at arcadalive.com.

I had the chance to talk to Allison about the upcoming show.

 

Q – So it must be extra special for you to be part of this tour, given that the label was founded in 1994 by your dad's manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Luther's career. 

Yes, we did the European leg of the 30 year anniversary tour Jan. 17- Feb. 7 with Katie Henry, Alley Venable and The Bernard Allison Group, which are all current Ruf Records artists. We had performances in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Holland and France.

 

It was a beautiful and magical tour across Europe. 

 

Q – And of course, you released "Luther's Blues" in January, which features 20 of your dad's songs that you have remade. What were you looking to do in remaking the songs? Was it just the right time to release the album?

 

I thought it would be a perfect album to release for the tour, considering that my dad basically started the label and laid the path for all the following artists.

 

I hand selected tunes from my previous albums where I put my own twist on my dad's tunes. Thomas Ruf and I agreed that it would be perfect for the anniversary tour.

 

It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, which was a good sign that people were digging it.

Q – I understand that you promised your mom that you would always include at least one or two of your dad's songs on every album. How did you go about choosing what songs to put on "Luther's Blues"?

 

Correct. I always ask my mom which songs of my dad's I should record. Going through all my recordings, it was not easy to select which tracks to include. 

 

So I kinda went from my early albums to the more recent ones. It was important for me to make sure the dynamics flowed smoothly from track to track.

 

I think it was a good choice, considering I’ve recorded more of my dad’s songs on other albums.

Q – You lived in Paris for 12 years. How would you compare the audiences in Europe to the audiences in the United States?

 

I spent a lot of time performing all over Europe as my dad’s band leader. That led to me touring the same circuit with own group.

 

Which is pretty cool because I grew up with my dad’s European fan base. For me, the European fan base allowed my dad and I to be ourselves,without putting a label on us both.

 

I find the United States really tries to put a label on an artist.

 

My dad always told me, "Don’t let them put a label on you. Play what you grew up with and make it your own."

 

So I stuck to that concept and play blues, funk, gospel, soul and R&B.

 

Q – You were born in Chicago and have many connections to the city. Right before graduating from high school in 1983, you played with your father at the Chicago Blues Fest. What was that experience like and what did you learn from the experience?

 

Yes, the Chicago Blues Fest was the beginning of a dream come true, to be on stage with my dad at a very young age, as well as perform in front of a very large crowd of blues lovers.

 

Q – What was it like being the lead guitarist in Koko Taylor's band? Do you think the experience helped shape you into the musician you are today?

 

Yes I always give credit to Koko & Pops Taylor. They both taught me the rules of the road considering I was not old enough to be in the clubs.

 

So my parents gave them permission to do so. Being with Koko taught me how to play behind a leader as opposed to starting as a front man.

 

I learned how to play rhythm and support the leader, which made me the player I am today and also led me to become my dad's band leader. 

 

Q – I would imagine there are some people who expect you to be exactly like your father. How have you tried to distinguish yourself from your father?

At the beginning, everyone expected me to be a carbon copy of my dad. My dad had his idols like Otis Rush, B.B. King, Magic Sam, Chuck Berry and Otis Redding.

 

So you could hear them all in his playing and vocals. I, on the other hand, studied all of them as well as Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan and funk and R&B. We are two different players and vocalists.

 

I have a lot of him in me naturally, but also have found my own path. Today, people can hear the difference in both of us, but also hear the similarities in us.

 

It's in my blood.

Innovative Chicago area saxophonist Chris Greene releases new album on Chicago label Pravda Records

 

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

Innovative Chicago area saxophonist Chris Greene continues to make his mark on the scene.

The Chris Greene Quartet on Oct. 18 will release "Conversance," on Pravda Records, Chicago's longest-running indie rock label. It is the first time the label has released a jazz recording.

To celebrate the release of the album, the Chris Greene Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at Epiphany Center For The Arts: The Sanctuary, 201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago.

Admission is free, but reservations are recommended. More information is available at epiphanychi.com.

I had the chance to talk to Greene about the new album.

Q – Great talking to you again. I guess I last talked to you in 2017 about the band’s album “Boundary Issues.”

Of course, you are about to release a new album, "Conversance," and it’s your first album on a label. Was it just the right time to get signed to a label?

I was never adverse to signing to a label or working with a label. I had been approached by a couple of local labels, and it was never the right situation.

It was, "We'd love to sign you, but we need you to play more traditional straight-ahead jazz." 

In the last couple of years, I've been doing a number of gigs with musicians who are on the Pravda label, like Nora O'Connor and Steve Dawson. They were telling Kenn Goodman, the head of Pravda, that he needed to work with me.

Last summer, he introduced himself to me. He didn't tell me that he wanted me to play in a certain manner.

Kenn said that he wanted me to make him a good record and that he would figure out how to market it. And I said, "OK, we're cool."

Q – So it sounds like he pretty much gave you free rein.

That's pretty much his attitude with all his artists. His attitude is, "just bring me a good and honest record." 

He doesn't sign people he doesn't believe in. It's really an esteemed company. 

 

Q – The release of the album will mark the first time Pravda Records has ever released a jazz album. That must make you feel pretty good, to be making history that way.

Yeah, it does make me feel pretty good. This is a company that has been in business for 40 years and has built up a great track record.

This is a chance to stay true to myself. Basically, they will amplify my signal and get me to people who are music fans.

Q – There are so many great musicians on that label representing so many different genres. You were just talking about Steve Dawson and coincidentally enough, I interviewed him in June about his latest solo album, “Ghosts." And I know you were one of the special guests that played at the album release party.

It seems like one of the things that maybe sets the Chicago music scene apart from other music scenes is that everybody knows everybody and that for the most part, everybody wants to collaborate with each other.

Would you agree with that?

In many ways, yeah. 

Q – Is there a meaning behind the name of the album?

The word conversance means to be intimately familiar or knowledgeable about something. With us, it's two things.

We are intimately knowledgeable with each other as musicians, as a band. I'm proud to say this band has been in existence since 2005. 

And we've only made one personnel change and that was to get our current drummer, Steve Corley, to join in 2011. He's pretty much been in the band over half the life of the band.

We're interacting with each other and we're interacting with the audience.  

Q – Did turning 50 impact the way you approached the album? 

A little bit. It's one of those things where I was kind of taking stock of where I am now.

I'm in this weird position where I'm still trying to figure this out, but at 50 years old, I've figured out a fair amount of stuff. We had a collection of songs ready to go and it just happened to be around that same time where Kenn Goodman walks in my life and says, "Hey, I want to do something with you."

It was a pretty easy process because we already had most of the songs ready to go. Maybe being 50 years old has made me more efficient with my time.

Q – The publication “All About Jazz” referred to you as being a a post-bop maverick intent on shaking things up for the mainstream. Is that what you are trying to do with your music?

Maybe unconsciously. The people whose music that I love pushed buttons.

They were unapologetically themselves and they kind of forced you to accept their artistic growth. Musicians like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Joni Mitchell and James Brown.

That's the kind of example that I'm trying to follow.

Q – Do you have any dream projects that you would like to start sooner rather than later?

The band has flirted with the idea of doing a Christmas album, but not in the traditional sense.

We would take some familiar songs and as a quartet put our own spin on them. 

I'm also a huge Prince fan. In 1985, he released an album called "The Family," which was kind of his replacement side project for The Time, which had broken up.

They only released one album. It is the first time that he utilized saxophone in any kind of important way. 

It is also the album where "Nothing Compares 2 U" originates from. We're coming up on 2025, so it will be the 20th anniversary of that album.

I'm strongly thinking about putting together a couple tribute nights to that album.

Acclaimed Chicago composer Maxx McGathey releases first solo album, will perform Oct. 11 at Constellation Chicago as part of record release show

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

Fans of the hypnotic soundscapes that Chicago composer Maxx McGathey has created through his doom funk band Gramps The Vamp and his film scores will be happy to hear that McGathey is now out with his first solo record, "Imaginary Eyes," which may be even more adventurous than his previous projects.

McGathey will perform Oct. 11 at Constellation Chicago, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago as part of a CD release party for the album. Dark Canyon will open the show.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, available at Constellation Chicago's website, constellation-chicago.com.

I had the chance to talk to McGathey about the new album.

 

Q – Great talking to you. I understand that "Imaginary Eyes" started out as a project where you turned to your childhood upright piano for solace during the COVID pandemic shutdown but then you decided you wanted the album to feature as many musicians as possible, including those you hadn't played with before. Do you think making this album helped you through that period?

 

How did you go about choosing the musicians on the album and do you think you will be collaborating with them more in the future?

 

By 2021 I was kind of a hermit, but the act of getting the musicians together to play this music helped me get back into the music scene after a long period of isolation. I was able to reconnect with people I had lost touch with and make new connections in a time when everyone was eager to work together. 

 

Making this album was also just a cathartic experience artistically, putting all my feelings, fears, hopes and dreams from that time into the music. 

 

I had played with some of the musicians on the album before and they were a natural choice for this project. However, I had not worked with any of the string players before this and had to ask around to assemble a string section.

 

It took many months to find everyone, but I ended up with a fantastic section and a fantastic ensemble overall. 

 

Q – It seems like there is a meaning behind the album's name. Is there? What would you like people to take away from the album?

 

"Imaginary Eyes" is a reference to a quote from Milan Kundera’s novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." The passage talks about all people wanting to be seen by someone but ultimately describes those who long to be held in the 'imaginary eyes' of those not present as dreamers. 

 

I’ve always identified as a dreamer and I thought that the image of performing for imaginary eyes during the years of isolation was a fitting image for this time in my life. It also matched the tone of the music so well – it has a dark vibe but also a hopeful side.

 

I want people to draw their own conclusions from the music. The reason I don’t use lyrics in my music is to allow the listener’s imagination to run wild in whatever way it wants to go.

 

The meaning of a musical note is completely subjective but there are plenty of emotional narratives to observe in "Imaginary Eyes." My hope is that people will let themselves be immersed in the album’s world and see where it takes them! 

 

Q – What drew you to the piano in the first place? Who would you say are your biggest influences?

 

I started studying the piano when I was five, so it is a native tongue for me. The ease with which I express myself at the piano is like no other form of communication I know. 

 

My playing is very influenced by pianists like Thelonious Monk, Ray Charles and Horace Silver, to name a few. My composing style is influenced by mid-20th century cinematic composers like Bernard Herrmann, Lalo Schifrin, Jerry Goldsmith and Ennio Morricone, as well as more modern composers like Nils Frahm and John Luther Adams. 

 

Q – This is your first record as a solo artist. Was it just the right time to release a solo record? What were your goals for the album and did you meet or exceed them?

 

I felt like it was the right time. Gramps The Vamp, which was my primary project for many years, had just gone on hiatus due to several members moving and the pandemic hampering our release plans for our third album. 

 

I was home alone a lot with my piano and it seemed like a chapter had ended. When one door closes, another opens. 

 

My goal for the album was to create something immersive, epic and authentic, and I think I succeeded on all three. 

 

Q – What do you think makes the Chicago music scene stand out from other music scenes across the country?

 

The Chicago music scene is so diverse. There’s every kind of music being played at really high levels, and that’s not something every city can claim. There’s also just a lot of really creative people in this city. 

 

It’s very easy to find people to collaborate with. 

 

Q – I watched a couple of videos of Gramps The Vamp playing on Halloween night in full makeup. And last year, the band played an original score at a screening of the movie "Nosferatu" at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago right before Halloween. 

 

It looks like you had fun playing with Gramps The Vamp. What do you like the best about being part of that band?

 

What I love about Gramps The Vamp is that it’s all about being over the top and sensationalist. I feel like I’m in character when I’m playing with Gramps, and it’s just a lot of fun playing that raucous music. 

 

Q – Did Gramps The Vamp ever share the stage with other bands, such as Chicago band Liquid Soul? It seems like the bands would complement each other on stage. 

 

I don’t recall playing with Liquid Soul, but we’ve been a band for 11 years and have shared stages with countless Chicago acts. Too many to list!

 

Q – Do you see yourself doing anything with Gramps The Vamp in the future?

 

Yes, I think Gramps has another album to be made.

 

Q – Do you have any dream projects?

 

I’m living my dream projects! My philosophy as an artist is to go for what excites me most – and that’s definitely what "Imaginary Eyes" is.

 

I will continue to make music that is grand and epic in scope and still very much my own compositional style, but I’d like to take it to different settings and soundworlds.

 

For example, I have plans to make an album that ties in synth to my overall sound as well as an idea for an album inspired by classic surf/exotica and retro-futurism. 

 

Chicago's Ghostlight Ensemble to present "Alabama Story"

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

The mission of Chicago-based Ghostlight Ensemble is to ask questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories, immersive environments and unconventional staging.

 

So it only makes sense that it will open its eighth season with "Alabama Story," a drama about censorship, book banning and civil rights set within the framework of 1950s racial tensions. Written by Kenneth Jones and inspired by true events, "Alabama Story" is a drama about a segregationist senator and the state librarian who clash over the content of a children’s book about bunny rabbits against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama.

 

 

"Alabama Story" is also the company’s first mainstage show since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. "Alabama Story" will open on Let Freedom Read Day on Sept. 28, part of Banned Books Week.

 

There will be a preview performance at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at After-Words Bookstore, 23 East Illinois St., Chicago, followed by performances on Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 4-6.

 

Performances at Haymarket Books at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena Ave., Chicago) will take place Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20.

 

Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with an average donation of $25, and are available at https://ghostlightensembletheatreco.thundertix.com/. 

 

More information about the show can be found at https://www.ghostlightensemble.com/alabama-story.

 

I had the chance to talk to director Holly Robison about the show.

 

Q –  I understand that “Alabama Story" is Ghostlight Ensenble’s first mainstage show since the start of the pandemic. That must make you feel good.

 

Yeah, it's definitely good to be back. It feels good to have such a big project on the horizon.

 

We're a small company and we just wanted to make sure that we had all the resources in place and things that we needed in order to ensure a really successful run. It's exciting and it's really great to finally have a big project to wrap our arms around.

 

Q – Of course, "Alabama Story" is addressing a timely issue as book bans are accelerating across the country. Did you think it was just the right time to put on a production like this?

We're in sort of a new environment where it's not even just going after the books. It's going after the libraries and the librarians and the teachers.

Part of our mission is to do timeless stories and to ask questions. And I think a story like this, even though it's set in the 1950s, shows that there's still sort of nothing new.

It's still happening. It looks a little bit different, but in a lot of ways, it's the same.

Q – Why do you think book bans have come back?

There's a lot of reasons. I don't know if it's any one thing.

When groups of people or marginalized communities start making headway or start becoming prominent, there's a lot of backlash. In "Alabama Story," the focus is sort of on Montgomery, Alabama.

This is happening right after the Montgomery bus boycott. The politicians are in a way reacting towards the gains that were made by that movement and that were continuing to be made in the civil rights era, which was getting stronger and stronger.

That's happening now. As marginalized communities are gaining more and more progress, the reaction is to shut them down, to try and silence that.

It's a reactionary movement. We've seen that throughout history.

Q – How have rehearsals been going?

It's a really amazing cast. I'm so excited for people to see this cast.

They're such great actors.

Q – What do you like in particular about this cast?

 

It's just the thrill of the moment of seeing an actor embody a character and seeing that character come alive before your eyes. I saw that in auditions.

There were so many great actors that came out. You always wish you could cast so many more people than you can.

It was just seeing really great actors embodying these characters and making them come alive in sort of the way that I imagined but also bringing their own creativity to it and creating aspects of the characters that I hadn't thought about before. 

Q – I know that you are a founding member of Ghostlight Ensemble. How did the ensemble come together and what were you looking to achieve through the ensemble?

 

Our mission is to do unconventional staging, unorthodox settings and tell timeless stories that challenge the status quo.

 

So really, what we're looking to do with our ensemble is to just create theater that fulfills our mission and also gives opportunities to our ensemble members. We want to try to give the ensemble members within the company opportunities to do their art, whether they want to be an actor, designer or what have you.

And for people to grow and support each other.

Q – What do you like the best about being a director?

I like being able to realize the story from a lot of different angles. I definitely perform a lot as well and when you're a performer, you're really only controlling your character and making decisions about your character.

I like that I can sort of shape the story more fully. I can figure out how to tell a story and how to make the narrative go along.

I can help actors because I have experience as an actor. It was just something that happened very naturally.