Chicago-based Surabhi Ensemble will premiere new work during upcoming show at City Winery in Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

The Chicago-based Surabhi Ensemble wants to use its music to show how we are all connected.

Surabhi Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. June 26 at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., Chicago. Joining the ensemble will be members of Sones de Mexico, Las Guitarras de España, Intercultural Music Production, the Ishti Collective, and Massamba Diop, the Senegalese talking drummer from the 2018 Marvel Studios film "Black Panther."

For tickets and more information, go to Surabhi Ensemble’s website at surabhiensemble.org.

I had the chance to talk to bandleader and Spanish guitarist Carlo Basile about the show.

 

Q – I know the June 26 show at City Winery is a tribute to talking drum master Mamadou Tama (Modou Sarr), who passed away recently. Did you ever work with him and if you did, what did you value the most about him?
 
Yes, I worked with Modou personally and with him via Surabhi Ensemble. Modou came alive whenever and wherever he performed. 

He always brought his A game and I loved that about him. If you listen to the Surabhi tracks ”Raga Blues,” “Malifarka,” and “Swan Song” you will hear his drum, his voice, and his skill on the talking drum. 
 
Q – During the show, I know Surabhi Ensemble will be premiering new work and previewing material for a 2024 tour of India. What are you looking forward to on that tour?
 
We are currently discussing many options and fortunately we have already received many invitations to perform in Gujarat, Pune, Bangalore, Goa, and Chennai. We will see how the logistics allow us to make as many quality performances in India as possible.

But this will happen in late 2024 and early 2025. I am most looking forward to really getting a more in-depth knowledge of the regions in India.

We have so many people in our group and on the ground helping us, I feel like it will be memorable and very special. 
 
Q – I know you were part of Surabhi Ensemble's 2019 tour of Vietnam, Spain, Portugal and Senegal. What was it like being part of that tour and what were the highlights for you?

 

 

That 2019 Tour was pre-COVID of course and totally magical in many ways. We made a very convoluted itinerary happen and really connected with each culture we visited.

Just one highlight was visiting and performing in a small Portuguese town. As we ended our performance, the entire audience stood up and sang a local folk song in our honor. 

It was an emotional moment and unforgettable moment for all of us. 
 
Q – You yourself have traveled to more than 30 countries to perform, teach and study Spanish and ethnic guitar styles. It seems like you have used your music to show people that we are all connected to each other.
 
I used to be a social worker and I’ve realized that, either consciously or unconsciously, I continue to do social work with my music. For sure, the music and dance provides opportunity to make connections. 

Those connections continue when we put our instruments down as well. 
 
Q – Last year, Surabhi Ensemble debuted "Scenes From the Pandemic" at the Chicago World Music Festival. What would you like for people to take away from that particular piece of work?
 
Globally, we all experienced the pandemic in many ways. We got together as a family in the Surabhi Ensemble and wrote down some of the emotions we experienced in the last three years.

Then we created music and dance pieces to depict those emotions. We added video and multimedia elements, as well. 

We hope that folks can see this work and relate. We hope that it inspires thought and healing as well. This work will continue to evolve. 

 
Q – You have worked with so many people over the years. Do you have any dream collaborations or projects?
 
I really enjoy working with the Surabhi family. I would say that I look forward to other collaborations as they happen naturally through our travels and curiosity. 

I don’t consider myself to be virtuoso or perfectionist by any means. But I have just enough skills to find common ground with other artists whom I've met along the way. 

I like that feeling. I try to find artists who have a common world view…to me that’s more important than working with any famous artist or virtuoso. But it might be fun to do something with Peter Gabriel.

Aurora native Nick Wiesner to celebrate release of new album with CD release party at The Venue in Aurora

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

Singer-songwriter Nick Wiesner hopes that his music helps people through their struggles.

The 21-year-old Aurora native is set to release his debut studio album, “Valerie Blaine,” on June 23. To celebrate the release of the album, Wiesner will perform at 8 p.m. June 23 at The Venue, 21 S. Broadway Ave. in downtown Aurora.

Also on the bill is Mirabelle Skipworth and The Brink Of. General admission tickets are $10, available at The Venue’s website, themusicvenue.org.

I had the chance to Wiesner about the new album.


 

Q – Great talking to you. I understand this is your debut studio album. What was it like to make an album in a studio this time around?

It was so surreal. I just got to work with so many people who were just so professional and so committed to putting their all into this project.

Q – Where did you make your debut album, “Flight”?

That was made in a spare room/garage of one of my friends. It was just one mike and no drums.

Q – And your EP, “Growing Up,” where was that made?

That was made in my bedroom.

Q – And that was released in May 2020 and comprised of songs that you wrote during the COVID-19 quarantine. So I guess it made sense that you made the album in your bedroom.

Yeah, that was kind of intentional. I wanted to share the quarantine experience that I was having. I was in high school at the time.

Q – Does your debut studio album, “Valerie Blaine,” have guest musicians on it?

Yes. I think there are close to 15 people who ended up contributing in some way.

Q – So I understand the album is named for a person who you never met before that person unfortunately passed away.

It’s a very unfortunate story, but it is what inspired the whole album, really. About two years ago, when I was finishing high school, I was also going through some very challenging mental illness struggles.

It’s a pretty big focus on the album. That’s essentially what this album is for, suicide prevention.

Because I struggled with that near the end of my high school experience. That’s actually why I started writing the song “Valerie Blaine,” because I made it through an attempt. The first verse is about me and my experiences.

I learned about a fellow high school student who had committed suicide like the day after I started writing that song. So the rest of that song after that first verse is dedicated to him.

I chose the name Valerie Blaine because I didn’t want to share his name. That’s not my information to share.

But I wanted it to be a specific name because it’s a very personal issue. Everybody deals with it differently and nobody can truly know how anybody else is feeling.

I made it a fictional person so it can apply to everybody who deals with it, but in a broad spectrum.

Q – I understand that you consider “Valerie Blaine” to be the most personal album you have released.

Yes, which says a lot, because I don’t really write music that doesn’t have at least some sort of personal connection.

Q – And of course Mirabelle Skipworth is on the bill with you at The Venue. I know she is originally from the area.

She is like the reason I am a musician today, actually. They used to run an open mike night at Tredwell Coffee in downtown Aurora, which unfortunately, is now closed.

Mirabelle heard me perform at Tredwell and she told me she thought I was really good and that she thought she could get me some gigs.

Q – That’s nice when musicians can come together like that.

Yeah, and she’s all about that.

Q – Ultimately, what would you like your music to do for people?

If people are struggling, they can listen to the songs and feel heard. They might not necessarily feel all better right away, but just feel justified in their sadness or justified in their struggles.

With new album in tow, Chicago musician Joe Rian to perform at The Hideout on Wednesday

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

Chicago musician Joe Rian writes songs that tap into the human soul.

His latest album, “Midwest Boy,” is set for release on Friday. Rian was adopted as an infant and raised in Rock Falls.

Rian and his band The A.M. Drinkers will perform at a record release party at 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave., Chicago. Also on the bill is Chicago based singer-songwriter Vivian Garcia.

Tickets are available at hideoutchicago.com.

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

 
Q – Great talking to you. In a recent interview you talked about how, through your songs, you try to tap into experiences that people might go through. How do you think your own experiences have shaped your songwriting? 

I'm not sure if my experiences merit songs but, as time goes on, you can put more experiences into your conscience. I've been through recessions, wars, suicides, obesity, molestation, alcoholism, drug death or abuse; the list goes on and on.

I figure if I or my immediate circle has been through that, there are probably many others that have too. I think that once I tapped into what I have been through or what my circle has had to go through and experience, you can pull a little deeper than the same old love song stuff.
 
Q – In making "Midwest Boy," what were your goals and do you think you accomplished them?
 
Making records is the fun part. I just wanted to make a record of songs that were real stuff, with no particular sound or production.

The hard part is finding the funding to get it heard.  When you are an independent like myself, everything comes from your pocket.

My goal was to find funding for Midwest Boy and I wasn't going to put out another record without some type of funding. That's when I went into the music NFT space, took a year to learn the platform and built a community of NFT collectors. They act as the label and provide the funding for publicists and that type of thing.
 
Q – I know that after you moved to Chicago, you started working at Buddy Guy's Legends. Did you get any one-on-one time with Buddy Guy? If you did, what did you guys talk about?

I would always ask Buddy how to play certain guitar licks or ask him about some of the famous pictures on display or his stories. Like, there's a photo of him and Junior Wells on one of Junior's records.

They looked happy and toasted. I asked him what was happening when that shot was taken.

He told me they were playing poker with Clapton and some others. I think he said that Clapton took the pic but I could be wrong.

I asked why he'd always come to the open mic nights and hear the struggling beginners. He said that the mistakes would give him ideas. 

We discussed things like the train ride across Canada where he opened for the Grateful Dead and used Steve Miller in his backing band. 
 
Q – You also started busking around the city. What did that experience teach you? Do you think that helped you to connect with listeners? 

I think that busking is the loneliest and rawest type of performing. It does provide you with some great connection methods. 

It also teaches you quick that you need to negotiate a corner. Sometimes I would need to buy my corner. 

If four guys are working a bridge, one musician is going to steal the money from the passersby. To get that corner, sometimes you would need to pay off whomever staked it out and figure out which adjacent ones had been claimed.

Connection methods on the street are different than on stage. You can't make the city or a group of gatherers go silent like you can in a club where there is no outside noise. 

It did teach me things, though. You had to be more flamboyant on a street to get the hustle going.

You don't really need that on a small stage.
 
Q – What do you like about the Chicago music scene? How have you tried to set yourself apart from other Chicago musicians? 

We are apart from the other acts since no one really knows me and I don't travel in the "cool kids club." I gave up caring if people liked my stuff a long while ago.

Either you get it or you don't. We definitely don't sound like other acts.

I'm just a guy with a good band who writes tavern music. The Chicago music scene is very cliquey. There are some popular clubs that book the same bands over and over and over. 

I'd rather be a band from Chicago than a band in Chicago. The money is better out of town and, believe it or not, small towns are dying for original music.

Here you compete with the same acts that play the same clubs and have to deal with a bit of gatekeeping. Get out of town; you'd be amazed how hungry people are for something original. 
 

With debut album in tow, Chicago band Miirrors to perform at Andersonville Midsommarfest next month

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

On its debut album “Motion And Picture,” Chicago band Miirrors delivers an album that is both musically and emotionally adventurous.

The band will perform at next month’s Andersonville Midsommarfest, 5200 N. Clark St. in Chicago. Miirrors is set to take the stage at 8:30 p.m. June 10 on the Center Stage.

Tickets are available at andersonville.org/events/midsommarfest.

Miirrors was formed by singer Brian McSweeney and drummer Shawn Rios. I had the chance to talk to McSweeney and Rios about the show.

 

Q – Great talking to you. Chicago-based Pravda Records released “Motion And Picture” in March. It’s great that you’e on this label. For one thing, it’s local. For another thing, there’s a lot of great musicians on it and it seems like this label supports many different genres of music.

Rios – They really do, and I’m grateful for that. There is no interference in creativity and at the same time, they really get involved in you, not only on an artistic level, but also, on a personal level.

Q – This was your debut album. Did that put a lot of additional pressure on the band as far as making the album?

McSweeney – Not really. We started making and honestly, finished making the album on our own and independent of a label.

So we really didn’t feel any pressure from anyone necessarily. I guess any pressure would have been self-imposed on account of our own kind of expectations and standards.

And I feel like we would bring the same kind of pressure and expectations on ourselves, whether it was album one or album five.

 

Rios – I agree fully with Brian. I think the only other pressure we felt was in answering the question about what a live show looks to us and how do we reflect that and how do we reflect the album live.

That’s been equally important to us. I think we thought of a live show the entire time we were making the record. I remember many times being in the control room and being in a session with Brian and even some of the other guys in the band and trying to see what that would sound like played live and how would people receive that.

But internally, like Brian said, the only pressure we had was self-imposed, which is a good thing. It’s great to go to a label when your record is finished.

Q – I am sure the both of you have heard endless comparisons of the band to Radiohead. What were your goals in forming the band in the first place? Is Radiohead a big influence for the band?

McSweeney – I would say that a few of us in the band are big fans of Radiohead. They are one of our influences.

I would say that we have very wide ranging influences. But yeah, they certainly are an influence.

Q – Also, it seems like the band’s name has a meaning to it. Is there a meaning behind the band’s name?

McSweeney – One night Shawn and I were hanging out at a bar after rehearsing and we were just having a conversation about how human beings are mirrors to each other. When you’re talking with someone, their response is basically based on what you’re saying.

So when you hear that person’s response, they are mirroring back to you who you are. We are all mirrors to each other.

Q – One of the songs on “Motion and Picture” is your reimagined version of Jeff Buckley’s song “Gunshot Glitter,” which has received rave reviews. As far as what you wanted to do with that song, did you have certain things that you wanted to do with that song to kind of make it your own?

McSweeney – Yeah, I feel like we did. I feel like we accomplished that.

The original version very much felt like a demo. It very much felt like something that was in development.

There are sections that certainly go on and don’t feel like they’re complete. We had an opportunity to work with Jeff’s drummer, Matt Johnson, on that.

Before we were in a room with Matt, Shawn and I sat down and listened to Jeff’s original demo.

We put it into Pro Tools and we toyed with it and came up with different ideas. We had some idea of what direction it was going to go, so we weren’t going into completely blind when Matt Johnson was in the room with us.

We still had some things to figure out. We just kind of chiseled away at the song as we went. Like most art and like most music, it’s the process of just doing something and then taking a step back and responding to the thing that you just did and then just going from there.

So that’s really what we did. We started with the drums and the bass and then we just went from there as far as deciding what the next steps would be.

Q – And did you expect such positive feedback? Because everybody is just loving your version of the song. Did that take you by surprise at all?

Rios – Yeah. It’s difficult because you’re stepping I think on what some people might perceive is hallowed ground.

But to us, it wasn’t. Matt had made a comment to us when we began finalizing the arrangement. He told Brian, "This is what Jeff would have wanted. This is something that Jeff would essentially be OK with."

Obviously, those are big shoes to fill for more than one reason. He was someone that we really admired and really loved. We had come to know all of his music.

We really wanted to complete in a sense an idea that we started. We thought that would be a fun project for us.

I would hope that people would like it and that they would see it as an honest approach and that we served it well.