list.in.to.chicago this week: 08.29.2005

I have to say, this is the most I've been interested in the Chicago Jazz Festival in many, many years.

Pick of the week
Quality shows from the Chicago Jazz Festival this weekend, particularly Roy Haynes on Friday and the Tribute to Tony Williams on Saturday, which will compete for sonic airspace in Grant Park with Los Lobos at Charter One Pavilion. On the local front, the Los Borrachos resurgence continues Wednesday at Martyrs', and Wes John debuts his new trio at Elbo Room on one of those Sunday nights where everyone is going to be out late. The Paul Wertico Trio (Wednesday, HotHouse) looks like the best part of the pre-Jazz fest club tour.

list.in.to.COZ
Come to Vaughan's on Tuesday. Come to Blue Bayou on Saturday. You'll have fun. I may even buy you a beer, because I'm starting to think that the scintillating prose isn't enough to motivate you people any more.

Recap
I got a nice surprise running into former Swimmer and Sumo bassist Lamar Jones, who was playing with a band called Lake Effect before The Ripleys out on Navy Pier on Wednesday afternoon. Other than that, I have to rely on the vast network of l.i.t.c. operatives, who gave emphatic thumbs up to Garbage on Monday and Cupcakes on Saturday.

8.29   monday
The Changes with Vox Vermillion, Cracklin' Moth (Schubas)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The four-week residency is coming to an end. Haven't talked to Darren lately to see how it's been going past the first one, and it's unlikely I'll be able to make it out tonight. Or last night, depending on when you read this.

The White Stripes with The Greenhornes (Auditorium Theatre)
The two biggest surprises about this three-night stand from the Detroit duo are that they're not somewhere up north like the Riv, or more to the point, that they're at the Auditorium Theatre, and that only the Wednesday show was sold out as of the Reader's ad deadline last week.

8.30   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
There's a rumor floating around that the good folks at Vaughan's are actually building us a new stage, after the old one finally gave up the ghost a few weeks ago. No one was hurt, it was just a stage we went through.

Kick The Cat with 7 League Boots (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I keep coming back to the idea that there just isn't a whole lot of jazz fusion out there at all, let alone good jazz fusion -- which I realize some of you might think is an oxymoron -- so these guys stand out even more in my mind.

Radioactive Underpants (Elbo Room)
I've been seeing this rather distinctive name quite a bit lately, and I think they've been at Elbo Room most of those times. So maybe it's a recurring gig, but I'll have to ask about it next time I'm over there to get the details.

The White Stripes with The Greenhornes (Auditorium Theatre)
Second of the three shows, also not sold out as of last week's Reader.

Linus with Gavin Castleton & One Drop, Behind The Curtain (Ace of Clubs, New York City)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Yes, I know, this show is very far away, but it's Gene and Derek from URT revisiting the band that preceded it. Does the fact that they're still playing together hint at a possible URT reunion? Never say never. In the meantime, it's alright is available on a whole bunch of online music sites, including iTunes and Rhapsody. So we ended up getting good distribution, even if we never actually got paid by our distributor.

8.31   wednesday
Los Borrachos (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The question on eveybody's mind is: Have these guys rehearsed for more than a half hour since their last show? The follow-up question: Does it matter?

Paul Wertico Trio with Corey Wilkes Quartet (HotHouse)
Now I know I just went on about how rare good jazz fusion is, and here I've got what could be considered another top-rate example the very next night. But I think what Wertico does is slightly different, if only because I have my own semantic distinction between jazz fusion and electric jazz.

The Greenhornes with Suffrajet, The Saturday Nights (Empty Bottle)
After two nights opening for the White Stripes, the Cincy band gets a chance to attract their own crowd.

The White Stripes with Brendan Benson (Auditorium Theatre)
Jack White, Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes have this little camraderie going, and I'm not sure if it led to a sort of three-headed tour, or if the Greenhornes are transitioning off the tour while Benson is joining it. I suppose I could, you know, research it, but what fun is that?

Tori Amos with The Ditty Bops, The Like (Pritzker Pavilion)
This looks to be the biggest -- or at least most mainstream -- act to play the Millenium Park venue since its inception, and could make for a very pleasant night out on the lawn.

9.01   thursday
The DownBeat 7th Anniversary Concert (Symphony Center)
It's the opening night concert for the Chicago Jazz Festival, featuring John Medeski, Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Tribute Band and The Zawinul Syndicate with Joe Zawinul. While the outdoor portion of the festivities are free, this concert is not.

9.02   friday
Los Lobos with The BoDeans (Charter One Pavilion)
For my money, Los Lobos is one of the greatest live rock bands going. I forget when I first saw them, but they blew away all the "jam bands" with a looseness and spontenaiety that comes from caring about the music rather than simply the notion of improvisation itself.

Roy Haynes (Petrillo Music Shell)
Headlining the first day of the Jazz Festival proper, the renowned drummer celebrates his 80th birthday. I'm a big advocate of seeing any and all guys who played major roles in the bebop movement of the 50s and 60s, particular drummers, so there's a very good chance I'll try to check this one out.

Fu Manchu with The Last Vegas, American Motherload, Knife of Simpson, DJ Rottin Gimmick (Double Door)
This is the first of three nights that make up the "Electric City Rockfest" from The Onion, Superior Street and Double Door, and should be a whole lot of heavy rock.

9.03   saturday
Tribute to Tony Williams (Petrillo Music Shell)
From one of the last remaining drummers of an era (Roy Haynes), to a celebration of another who left us too soon, featuring Jack DeJohnette -- no slouch himself, John Scofield and Larry Goldings.

Diver (Blue Bayou)   SEE COZ LIVE!
Maybe I'll try to channel Tony in our gig. You can also pick up discount tickets for next week's big Cubby Bear show at this one, and maybe dance like a crazy person in front of the stage area. Because that's becoming more the norm than people tripping and falling into us lately.

Linus (Kenny's Castaways, New York City)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The second of those shows from the geographically challenged half of URT's final lineup. Oddly enough, there's an open mike at the Greenwich Village hosted by a guy named Costello.

9.04   sunday
Wes John with Dante's Voodoo Cabaret, Cherish the Burlesque Goddess (Elbo Room)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
This is a new look from e-mics frontman Wes Cichosz, who told me in an e-mail that he was understandably tired of getting his name spelled wrong. Or of spelling his name himself. Whatever. He also described Danet's Voodoo Cabaret as "Female Spagetti Western Murder Jazz with a touch o' Nipple Ring," so how can that be bad?

High on Fire with Bible of the Devil, Yakuza, Minsk, DJ Velcro Lewis (Double Door)
The intensity of the Friday night acts in this little mini-festival, along with the presence of a DJ, got me thinking it was more than just a regular weekend show at Double Door, but the continuation of the theme over two more nights made it glaringly obvious.

Def Leppard with Billy Squier, Silvertide (Charter One Pavilion)
Okay, so I incorrectly pegged some other 80s hard rock bands as LoopFest a couple of weeks ago. This is the real deal, for whatever that's worth. And who the heck is Silvertide and how did they get on a super-retro bill with Def Friggin' Leppard?

Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band (Wrigley Field)
You know, I'm worried that bringing in an act like Buffett to the Friendly Confines will somehow cheapen the sanctity of the legendary ballpark, turning it temporarily into nothing more than a big, outdoor beer garden. Oh, wait...