REMEMBERING DOC
L
ast month , the blues community lost the enduring presence of Lenin “ Doc ” Pellegrino . As the legendary owner of Kingston Mines , Doc helped establish the north side blues scene and expand the careers of some of Chicago ’ s notable blues artists . “ He was always encouraging ,” said acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Toronzo Cannon . “ He would always look at new artists and give them a chance . He gave me words of encouragement when I was just starting out .”
A practicing M . D . who ran a small west-side office , he purchased the adjoining cafe for Lincoln Park ’ s Kingston Mines
By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Doc Pellegrino
Theatre Company in 1972 . Doc was a big blues fan and he often championed the genre as musical tastes shifted during the ‘ 70s . He moved the expanded club to 2548 N . Halsted , featuring two stages for seven nights a week and lured area college students with free admittance .
Living in an apartment over the club , Doc presided over Kingston Mines enthusiastically , welcoming visitors and new artists . “ Doc was the first to hire me as a blues singer ,” said blues singer and songwriter Deitra Farr . “ I had worked as a soul singer on the southside and became a blues singer on the northside . Doc opened the
northside door for me .”
The Kingston Mines is the city ’ s largest and oldest continuously running blues club and has hosted blues greats including Koko Taylor , Junior Wells , Magic Slim and Billy Branch .
The 35th annual Chicago Blues Festival arrives on June 8-10 and this year ’ s lineup supplies an interesting array of performers from Chicago and beyond . For the second year , the fest will unfold in Millennium Park , from 11 AM-9:30 PM , with five stages scattered around the park . The city has shifted the location of the Front Porch Stage to Wrigley Square , in the northwest section of the park . Here are Blues Fest highlights not to miss :
On Friday , June 8 , blues supergroup Mississippi Heat performs at 6:30PM at the Pritzker Pavilion . The eight-member ensemble performs an engaging mix of traditional Chicago blues with eclectic twists . A legendarily hot live act , the band guarantees lots of appreciative singing and dancing from the audience . At 7:30 PM , an all star “ Tribute to Those Who Came Before and Bob Koester ” honors Delmark ’ s 65th anniversary and blues pioneers who laid the foundation for the contemporary sound . Gerry Hundt and Corey Dennison will pay tribute to influential guitarist and vocalist Sleepy John Estes , Jimmy Burns will honor Delta blues guitarist Big Joe Williams and his distinctive 9-string style , Ken Saydak honors “ the honeydripper ” Roosevelt Sykes , Shirley Johnson will pay tribute to “ sweetheart of the blues ” Bonnie Lee , Guy King honors legendary Chicago band leader Willie Kent , Billy Flynn and Linsey Alexander will pay tribute to Westside blues guitarist Jimmie Dawkins , Lil Ed and Dave Weld honor slide guitar
master J . B . Hutto , Demetria Taylor and Tomiko Dixon will sing in honor of blues queen Big Time Sarah , Mike Wheeler will play in honor of blues guitar master Otis Rush , Steve and Lurrie Bell will honor their harp king father Cary Bell , Jimmy Johnson and Dave Spector honor blues legend Magic Sam and Omar Coleman will pay tribute to amplified harp pioneer Junior Wells .
At the Mississippi Juke Joint stage , Mr . Sipp , also known as the “ Mississippi Blues Child ” performs at 3PM . A dynamic musician with gospel singing chops , Mr . Sipp always wows the crowds . At the Front Porch Stage , veteran blues singer Tail Dragger performs at 5:30PM . With his trademark cowboy hat and growling vocals , Tail Dragger always commands the stage .
On Saturday June 9 , an all star tribute to blues harp virtuoso Little Walter starts at 8PM . The show will highlight the innovations that Little Walter contributed to the blues genre with Billy Branch , Corky Siegel , Sugar Blue , Rick Estrin , Magic Dick and the Sons of the Blues performing tributes . At the Crossroads stage , a rare opportunity to hear the African roots of blues music will be presented with a show by Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure at 2:45PM . The son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure , Vieux plays a blend of traditional West African rhythms which echo blues , with contemporary flourishes .. Dubbed the “ Hendrix of the Sahara ,” Vieux ’ s sparkling fretwork should not be missed .
On Sunday , June 10 , the fest closes with such a strong collection of acts that fans should plan on spending the entire day there . Blues young gun Jamiah Rogers
Continued on page 52
Food for the Body , Music for the Soul
FRI JUNE 1 SAT JUNE 9 and SUN JUNE 10 No cover charge !
Northshore Blues Fest
210 Green Bay Road , Highwood , Illinois 60040 847.433.0304 www . 210live . com
SatJun2 Kings of the Lobby WedJun6 Bill Porter Orchestra FriJun15 Count Bop and the Headliners SatJun16 The Summer of Love 1967
FriJun22 Pink Floyd Show Have a Cigar plus The British Invasion
SatJun23 Motown Night with
Gerald McClendon
SunJun24 Luciano Antonio Trio *
SatJun30 The Ravines with Fleeting Suns
(*) no cover charge
Dave Herrero
Band with
Marty Sammon and SPECIAL GUESTS
' Steal Your Face '
Wednesdays
June 9 Terrapin Flyer
June 27 Alabaster
No Cover Charge June 14 Lil ' Ed and The
Blues Imperials
June 21 King Robinson and the Housewreckers
SUN JUNE 17 WED JUNE 20 THU JUNE 28 FRI JUNE 29
Father ' s Day BBQ Bluegrass & Pig Roast ( All-U-Can-Eat ) featuring music by
Windy City Bluegrass
Saturday June 9 Lurrie Bell plus Super Session
feat . Bob Stroger , Jimmy Burns , Tommy Holland , Deitre Farr
Judy
Roberts and
Greg Fishman
No Cover Charge
The Flat Cats No Cover Charge
Sunday June 10
Harmonica Summit
Billy Branch plus Joe Filisko and Eric Noden
Friday Night Fights
hosted by Conquer Fight Club
USBF Sanctioned
12 illinoisentertainer . com june 2018