It’s been five years since Little Brother released their critically acclaimed album The Listening, and so much has happened since. From a falling out with Atlantic records to a controversial split with phenom producer 9th Wonder, this crew has essentially seen it all and done it all. They were supposed to be the next De La, and just as their legacy seemed certain, everything fell apart. Each artist moved on to solo projects, (Phonte with Foreign Exchange, Big Pooh with Sleepers and 9th Wonder with several collaborations), and the moniker of Little Brother, for the time being, was just not enough to keep these talented artists together. Now their show at the Abbey will be interesting insight into what direction each artist will be heading (both artists have new albums coming out this year Phonte with Leave It All Behind and Pooh with Dirty Pretty Thing), and it’ll likely be the last time you seem them perform together for a long time. (J. Min)
Tuesday, October 14 at 9pm Venue: Abbey Pub Tickets: $20
If you had to choose one group from the 90’s that best embodied the golden era, the Digable Planets would undoubtedly land somewhere in the top five. We all know what Reachin (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (1993) did for hip-hop, but how many realize the significance of their sophomore effort Blowout Comb (1994)? It may not have topped the sales charts, but the album’s darker, more aggressive side took the popular image of "hippie rapper" and flipped it right on its head. It was the same stylistic transition that De La made from Buhloone Mindstate (1993) to Stakes is High (1996) and what Tribe did with Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996) to The Love Movement (1998), all of which signified the total redefinement of hip-hop. The Digables are clearly one of the most influential rap groups of all time, and they’ll forever hold a cult status with hip-hop aficionados. The show at Park West will be a historical performance, to say the least. (J. Min)
Tuesday, October 14 at 8pm Venue: Park West Tickets: $25
Not to be confused with the Nashville native of the same name, this blind, Nawlins-bred guitarist/vocalist draws throaty soul charm over speedy electric licks. Down in Louisiana, he’s a favorite on Bourbon Street, holding a 14-year and running residency at the Old Absinthe House. You may have seen him as the voice of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s number one album, 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads. But Shepherd, 34 years younger than the "Braille Blues Daddy," was just paying homage to the man who started his career; when Shepherd was just 13 years old, Lee invited him to play on stage. Lee’s got a ten-album deep catalogue, brimming his trademark moon-wailing style.
South Sider Duke Tumatoe has a secret star past. The musician was once a member of REO Speedwagon and had a few Warner Brothers cuts produced by John Fogerty. Tumatoe’s more recent work is quirky tongue-in-cheek stuff like "It’s Christmas (Let’s Have Sex)." Ask him to play big brass funk jam, "Tie You Up," for more fun with innuendos, or lack thereof. Blues heroine, Joanna Connor, opens with some master slide guitar.
I can't say enough about Hercules and Love Affair. I'm still listening to their full-length, self-titled album on a regular basis, holding on to every disco-influenced note and dramatic, lovelorn lyric. They're making dance music that is as good in clubs as it is in your iPod speakers on the morning commute - accessible and substantial, with lyrics that get stuck in your head and make you wonder what the club days of the '70s and early '80s were like. Tonight is their first live performance in Chicago; as this act is shooting to superstar status, take advantage of that $17 cover now before it's too late. (Maya Henderson)
Friday, October 17 at 11:30pm Venue: Metro Tickets: $17
Former AACM president, tireless jazz collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart is back in town, and he’s brought along an all-star cast of local talent. Ewart’s solo work often features high-pitched clarinets, flutes, saxophones and unique handmade instruments engaged in quasi-duel. But it’s during the “Interdependence” program (by drummer Dushun Mosley and a number of the weekend’s other musicians) that he places just as strong an emphasis on creative instruments of percussion, which will be performed in this "Interdependence" program. The shows’ guests also include AACM members in the form of saxophonist Fred Anderson, woodwind player Mwata Bowden, guitarist Jeff Parker and vocalist Dee Alexander, and the two performances promise to be among the week’s best jazz shows. (Scott Morrow)
Named after the topographical similarities between the Netherlands and Chicago, Jorrit Dijkstra’s Flatlands Collective courses through abstract brass fluttering and refined free-jazz compositions. The group’s style shifts from experimentation and improvisation to cross-metered sophistication. And it all leans on the leadership of Dutch saxophonist and composer Jorrit Dijkstra. Here he is joined by some of the city’s most notable avant-garde jazz artists: clarinetist James Falzone, trombonist Jeb Bishop, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Frank Rosaly. This cast provides the oomph to properly balance squirrelly moments, as is the case on "Wire Tap" from the group’s recorded debut, Gnomade. Dijkstra resides in the Boston area, so make sure to catch the Flatlands Collective for a pair of sets at Heaven Gallery. (Scott Morrow)
