Friday, July 2, 2021 · 7:00 PM CDT
Billy Branch & the Sons of Blues / Lurrie Bell
1030 Central St, Evanston · Post 42 at Canal Shores Golf Course
Friday, July 2, 2021 · 7:00 PM CDT
1030 Central St, Evanston · Post 42 at Canal Shores Golf Course
This show is sold out.
Emmy Award Winner. Three Time Grammy Nominee. Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame Museum Inductee. Alligator Recording Artists Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues.
Billy Branch, often called the Ambassador of Chicago Blues, has been the leader of his band, the Sons of Blues for over forty years. He and his band have toured the world for over 40 years playing at Blues and Jazz festivals and theaters in China, Japan, South America, Central America, Mexico, Canada, Turkey, Australia and all across Europe and the U.S. Branch is a three time Grammy Award nominee and an Emmy Award winner. He's won three Blues Music Awards, and two Keeping the Blues Alive Awards for his Blues in Schools programs from the Blues Foundation.
“If there is a Chicago blues child who perhaps epitomizes the blues life, it's Lurrie Bell…the premier guitarist in the Windy City.” - Boston Blues News
Born in 1958, the son of famed blues harmonica player Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell picked up his father's guitar at age of five and taught himself to play. He was clearly gifted. In addition, he grew up with many of the Chicago blues legends around him. Eddie Taylor, Big Walter Horton, Eddie C. Campbell, Eddie Clearwater, Lovie Lee, Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Dawkins and many more were frequent visitors to his house. They all helped to shape and school him in the blues, but none as much as his father's long-time employer Muddy Waters.
At seven years old, Bell left Chicago to live in Mississippi and Alabama with his grandparents. During this time he played mostly in the church, immersing himself in the passionate expressiveness of the gospel tradition. At fourteen he moved back to Chicago and continued to play in church as well as forming his first blues band while attending high school.
By seventeen Lurrie Bell was playing on stage with Willie Dixon. In 1977 he was a founding member of The Sons of Blues with Freddie Dixon (son of Willie) and Billy Branch. The band recorded three standout tracks for Alligator Records' Grammy nominated Living Chicago Blues series. In 1978 Bell joined Koko Taylor's band and stayed for several years, honing his chops and learning the ropes of being a traveling musician. He continued to work with his dad as well, recording the 1984 Rooster Blues album Son Of a Gun and several other titles for UK's JSP Records. Not only was Bell recognized as an exceptionally talented guitarist and musician, his knowledge of different blues styles, his soulfulness and his musical maturity delivered write-ups in publications such as Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
“An incendiary fusion of Chicago Blues boilerplate and his own mercurial imagination, hyperkinetic energy, and dazzling technical dexterity.” - David Whiteis – Chicago Reader
Tonight’s concert is at Post 42 at Canal Shores Golf Course, 1030 Central St, Evanston, IL. All shows are rain or shine. All shows start at 7pm with doors at 6pm.
Food and drink service is available at the venue. No outside food or drink permitted.
As an outdoor venue, please plan to bring your own chair, table, blanket, or whatever makes you most comfortable, or you can reserve table and chair rentals HERE. Rental chairs and tables will be waiting for you in your box when you arrive.
Beginning at 6:00 PM, you may park your vehicle for free in the parking lot on north side of the building, or we also offer additional free parking along the golf course if the parking lot is full. Entrance to the parking lot is labeled at the top of the map below.
The city of Evanston has moved into Phase 5 of COVID-19 Guideline restrictions and is fully open without capacity restrictions. Although the mask mandate has been lifted, Post 42 at Canal Shores still encourages those who are not vaccinated to wear masks for the safety of our guests and staff.
