Here are some tidbits about the chefs who cook Chicago's food:
Monday, March 2, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, November 24, 2008
Not Done Yet
In a frigid November Saturday about 250 (and much more as the day wore on) scarf-wearing music lovers sought the warmth of the Congress Theatre to hear from the likes of HaHa Tonka, Blue Mother Tupelo, The David Grisman Quintet and The Avett Brothers. In a city where festivals often disappear at the end of August, the inaugural Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival added a respite from the monotony of the cold months.
Unlike Taste of Chicago, Jazz Fest, Lollapalooza and other festivals, CBGB did not come out of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events or the big promoters such as, Live Nation, Jam Productions and C3 presents. It is the baby of KingTello Presents, made up of independent promoters and producers Lucas King and Mike Raspatello.
“We’re nothing more than two guys approached by the Congress Theatre to come up with a concept for the winter months,” Raspatello explained. “We thought an indoor festival featuring truly independent music was exactly what we needed.”
More and more venues rely on independent promoters for their shows. “We offer greater flexibility than bigger promotion companies,” Raspatello said. “Artists also like working with us because we are less demanding.” The benefits of using independent promoters ultimately trickle down to music fans, resulting in cheaper tickets. According to Raspatello, the price of a concert ticket for one of the CBGB acts would cost $45, but the 12-hour access to 18 bands costs only $31.
The importance of the independent promoter in Chicago’s music community was best demonstrated by the reaction against the proposed Event Promoter’s Ordinance. The ordinance, first introduced in 2006, was a response to the 100 killed in a Great White concert in a Rhode Island nightclub, and locally, to the stampede at the E2 nightclub that injured 50 and killed 21. It requires promoters to be licensed (license fees range from $500 to $2000) and that they have to have an insurance policy that provides $300,000 in liability coverage per event (reduced from the original $1M). Additionally, the ordinance will not license anyone under the age of 21 and all are subject to a finger printing and criminal-background check.
Last year, in a show of solidarity, Chicago’s music community rallied against the ordinance for several reasons but mostly because it will hurt the independent promoters. Through demonstrations, letters to aldermen and public outrage, Chicago promoters, artists, record labels and fans were able to keep the ordinance from being voted on in May 2008. In addition, the city made several revisions to the original version that addressed the concerns of the music community. The changes include replacing the flat licensing fee with fees classified according to venue capacity ($500 for 0-100 and $2000 for 2000 and over), reducing the insurance requirement (as stated above), and excluding artists, fixed-seating venues and non-profits from the ordinance.
There have been no developments since the latest version was introduced in July. In September, the Chicago Music Commission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the music scene of Chicago, posted on its website statement that the Department of Business Affairs (DBA) and Alderman Gene Schulter (47th ward) Chairman of the License and Consumer Protection Committee are meeting with various members of the music community to discuss further concerns about the ordinance. When recently asked about the latest ordinance developments, Efrat Stein, Director of Public Information for the Department of Business Affairs and Licensing, said, “The ordinance is still currently in full committee. But we don’t know when or if voting will happen.”
Although the tabling of the ordinance and the silence in the media and in the internet about the ordinance may signal a victory to the music industry, Henry H. Perritt, Jr., a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law and the author of the white paper, “Why the Event Promoters Ordinance Should Be Rejected” warns that no one should be resting on their laurels. “We must remain vigilant,” Perritt said. “We should be ready to assemble 5,000 to 10,000 people in Daley plaza if it comes up again.”
Stein assures that the ordinance was not formed to harm independent promoters, but to regulate the promotion industry and legitimize it. “We’re not opposed to regulation,” said Paul Natkin, music photographer and the interim director of the Chicago Music Commission. “We just want to make sure that it is done responsibly, fairly and efficiently.”
One of the biggest hurdles is the insurance costs, which Natkin says will break all the young promoters in town. He also doesn’t think they are necessary because according to law, venues are already required to have liability insurance. “Venues don’t just hand the keys to the promoter. They are in full control,” said Natkin. “Promoters have nothing to do with carding at the door. They have nothing to do with handling the equipment on the stage.”
Robert Baker, Vice President of Gale Creek Insurance, a special events insurance provider in Portland Oregon, explains it a little differently. He said most events handled by promoters involve a contract between the venue (the “lessor”) and the promoter (the“lessee”). “In most contracts, the lessor will attempt to transfer as much ‘indemnity’ as they can to the lessee,” explains Baker. “Which means that venues will be responsible for structural damages, like if a chandelier falls or if the walls give in. But instances such as if someone gets molested during a concert, or if someone falls down the stairs, or if the band jumps in the audience, all that goes back to the promoter.” Baker adds that sometimes promoters sometimes skip the insurance and pay any damages out of pocket, but most opt to purchase it.
Some promoters purchase insurance coverage whether or not it is required. Former event promoter, Ron Simmons, said that reputable promoters already cover most of the requirements on the ordinance’s list. “Event promoters usually already have their own insurance and security in place, “said Simmons. “Depending on the event, most usually have everything needed to accommodate large volumes of patrons. Crowd control is extremely important.”
“I hope the City is doing it for the protection of the public instead of a money-making scheme. If it’s for the protection of the public, I can understand that,” said Simmons. “But you should be able to get your own insurance and your own security without having it mandated by the government. It’s just another thing that the city is making you pay for.”
Simmons founded the promotion company, Starship Enterprises, a fixture in the Chicago upscale club and event scene in the late 1970s and ‘80s. He left the promotion business to pursue a career in bodybuilding, but a broken leg prevented him from qualifying for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Simmons now books gigs for high profile artists such as Sheena Easton, Patti LaBelle and Prince.
Perritt says the problem concerning the ordinance is that it is too broad. While established promoters can easily afford the city’s terms, there are many who can’t. “Most of Chicago’s music is made up of unknown bands booked by independent promoters who make $50 – $75 per show. There’s no way they can afford the licensing fees and cost of insurance,” said Perritt. The ordinance does not take these independent promoters into consideration. Quotes from Gale Creek Insurance show that event insurance for an indoor concert of 20 people cost the same as one with 200 attendees ($299).
The DBA asked an events insurance broker to come up with proposed insurance schedule which appear reasonably affordable (for venues of 100 capacity or less, $225 for five events) but requires promoters to buy coverage for multiple events. Natkin explains the complication, “Let’s say you’re just starting out and want to book a show for an unknown band that perhaps only 5 to 10 people will show up. You can’t just buy one event coverage; you have to buy five even if you don’t know if you are able to put together four more shows together.”
The biggest problem that Natkin and Perritt have with the ordinance is that it was written by people who are unfamiliar with the music business. “The people who are writing the laws have no idea how promoters run their business,” said Natkin. Perritt thinks that the ordinance didn’t need to be created at all, “There was no suggestion that the promoter had any involvement in the E2 tragedy. The fact is that the City didn’t enforce the rules that were in the books. Now they come up with this thing that essentially makes the way that independent music is made illegal.”
One positive aspect of the introduction of the ordinance is the awareness that it brings to Chicago’s music scene – specifically independent music. Natkin said that Chicago is currently third in the national music scene but may soon drop to fourth or fifth. Other states, such as Seattle, are making strides in promoting their music industry by offering health insurance to musicians and lowering taxes on entertainment tickets sold.
Perritt said that Chicago needs to promote its independent music more. He suggests including show information in hotel guides and airports. The Chicago Music Commission has already put in place the Terminal Tunes program, which features instrumental versions of songs by blues, jazz, country and classical artists who are either from the Chicago area or record for Chicago-based record labels.
“Mayor Daley is a wonderful mayor,” said Perritt. “I applaud his efforts n keeping the city clean and fun. But he should really pay more attention to our independent music. It is a great asset to this city, and has and continues to define Chicago to the rest of the world.”
Unlike Taste of Chicago, Jazz Fest, Lollapalooza and other festivals, CBGB did not come out of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events or the big promoters such as, Live Nation, Jam Productions and C3 presents. It is the baby of KingTello Presents, made up of independent promoters and producers Lucas King and Mike Raspatello.
“We’re nothing more than two guys approached by the Congress Theatre to come up with a concept for the winter months,” Raspatello explained. “We thought an indoor festival featuring truly independent music was exactly what we needed.”
More and more venues rely on independent promoters for their shows. “We offer greater flexibility than bigger promotion companies,” Raspatello said. “Artists also like working with us because we are less demanding.” The benefits of using independent promoters ultimately trickle down to music fans, resulting in cheaper tickets. According to Raspatello, the price of a concert ticket for one of the CBGB acts would cost $45, but the 12-hour access to 18 bands costs only $31.
The importance of the independent promoter in Chicago’s music community was best demonstrated by the reaction against the proposed Event Promoter’s Ordinance. The ordinance, first introduced in 2006, was a response to the 100 killed in a Great White concert in a Rhode Island nightclub, and locally, to the stampede at the E2 nightclub that injured 50 and killed 21. It requires promoters to be licensed (license fees range from $500 to $2000) and that they have to have an insurance policy that provides $300,000 in liability coverage per event (reduced from the original $1M). Additionally, the ordinance will not license anyone under the age of 21 and all are subject to a finger printing and criminal-background check.
Last year, in a show of solidarity, Chicago’s music community rallied against the ordinance for several reasons but mostly because it will hurt the independent promoters. Through demonstrations, letters to aldermen and public outrage, Chicago promoters, artists, record labels and fans were able to keep the ordinance from being voted on in May 2008. In addition, the city made several revisions to the original version that addressed the concerns of the music community. The changes include replacing the flat licensing fee with fees classified according to venue capacity ($500 for 0-100 and $2000 for 2000 and over), reducing the insurance requirement (as stated above), and excluding artists, fixed-seating venues and non-profits from the ordinance.
There have been no developments since the latest version was introduced in July. In September, the Chicago Music Commission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the music scene of Chicago, posted on its website statement that the Department of Business Affairs (DBA) and Alderman Gene Schulter (47th ward) Chairman of the License and Consumer Protection Committee are meeting with various members of the music community to discuss further concerns about the ordinance. When recently asked about the latest ordinance developments, Efrat Stein, Director of Public Information for the Department of Business Affairs and Licensing, said, “The ordinance is still currently in full committee. But we don’t know when or if voting will happen.”
Although the tabling of the ordinance and the silence in the media and in the internet about the ordinance may signal a victory to the music industry, Henry H. Perritt, Jr., a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law and the author of the white paper, “Why the Event Promoters Ordinance Should Be Rejected” warns that no one should be resting on their laurels. “We must remain vigilant,” Perritt said. “We should be ready to assemble 5,000 to 10,000 people in Daley plaza if it comes up again.”
Stein assures that the ordinance was not formed to harm independent promoters, but to regulate the promotion industry and legitimize it. “We’re not opposed to regulation,” said Paul Natkin, music photographer and the interim director of the Chicago Music Commission. “We just want to make sure that it is done responsibly, fairly and efficiently.”
One of the biggest hurdles is the insurance costs, which Natkin says will break all the young promoters in town. He also doesn’t think they are necessary because according to law, venues are already required to have liability insurance. “Venues don’t just hand the keys to the promoter. They are in full control,” said Natkin. “Promoters have nothing to do with carding at the door. They have nothing to do with handling the equipment on the stage.”
Robert Baker, Vice President of Gale Creek Insurance, a special events insurance provider in Portland Oregon, explains it a little differently. He said most events handled by promoters involve a contract between the venue (the “lessor”) and the promoter (the“lessee”). “In most contracts, the lessor will attempt to transfer as much ‘indemnity’ as they can to the lessee,” explains Baker. “Which means that venues will be responsible for structural damages, like if a chandelier falls or if the walls give in. But instances such as if someone gets molested during a concert, or if someone falls down the stairs, or if the band jumps in the audience, all that goes back to the promoter.” Baker adds that sometimes promoters sometimes skip the insurance and pay any damages out of pocket, but most opt to purchase it.
Some promoters purchase insurance coverage whether or not it is required. Former event promoter, Ron Simmons, said that reputable promoters already cover most of the requirements on the ordinance’s list. “Event promoters usually already have their own insurance and security in place, “said Simmons. “Depending on the event, most usually have everything needed to accommodate large volumes of patrons. Crowd control is extremely important.”
“I hope the City is doing it for the protection of the public instead of a money-making scheme. If it’s for the protection of the public, I can understand that,” said Simmons. “But you should be able to get your own insurance and your own security without having it mandated by the government. It’s just another thing that the city is making you pay for.”
Simmons founded the promotion company, Starship Enterprises, a fixture in the Chicago upscale club and event scene in the late 1970s and ‘80s. He left the promotion business to pursue a career in bodybuilding, but a broken leg prevented him from qualifying for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Simmons now books gigs for high profile artists such as Sheena Easton, Patti LaBelle and Prince.
Perritt says the problem concerning the ordinance is that it is too broad. While established promoters can easily afford the city’s terms, there are many who can’t. “Most of Chicago’s music is made up of unknown bands booked by independent promoters who make $50 – $75 per show. There’s no way they can afford the licensing fees and cost of insurance,” said Perritt. The ordinance does not take these independent promoters into consideration. Quotes from Gale Creek Insurance show that event insurance for an indoor concert of 20 people cost the same as one with 200 attendees ($299).
The DBA asked an events insurance broker to come up with proposed insurance schedule which appear reasonably affordable (for venues of 100 capacity or less, $225 for five events) but requires promoters to buy coverage for multiple events. Natkin explains the complication, “Let’s say you’re just starting out and want to book a show for an unknown band that perhaps only 5 to 10 people will show up. You can’t just buy one event coverage; you have to buy five even if you don’t know if you are able to put together four more shows together.”
The biggest problem that Natkin and Perritt have with the ordinance is that it was written by people who are unfamiliar with the music business. “The people who are writing the laws have no idea how promoters run their business,” said Natkin. Perritt thinks that the ordinance didn’t need to be created at all, “There was no suggestion that the promoter had any involvement in the E2 tragedy. The fact is that the City didn’t enforce the rules that were in the books. Now they come up with this thing that essentially makes the way that independent music is made illegal.”
One positive aspect of the introduction of the ordinance is the awareness that it brings to Chicago’s music scene – specifically independent music. Natkin said that Chicago is currently third in the national music scene but may soon drop to fourth or fifth. Other states, such as Seattle, are making strides in promoting their music industry by offering health insurance to musicians and lowering taxes on entertainment tickets sold.
Perritt said that Chicago needs to promote its independent music more. He suggests including show information in hotel guides and airports. The Chicago Music Commission has already put in place the Terminal Tunes program, which features instrumental versions of songs by blues, jazz, country and classical artists who are either from the Chicago area or record for Chicago-based record labels.
“Mayor Daley is a wonderful mayor,” said Perritt. “I applaud his efforts n keeping the city clean and fun. But he should really pay more attention to our independent music. It is a great asset to this city, and has and continues to define Chicago to the rest of the world.”
Monday, November 3, 2008
Howard Finster’s Vision
Hastily crammed on the walls of the tiny David Leonardis Gallery (1346 N. Paulina) in Wicker Park are works of the legendary folk and outsider artist, the Reverend Howard Finster. They are featured regularly in the gallery’s monthly group show (now through November 12) showcasing contemporary, folk, outsider and pop art. No matter how intriguing and cutting-edge the other artists in this hip gallery may be, their works are left crouching in the shadows of the late Finster’s mesmerizing work.
Finster was known as a man of vision; dubbing himself a “Stranger From Another World”, his work is outrageous and otherworldly. He began creating his “sacred art” in 1976 when a voice commanded him to use art to spread the word of God, because "preaching don't do much good; no one listens- but a picture gets on a brain cell." Without any training, he began painting on anything he could get his hands on-- nail heads, gourds, bottles, mirrors, plastic, snow shovels—so he can meet God’s demand of 5,000 pieces. But the prolific artist met the minimum in no time, and continued painting until his death in 2001. The result was over 46,000 pieces of art, about 100 of which is being shown at the Leonardis Gallery making it one of the largest collection of Finster’s work.
Displayed are pieces in a variety of sizes and media – concrete, wood cutouts, canvas paintings, shelf pieces and prints. Finster’s images range from apocalyptic visions, angels, devils, and other religious subject matter, to pop icons (“Elvis at age 3”, shown right),
presidents (“George Washington at 23”), and unconventional subject matter like giant ants, Coke bottles and dinosaurs. The images are vividly, if not crudely, drawn and brightly colored to catch the eye from a distance.Illustrated with a combination of marker and paint, each piece also incorporates handwritten religious texts and admonitions spreading the word of God. The texts often have a flavor of hell fire and brimstone as heard in sermons in tent revivals. Despite the evangelical messages, however, the words that stream from his images are written with a genuine voice making them endearing instead of condescending. The typical inscription would either be words quoted from the Bible, or from one of his sermons such as, “''He That Believeth Not Shall Be Damned'' or “Be numbered and Walk In The light of the Lord,” inscribed within a picture of a triceratops (piece numbered #7000.954).
Internationally renowned, Finster’s work is widely recognizable. His works graced the covers of REM and Talking Heads albums, and Finster is perhaps the best known self-taught artist in the modern era. His work, which blends the sacred and the playful and the ordinary with the sublime, belongs in a museum. And they are. His works are in the Smithsonian collection as well as Atlanta’s High Museum of Art. But after having done over 46,000 pieces of art in his lifetime, he has enough art to distribute among the masses and spread the word of God. Or at least offer an argument that a man with such divine talent is proof of God’s existence.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Ingrid Michaelson's "Be Ok" is more than OK
Discovered from her MySpace page, Ingrid Michaelson’s breakout hit, “The Way I Am” has appeared on Old Navy commercials, and her songs have been featured on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “One Tree Hill.” Her self-released last album “Girls and Boys” sold 230,000 copies reaching No. 2 on the i-Tunes pop chart. Consciously or not, anyone with a television or a computer has heard the indie pop songstress’s distinct voice. Lately, it seems like everything she touches turns into gold –all the more reason to think that her latest effort “Be Ok” (released on Oct. 14) is a disappointment.
“Be Ok” sounds nothing like “Girls and Boys”; it feels like an incomplete album (only 11 songs and lasting only 32 minutes) assembled haphazardly instead of a well-crafted and polished work that “Girls and Boys” was. Of the 11 tracks, two are covers, two are slightly versions of the same song, one is a live version of a song previously recorded on “Girls and Boys.” With the lack of new material, few would think that Michaelson’s project is worth doing. Or if it is an album worth buying.
Despite these reasons, however, “Be Ok” is an opportunity to hear Michaelson’s voice at its purest. A mix of previously unreleased songs, covers, and live recordings from shows in the past year, the album is stripped of the bold instrumentations from studio sessions (most noticeably the guitar riffs) that accompanied the songs in “Girls and Boys.” Most of the time Michaelson sings only with the help of a lone ukulele, guitar or a piano, resulting in intimacy and purity that help showcase her vocals which are hauntingly beautiful and slightly off-kilter.
Proceeds of the album will benefit Stand Up to Cancer, and all the songs appropriately reflect the message of hope. The songs instantly invoke smiles – whether jubilantly with the title track, “Be Ok “ where Michaelson’s determinedly upbeat vocals are complemented with rousing handclapping, or wistfully as in “Oh What A Day” where she desperately yearns for “something good” after a break up.
Michaelson’s songwriting, lauded in “Girls and Boys” for its quirkiness, resurfaces again in a few songs. In “You and I” she sings , “Maybe I want to do what bunnies do/ with you if you know what I mean” and in “Lady in Spain” , “I am a lady from Mars / And I can unscrew the stars.” The best lyrics belong to “The Chain” where the songs starts with “The sky looks pissed..” “The Chain” is also the best track of the album, a live performance done with complex, harmonized vocals with the help of band mate Allison Moss .
Michaelson’s covers of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and “Over the Rainbow” are also beautifully done. She sings the former with an earnestness that even Elvis didn’t have (not arguing that hers is better than the King’s, just distinctly different). And like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s version of the latter, Michaelson sings “Rainbow” accompanied by the ukulele. Equally haunting, Michaelson’s voice makes it her own. Singing reservedly in the rest of the album, she is sweetly hesitant for most of the song but lets go at key points, resulting in a powerful and memorable performance.
"Be Ok” should not be considered the official follow up to “Girls and Boys” but as its supplement. Not taken as an entire album, but as a collection of songs, it is a worthy testament to Michaelson’s talent.
Ingrid Michaelson BE OK
Michaelson's "Be Ok"
Monday, October 20, 2008
Chicago Jazz Orchestra -- Still Swinging After 30 Years
Nostalgia loomed large at Thorne Auditorium (375 E. Chicago Avenue) on October 19 at 4 p.m. as the Chicago Jazz Orchestra resurrected the swinging ghosts of jazz legends during “Exquisitely for Ella: A Songbook Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald”. Led by conductor and director, Jeff Lindberg, the 42-piece ensemble performed iconic works by Nelson Riddle, Billy Strayhorn , Duke Ellington and
others, while featured vocalists Spider Saloff (co-star of Public Radio’s “Words and Music”), 2008 Chicago Music Awards’ Jazz Entertainer of the Year Dee Alexander, and CJO lead vocalist Frieda Lee, invoked the spirit and the sound of the First Lady of Jazz.“Exquisitely for Ella” was the first of the CJO’s 11th annual subscription series, as well as the celebratory concert marking the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, making it Chicago’s oldest professional jazz orchestra in continuous operation.
Lindberg explained that the tribute to Ella Fitzgerald was chosen to mark the orchestra’s milestone because of its mass appeal to the public. It was first performed in 2006 to two sold-out shows. “You couldn’t have chosen a more outstanding representation of the jazz idiom,” added vocalist Frieda Lee, “Not only Ella’s exquisite singing, but also the rich music that was arranged for her.”
Lindberg and associate artistic director, Charley Harrison, chose the most beloved songs from Ella’s Songbook Series produced by Norman Granz. From toe-tapping favorites such as Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” and scat pieces like Ellington’s “Cottontail,” to the lush selections such as Jerome Kern’s “The Way You look Tonight” and “All the Things You Are,” the CJO was making its case that after 30 years, it was still swinging.
Some of the current members of the orchestra were barely learning to walk when Lindberg and the late trumpeter Steve Jensen (for whom the show was dedicated) founded The Jazz Members Big Band in 1978. Since their first performance at Gaspar’s on the corner of Belmont and Southport 30 years ago, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra has shared the stage with prominent artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Kurt Elling, Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock. In 1979, the band was selected to be the opening act of the First Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. This December will also be the 20th straight year that the CJO will perform at the Kennedy Center Honors.
The Chicago Jazz Orchestra has dedicated itself to preserving the works of jazz masters over the years. The Smithsonian Museum regularly commissions Lindberg and Harrison to transcribe original jazz recordings. Because of the improvisational nature of jazz, many performances are not written down for posterity and cannot be performed again.
In 2003, new works by Billy Strayhorn (Ellington’s arranger) were posthumously discovered, and the CJO worked to bring the never performed pieces to life. Deborah L. Gillaspie, the curator of the University of Chicago’s Chicago Jazz Archive Collections referred to Strayhorn as “one of America’s truly great composers and also one of the most neglected.” Gillaspie noted the CJO’s contribution, "The collaboration between the CJO and the Strayhorn family to present the works of Billy Strayhorn is an important milestone in Chicago Jazz history. I was fortunate to hear that first CJO concert of Strayhorn's music in 2003 at the Museum of Science and Industry; it was wonderful to see Billy Strayhorn honored as a genius in his own right."
Lindberg, who is also the music director of the Wooster Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, stresses the importance of preserving these works, “This is very important to us because the music needs to have an established canon which we can build upon. Then perhaps jazz can finally get the recognition it deserves.” Lindberg insists that even after all the great jazz artists in history, the “Academy” still keeps a distance from jazz.
Frieda Lee, who has been with the band for 20 years, credits the longevity of the CJO to its dedicated musicians. Lindberg adds that being based in Chicago has contributed to their success, “I don’t think we would have this quality of players anywhere else. Because of today’s movement of people, there really is no regional sound anymore—except in Chicago. The musicians play in such a relaxed way; it really is a swinging city.”
Ella Fitzgerald performing "Oh, Lady Be Good!"
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