[Dixielandjazz] OKOM in Chicago

[John Blegen]

On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 5:38 PM, Dixiejazzdata <dixiejazzdata at aol.com> wrote:

>
>  Tell him to just go to www.google.com   and type in  Dixieland Jazz
> Chicago
>
> Ten pages of Jazz will show up.
>
>
But there's very little info about where to find OKOM in Chicago on those
ten pages, mainly because there are almost no regular OKOM steady gigs
here.

Here are some suggestions:

Become of a friend of Andy Schumm (wonderful cornet player who has made
"Bix Lives!" a reality) on Facebook.  He often plays in Chicago,  lately
with his Fat Babies Jazz Band, sometimes at the Honky Tonk BBQ,1800 S.
Racine Ave.   Andy also plays with the West End Jazz Band:
http://www.westendjazzband.com/    and with Alan Gresik's Swing Shift
Orchestra on Thursday nights at the Green Mill, 4802 North Broadway.

Now and then, Andy's Jazz Club (www.andysjazzclub.com) has OKOM, usually
early Wednesday evenings (starting at 5:30).  Currently the excellent
guitarist Andy Brown is there then with a quartet.  Sometimes the fine
trombonist Russ Philips is in that spot.

Andy's wife, singer Petra Van Nuis turns up in a lot of places.  Her
website, http://www.petrasings.com/appearances.htm, is up-to-date and
helpful.  She often fields an excellent  band  she calls her Recession
Seven featuring Art Davis (trumpet), Kim Cusack (clarinet), Russ Philips
(trombone), Andy Brown (guitar), Joe Policastro (bass), and Joe Adamik
 (drums).

It's also worth checking the Red Rose Ragtime Band's website at
http://redrosejazz.com/.  They usually include Art Daves (trumpet), Kim
Cusack (clarinet), and Tom Bartlett (trombone), and they're led by pianist
Joan Reynolds.  Sometimes you'll find them at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn (
http://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/).

Finally, there's the Chicago Cubs Dixieland Band (Ted Butterman, cornet;
Kim Cusack, clarinet; Tom Bartlett, trombone; Rob Murphy, banjo, and Ed
Wilkenson, tuba), playing every Cubs home game (between June 1 and Sept. 1,
and night games and weekends the rest of the season) at Wrigley Field.  You
can hear them for free outside the ballpark starting 90 minutes before game
time at Sheffield and Addison.

John Blegen
Clarinet
Evanston, IL