City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces two-time Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Ernie Watts with Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues, Chicago's own Miki Howard, and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Friday, November 8 at noon. Tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.
All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m., unless noted.
Tuesday, December 17
$18/$22/$25/$28
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Clemons shares stories and his thoughts about life through his music. An artist of exceptional success, he is known for his role as saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Now, with the release of his second solo album, Eyes On The Horizon, Clemons has added his voice to those seeking to find clarity in a complicated world and has expanded both his musical vision and philosophical perspective.
The first single from the album is Clemons' interpretation of the Leonard Cohen classic song "Democracy" that finds Clemons reaffirming a family tradition. His father was a Marine Corps band director whose dedication to serving the nation was instilled in Clemons at a very early age. The album was co-produced by Clemons and Jake Hull and mixed by legendary Grammy-winning producer and engineer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, etc.). Clemons composed and played a majority of the instruments on Eyes On The Horizon, including guitar and keyboards.
Miki Howard Winter Residency
January 8, January 15, February 11 and February 18
$38/$45/$48/$55
Born in Chicago, Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard is the daughter of gospel singers. When Howard was in her early teens, her mother moved the family to Los Angeles. Already aiming for a career in music, the 15-year-old Howard received her first break when she participated in a teen beauty contest. Augie Johnson, leader of the group Side Effect, happened to be in the audience; impressed with Howard's singing talent, Howard joined the Side Effect lineup in 1978 when another singer departed. Howard sang with Side Effect until 1982. She recorded her first solo album, Come Share My Love, in 1986. The title track from the album was its first single, hitting the top ten of the R&B charts and reaching number five in late 1986. Howard now has 10 studio albums and has had many top ten hits on the R&B Charts during her 35+ year career as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album for her album Three Wishes.
Thursday, January 16
$28/$32/$35/$38
Glen Phillips has always been a courageous and inviting songwriter. During his years as lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket, the band's elegant folk/pop sound and his honest, introspective lyrics helped them forge a close bond with their fans. Since starting his solo career, Phillips has pared his music down to its emotional core, concentrating on the simple truths of love and relationships, with a profound spiritual understanding. His solo album Swallowed by the New takes on life's difficult transitions and delivers some of the Phillips' most vulnerable songs. Always open to new projects and unlikely collaborations, he's toured and recorded with Works Progress Administration, a band that included members of Nickel Creek, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Elvis Costello's Attractions. Other collaborations include Mutual Admiration Society with Nickel Creek, Remote Tree Children-an experimental project with John Askew-and Plover with Neilson Hubbard and Garrison Starr.
The New York songwriter Chris Barron is no longer the debutant who set out on the circuit's sharp end in 1988 with $100, a battered acoustic and a headful of the alt-rock anthems that would elevate Spin Doctors to global stardom. He's a veteran approaching 50, living in a world changed beyond recognition, compelled to write the music that chronicles the here-and-now. As far back as he can remember, he's had a hunger driving him onward, towards something just out of reach. In 2017, it propelled him to Angels and One-Armed Jugglers, the culmination of a lifetime's craft and a record both contemporary and classic.
Monday, January 20; 7:00 p.m.
$25/$28/$35/$38
Meli'sa Morgan is an R&B singer-songwriter who exploded on the music scene in the late 1980's. She is a singer with a sultry-yet-powerful vocal style and can sing everything from a soul jam like "Fool's Paradise" for the dance floor to a slow ballad like "Do Me Baby" for a romantic mood. Morgan grew up singing gospel music early in her career but at the age of 16 had transitioned to soul and dance music, scoring the number-one dance hit "Keep In Touch Body To Body." Morgan honed her craft while singing background on tours with artists like Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, and Kashif all while releasing her own songs, including the hits "Do You Still Love Me," "Now Or Never" "If You Can Do It," Still In Love" and duets with Freddie Jackson ("Back Together Again") and Kashif ("Love Changes"). Now a successful businesswoman in the music industry, Morgan has also studied at the Juilliard School of Music and acting with Lee Strassberg.
Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues feat. Ernie Watts and Special Appearance by Goran Ivanovic
Sunday, March 1
$35/$40/$45/$48
Two-time Grammy-winning jazz music icon Ernie Watts is considered by All About Jazz to be: "one of the greatest living saxophonists at the top of his game." Watts joins forces with Blues Hall of Fame legend Corky Siegel and his "dazzling, outrageously fun" Chamber Blues Revue which includes jazz guitar virtuoso Goran Ivanovic for the first time.
Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues, with the West End String Quartet, and Kalyan "Johnny Bongo" Pathak virtuoso on world percussion, blends classical and blues styles in a chamber music setting. This groundbreaking innovative sound has earned tremendous acclaim throughout the country and continues to open new doors for classical and blues/jazz listeners alike. Siegel has earned an international reputation as one of the world's great blues harmonica masters. He is a composer, blues pianist, singer-songwriter, and recent winner of the Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest/Meet the Composer's National Award for chamber music composition and the Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award for Music Composition, Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award, and Chicago Blues Hall of Fame. Corky Siegel's career began with a fortunate break when he formed the legendary Siegel-Schwall Band that toured the major rock palaces and clubs in the 60's and 70's. Since then, this brilliant harmonica player has worked with a diverse array of artists, from renowned Indian violinist Dr. L. Subramaniam to being a guest soloist with symphony orchestras world-wide.
Ernie Watts is one of the most versatile and prolific saxophone players in music. It has been more than fifty-five years since he first picked up a saxophone, and from age sixteen on he has been playing professionally. Watts has been featured on over 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa.
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Friday, March 13; 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.
$45/$48/$55/$58
Between 1995-2000 the Squirrel Nut Zippers sold over three million albums. With grunge, and alternative rock in full swing back in 1995, the Squirrel Nut Zippers debut album The Inevitable sounded like nothing happening musically at the time. NPR was the first to take notice followed by an appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. The band toured their debut album heavily in North America during 1995 and 1996. Squirrel Nut Zippers will perform their debut album in its entirety at City Winery, along with a selection of hits and fan favorites.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on November 8 at noon. Only members of City Winery Chicago's signature VinoFile™ program have access to ticket sales tomorrow in addition to receiving: a waiver of ticketing fees; free valet parking; Restaurant Loyalty Rewards, such as a free pair of VIP concert tickets for every $500 spent on food & beverage in the restaurant; exclusive membership-only events; and access to the proprietary City Winery Virtual Sommelier™, which helps make suggestions for wines one might enjoy based on past consumption at the venue.
Videos