Damien Escobar, David Archuleta and More Are Coming to City Winery Chicago

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces world-renowned violinist Damien Escobar, American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, three-time Grammy winner Taj Mahal, and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Friday, December 6 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.

Damien Escobar

Thursday, December 12; 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

$75/$68/$65/$58

Damien Escobar is a world-renowned violinist, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from Jamaica, Queens, New York whose musical career spans over a decade. Escobar's "crossover violin" musical style consists of classical, jazz, pop, R&B, and hip hop. The now NAACP Image Award nominee and Billboards chart-topping artist was once humbled by homelessness after departing his famed group "Nuttin but Stringz" comprised of Escobar and his brother. In 2013, Escobar released his first album as a solo artist, Sensual Melodies which garnered over 200,000 downloads, landed on the iTunes Top 100 chart, and served as a springboard for a successful national tour. In 2017, Escobar went on to release his second album, Boundless. Escobar continues to build his brand centered around making an impact and inspiring social change. A limited number of meet & greet tickets are available for $30. This concert replaces the previously scheduled performance by Kevin Ross, which will now be held on April 22nd.

House of Bodhi with Lola Wright

Tuesday, January 7 and Tuesday, February 4; 7:00 p.m.

$25 General Admission seated

Each month, Lola Wright curates a live gathering at an iconic Chicago music venue with the inspiring musicians of the Bodhi House Band and original work from Chicago's most moving cultural leaders. Wright, CEO of Bodhi Center, works with the band to create a multisensory experience of release and renewal, allowing participants to move into 2020 with receptivity and the space to amplify creativity and aliveness. The performance will move the body, provoke the mind and awaken the soul.

Love You Madly - an 80th Birthday Celebration for Freida Lee

Monday, January 27; 7:30 p.m.

$18/$22/$25/$28

For 40 years, Chicago jazz legend, Frieda Lee, has dazzled audiences with her graceful stage presence, her clear golden tones and classic jazz styling. She has performed at every major jazz venue in the city and paid tribute to such singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and more. In honor of Lee's 80th birthday celebration, she will be joined by Cynthia Clarey, Sophie Grimm, Lynne Jordan, Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner, and Margaret Murphy-Webb with music direction by Mark Burnell with Matt Ferguson (bass) and Phil Gratteau (drums). Lee is best known for her work with two of Chicago's esteemed big bands: The British Alumni Big Band; The Chicago Jazz Orchestra; where her voice is the centerpiece for many fully orchestrated jazz works. No stranger to large venues, Lee has performed with "The 3 Ellas: Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald," a concert that toured major venues including for an audience of 26,000 at Millennium Park.

An Evening with Raul Midón and Lionel Loueke

Wednesday, February 26

$18/$22/$25/$28

Genre-bending icons Raul Midón and Lionel Loueke join forces to present a special night of song and guitar wizardry. The revered instrumentalists and vocalists will perform sets of original material in an evening that will culminate in an unforgettable jam. Blind since birth, Midón produced-engineered his 2017 Grammy-nominated album, Bad Ass and Blind, using special computer software for the blind. Midón's 2018 follow up release, If You Really Want, was nominated for a 2019 Grammy award in this same category.

Benin guitarist and vocalist Loueke has received critical acclaim on his latest release, The Journey. Paul Simon raves that Loueke is "one of a rare handful of guitarists that move effortlessly between his West African roots and modern American Jazz," and Sting cites Loueke as "one the most original, essential and inspiring musicians on our planet today." Loueke combines harmonic complexity, soaring melody, a deep knowledge of African folk forms, and conventional and extended guitar techniques to create a warm and evocative sound of his own.

The James Hunter Six

Thursday, April 9

$35/$40/$45/$50

James Hunter has played clubs and theatres all over the world, written scores of original songs, and recorded some of the most original and honest rhythm and soul albums of the last two decades. In the early 90's, Van Morrison recruited Hunter to sing backup on the road touring and on two albums, A Night in San Francisco and Days Like This. In the years to follow, Hunter opened shows for Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Willie Nelson, and Tom Petty, and headlined clubs and theatres in England, Europe, Australia and the United States. In 2006, Hunter was recognized with Grammy nominations and an American Music Award. He and his band then hit the road for a decade of extensive touring and recorded three additional critically-acclaimed studio albums-The Hard Way, Minute by Minute and Hold On! In February 2018, renowned soul label Daptone Records released Hunter's most ambitious album to date, Whatever It Takes.

David Archuleta

Saturday, April 18

$25/$28/$32/$35

David Archuleta became a star when he was just 16. In 2008, more than 30 million television viewers fell in love with his angelic voice and their 44 million votes made him runner-up in Season 7 of "American Idol." Soon after, his first single Crush debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of its release. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the track sold 166,000 downloads that first week in the U.S. and subsequently more than 1.92 million digital copies. Three months later, David's self-titled album, David Archuleta, went gold, selling more than 750,000 copies in the U.S., and more than 900,000 worldwide. Archuleta went on to release seven more albums, the most recent being his second Christmas album titled Winter in the Air. A limited number of VIP Experience tickets are available for $140 including opportunity to watch soundcheck, meet and greet photo opportunity with the artist, VIP gift and signed 8x10 photo.

Gilbert O'Sullivan

Sunday, April 19

$35/$38/$45/$48

Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan is blessed with a keen lyrical, observational take on the human condition and all things love, life, pathos and delight. O'Sullivan is best known for his early 1970s hits "Alone Again," "Clair," and "Get Down." Worldwide he has charted 16 top-40 records, including six number one songs, the first of which was 1970's "Nothing Rhymed." In 2016, O'Sullivan signed with BMG, a worldwide label that proudly ushered in O'Sullivan's 2018 self-titled album Gilbert O'Sullivan which reached Top 20 in the UK Charts, receiving critical acclaim worldwide. To celebrate its release Gilbert has performed a series of rare solo concerts around the world, presenting new songs alongside his classics in an intimate, acoustic setting.

Kevin Ross - The Audacity Tour

Wednesday, April 22

$25/$28/$32/$35

Kevin Ross is a multi-faceted singer, songwriter, and producer who had quickly gone from performing once every three months to opening for R&B/Soul legend Maxwell five times a week. In 2012, the Washington, D.C. native signed a major recording deal with Motown Records and released his first major project, Dialogue in the Grey (EP), two years later. 2014 proved to be a breakout year for Kevin Ross. Known for his soul-drenched, buttery, smooth vocals, he was named AOL's "Best New Artist of 2014" and landed a national holiday campaign with Glade that brought joy to American households across the country.

Ross released his long-awaited debut full-length album The Awakening in March of 2017. The album's first single, "Long Song Away" peaked at #1 on Billboard's Adult R&B Song chart and at Urban Contemporary Radio with the follow-up single "Don't Go" cracking the Top 15. The chart-topping success of The Awakening led to Ross receiving several award nominations: Best New Artist (Soul Train Awards), Outstanding New Artist (NAACP Image Awards), and New R&B Artist (iHeart Radio Awards) and headlining his first national tour. In September of that same year, he released his third studio project, Drive (EP). Ross' fourth studio project is slated to be independently released in 2019.

Taj Mahal Quartet

Friday, April 24; 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

$78/$85/$88/$95

For more than 40 years, Taj Mahal and bandmates Bill Rich and Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun, and more. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel virtuoso Bobby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. Three-time Grammy winner Taj Mahal is a towering musical figure who transcended the blues not by leaving them behind, but by revealing their magnificent scope to the world.

Bill Rich is an internationally renowned bassist who has collaborated with musical giant Jimi Hendrix, with whom he'd ultimately deliver career-shaping performances.

Kester Smith launched his musical career on drums, congas, and timbales. A brilliant composer and intuitive performer, Smith served as musical director for Mulebone on Broadway and played on scores and soundtracks for multiple films.

With his silver steel guitar glistening on his lap, Bobby Ingano is always smiling. Over the last several decades, Ingano has enriched and expanded the proud tradition of Hawaiian steel guitar, on his own beloved recordings, as a member of Taj Mahal's New Hula Blues Band, and on three Grammy-winning albums by other Hawaiian artists.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on December 6 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.

Damien Escobar, House of Bodhi with Lola Wright, Freida Lee, Raul Midón and Lionel Loueke, The James Hunter Six, David Archuleta, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Taj Mahal Quartet join a diverse mix of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music, theater, dance, spoken word and comedy presented at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts: Whine Down with Jana Kramer and Michael Caussin (Dec. 3); Jane Monheit (Dec. 4); Chanté Moore (Dec. 7, 7 & 10p); Los Lobos (Dec. 8-10); Dan Rodriguez (Dec. 11); Rodriguez (Dec. 13); Jane Lynch (Dec. 15, 5 & 8p); Jump, Little Children with Hula Hi-Fi (Dec. 16); Jake Clemons (Dec. 17); Stephen Kellogg with Tony Lucca (Dec. 18); Musiq Soulchild (Dec. 19-20, 7 & 10p); Levi Kreis (Dec. 21; 12p); Michael McDermott (Dec. 21-23); Chicago Philharmonic Fall Series (Dec. 22; 12p); Christmas for the Jews (Dec. 25); Shemekia Copeland with Kevin Burt (Dec. 26-27); Freddie Jackson (Dec. 28); Avery*Sunshine (Dec. 30, 8p; Dec. 31, 7:30p & 11p; Jan. 1, 5p); Syleena Johnson (Jan. 1, 7 & 10p); Peter Asher (Jan. 3); SPAGA (Jan. 4, 2p); The Claudettes with Nora O'Connor (Jan. 4); Miki Howard (Jan. 8 & 15); Jon B. (Jan. 5, 5 & 8p); Nicholas Tremulis and the Prodigal 9 (Jan. 9); Sons of the Never Wrong with Katie Dahl (Jan. 12, 7p); The Men of Mister Kelly's (Jan. 13, 7:30p); David Broza & Friends (Jan. 14); Glen Phillips & Chris Barron (Jan. 16); Yuna (Jan. 17; Jan. 18, 7 & 10p); (Sawyer Fredericks (Jan. 19, 7p); Meli'sa Morgan (Jan. 20, 7p); Pat McGee Band (Jan. 25); Indie Soul Journeys Event with Sy Smith (Jan. 28); Midge Ure (Jan. 29); Phillip Phillips (Jan. 30); Elle Varner (Feb 1, 7 & 10p); Storm Large (Feb 5); Kindred the Family Soul (Feb. 7, 7p; Feb. 8, 7 & 10p); The Manhattan Transfer (Feb. 9, 5 & 8p); Miki Howard (Feb. 11 & 15); Patrizio Buanne (Feb. 12); Donavon Frankenreiter featuring Christina Holmes (Feb. 17); Andrea Gibson (Feb. 23-24); Fatoumata Diawara (Feb. 25); Freddy Jones Band with Brett Wiscons (Feb. 27); Drew Emmitt & Vince Herman (Feb 29, 7 & 10p); Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues feat. Ernie Watts & Goran Ivanovic (Mar. 1); Cyrille Aimée (Mar. 3); Cowboy Junkies (Mar. 5 & 6); We Banjo 3 (Mar. 8, 5 & 8p); Squirrel Nut Zippers (Mar. 13, 7 & 10p); Sinead O'Connor (Mar. 14-16); and The SteelDrivers (Apr. 2); and Alan Doyle with Chris Trapper (May 15); Josh Kelley (Apr. 29).

Opened in 2012, City Winery Chicago is a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse, the 1911 building has been transformed into a contemporary 33,000 square foot haven for those passionate about wine, music and culinary arts. The décor evokes the romance of being in wine country, from the exposed stainless-steel fermenting tanks and French oak barrels, to the aroma of fermenting grapes. The West Loop's only fully operational winery has produced dozens of in-house wines sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina and Chile, including a Wine Enthusiast 92-point 2015 Verna's Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir. With more than 400 unique producers from around the world City Winery is recognized with 2014 and 2015 Best of Awards of Excellence "for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world" by Wine Spectator. The globally inspired, locally sourced, wine-focused food menu is conceived for pairing and sharing. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable "listening room" experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glassware, showing City Winery's commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Virgin Hotels Chicago is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com.

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