Only at the PALMHOUSE
619 Howard Street, Evanston
April 18th 2024 6:00 pm
Register Today for Sweet Home Uptown 2024
Enjoy Voice’s “Bring Chicago Home” BLUES PLAYLIST on YOUTUBE
About the Band
The Sweet Home All Stars come together at the Voice of the People’s fourth annual celebration of history and fundraiser. The seven-piece band features legendary guitarists and mainstays of the local music scene, including Chicago natives, kids of the blues and Uptown residents. They include headliners of Chicago’s most prominent blues venues, where they show off great vocals and contributions of violin, bass and sax. The Sweet Home All Stars will provide soulful background for reception/dining, and in post-program jam, honor the traditions of Chicago Blues with European and Left Coast influences, including crowd-pleasing danceable favorites.
Our group leader and organizer this year is “L’il Frank” Krakowski, a grammy award winner as guitarist for Muddy Water’s band, with Pinetop Perkins and Willie “Big Eye” Smith, for the “2011 Traditional Blues Album of the Year.” He’s a South Bend resident and regular at Chicago blues clubs, including the Checkerboard Lounge at a young age. Frank has played guitar for the greats, including Hubert Sumllin, Little Arthur Duncan and frontman of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kim Wilson.
Dave Herrero. Native of Florida, via a musical lineage of the Dominican Republic, Dave was inspired by Buddy Guy from an early age, and started playing blues festivals at the age of 19. He moved to Austin Texas to play with and learn from the likes of Gary Clark Jr., the Keller Brothers, Matt Powell and the Moeller Brothers. Herrero began touring internationally with Archie Bell and the Drells at the age of 22 and never looked back. A Chicagoan since 2004, Dave Herrero can be seen playing for, and even with his muse at Buddy Guy’s Legends, holding down the Tuesday night spot at Rosa’s, or playing with Los Lobos’ great, Cesar Rosas, with the Chitown Playboys.
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Jason “J Roc” Edwards holds down percussion for the Sweet Home All Stars. A vocalist, drummer and music producer, this musician is a Chicago native, but with notoriety also on the European music scene. There he was one-fourth of the “artist of the year”, Golden Europe Award and platinum selling group “4 The Cause”, whose remake of Ben E. King’s hit “Stand by Me” garnered worldwide attention.
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Why do they call “EG McDaniel” a “Son of the Blues”? He’s a cousin to Bo Diddley and son of Chicago blues icon, Floyd McDaniel, famous vocalist and guitar player, and Bessie Jackson, a singer and jazz pianist. His father sang with the legendary Ink Spots in 1930 and with such greats as Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Billie Holiday. Known as Greg in the music community or Eddy to neighbors in Uptown, where he has resided since 1976. EG McDaniel is a seasoned musician in his own right, learning at the feet of the greats, and regularly playing at venues across Chicagoland. He has been a Delmark recording artist since 1996, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also the bassist for Byther Smith for 30 years and has been the bassist for Jimmy Burns for the last 20 years.
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Anne Harris is an American singer, songwriter, violinist, recording artist and actress based in Chicago, Illinois. Her music has been described by various writers as incorporating a variety of influences, including traditional Celtic music, American folk-rock, Afrobeat soul, and chamber music. For lack of a specific genre label, her work has been dubbed “conscious music” which refers to music and lyrics that have some basis in a spiritual, humanist philosophy. The Chicago-based artist combines her mastery of the violin, incredible dance moves, and deep musical knowledge into a stage show that fans rave about.
“Brother John” Kattke has been a resident musician at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago for over 30 years. Through his work with Chicago blues greats Buddy Guy & Otis Rush, he has jammed with Eric Clapton, Steve Miller, and acquired ringing endorsements from other musicians, including Robert Plant, Otis Rush, and George Benson. Brother John is also a brilliant vocalist and pianist. He has been influenced by all traditional blues artists in his guitar and singing styles and draws piano influences from varied styles ranging from Professor Long Hair to Ray Charles.
Last but not least is “Sideman” Jonny Viau is widely considered to be one of SoCal’s best saxophone players. His primary influence and inspiration was King Curtis, sax player who famously supported Aretha Franklin’s “RESPECT”. He’s known Mike Rohrbeck, Voice’s Executive Director, since he was four years old. Jonny anchors horn section for two bands in San Diego County, Sue Palmer & Her Motel Swing Orchestra and The Tighten Ups.
Sweet Home Uptown 2024 will be a musical experience for attendees and networking extravaganza, with housing, services, real estate and financial institutions in attendance, northside alders and legislators, cook county assessment and appeals officials expected to attend.