Ronnie Baker Brooks

Once again, Ronnie Baker Brooks is our Weekend Live Blues Pick, though I need to explain my self here.

Buddy Guy

[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Buddy Guy[/lastfm] is playing the second of his 16 January shows at Buddy Guy’s Legends tonight, Friday, and there are still some tickets available for tonight’s show. (All the Saturday shows are now sold out and the Friday shows are nearly sold out.) Ronnie told me last night at Legends after the Buddy show something like, “Whenever Buddy Guy plays in Chicago or, for that matter, B.B. King or Lonnie Brooks, we go to great lengths to see them, or just be in the same room with them, anywhere, anytime. These are the guys that are our links to the great era of Chicago Blues.”  You can’t argue with that.  Go see these guys whenever you can. Therefore, Buddy Guy at Legends is our default Weekend Live Blues Pick for every Thursday through Sunday this month.

That said, if you’re looking for great live blues around Chicago tomorrow night, Saturday, when Buddy’s is sold out, another not-to-be-missed show is happening in the Near West Berwyn: Ronnie Baker Brooks at FitzGerald’s. Ronnie is one of our town’s best blues singers, guitar players, performers, songwriters and band leaders. He is a top touring act so he’s not around all the time, and when he does play a local gig there’s no place better to see him than FitzGerald’s. Something about Ronnie at Fitz’s is magic. Seeing him go around to the back of the bar, pour himself a drink and chug it down all while soloing on his guitar and never varying from his precise timing is an amazing thing.

By the way, I’m not sure if this is by plan or just a happy coincidence, but FitzGerald’s has booked great blues acts for three different weekend nights this month. [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Nick Moss[/lastfm] and the Flip Tops with special guest [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Jimmy Johnson[/lastfm] will be there on Saturday the 14th, and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Otis Clay[/lastfm] will be there on Saturday the 28th. Blues fans should encourage this sort of thing by attending these shows and letting Bill Fitzgerald how you appreciate blues bookings at this great club that has a multi-decade history of being a great place to catch live blues.

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