Ronnie Baker Brooks, Shemekia Copeland & Buddy Guy On Blues Breakers

Tom with Ronnie Baker Brooks at Artis'

January in Chicago means cold and snow to many, but to me it also means Ronnie Baker Brooks and Buddy Guy. Tonight on Blues Breakers it also means Shemekia Copeland. Three of my favorite people will be played on Blues Breakers tonight for three very good reasons.

Shemekia Copeland and Tom at 2011 Chicago Blues Festival

Tonight on Blues Breakers our Artist of the Week is Ronnie Baker Brooks. Ronnie gets the special treatment nearly every January for at least two reasons, tonight it’s three reasons. January is the month of Ronnie’s birthday, nearly every January Ronnie shows up at FitzGrald’s, and this month Ronnie will also be dong at show at Viper Alley. The Fitz show is this Saturday night, January 7, and the Viper Alley show is one week later, Saturday, January 14th.

Shemekia Copeland will be the subject of a concert announcement we’ll be making this evening concerning an upcoming show with tickets going on sale this week.

And, of course, it’s January, a month referred to around here as BUDuary. Buddy Guy plays 16 nights at his downtown club beginning this Thursday. Buddy shows are not to be missed. Buddy is Chicago’s international blues superstar, recognized around the word as a key figure in the blues, past, present and future. A man who has played with Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, Sonnyboy Williamson and Junior Wells, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones. Eric Clapton called him the best guitar player in the world. He’s won so many Grammys I’ve lost count. His live shows are stellar, dynamic exciting performances with Buddy often leaving the stage to play in the audience and sometimes leaving the club to play outside on wintery Wabash Avenue. Typically, the first Thursday is the most likely show to not sell out. Weekend nights go first, and then as attention to the show builds through the month tickets typically become very hard to come by. Get ‘em while you can.

Buddy, Ronnie and Shemekia. You’re damn right this is the Blues Capital of the World! Be listening tonight for Blues Breakers from 9PM to 10PM.

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