A PROGRAM OF THE LOGAN CENTER & OUR PARTNERS
Logan Center Blues Series
Join us for some of the best in Chicago blues music. Logan Center Blues programming honors the South Side roots of the blues tradition with performances by emerging artists and legendary award-winning blues musicians. The 2023-24 Logan Center Blues Series features a variety of artists and styles. Explore this vibrant genre through Experimental Blues, First Wednesday Blues & Beyond Jam Sessions with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, and Mainstage Blues.
Experimental Blues
Experimental Blues pairs artists of juxtaposing styles in intimate concerts to create, highlight, and explore the intersection of Blues with other Black American music and musical genres—such as Negro spirituals, gospel, jazz, R&B, soul, hip hop, and more.
First Wednesday Blues & Beyond Jam with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Blues & Beyond Jam occurs on the first Wednesday of the month from January to June 2024. These sessions, helmed by drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, bring together some of Chicago’s best next-generation blues musicians for each monthly House band to explore the blues and its many connections to other musical forms.
Jam sessions are FREE for musicians of all levels and for audience members. Attendees are encouraged to purchase beverages and bites from the Café and consider a donation to support the continuation of the Logan Center’s Blues programming.
Mainstage Blues
Our two Mainstage Blues concerts—curated by renowned Chicago Blues harmonicist, vocalist, and bandleader Matthew Skoller—seek to capture the intergenerationality of the Blues, celebrating the luminaries of yesterday while casting a spotlight on the rising leaders of tomorrow.
The Logan Center’s Blues programming is made possible with the generous support of The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation and friends of the Logan
Center in partnership with WDCB Public Radio and the Muddy Waters MOJO Museum.