Acclaimed blues guitarist and singer Sue Foley releases new album paying tribute to female guitar pioneers, will perform at SPACE in Evanston April 17

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

On her new album, "One Guitar Woman," acclaimed blues guitarist and singer Sue Foley pays homage to the female pioneers of guitar who continue to influence her own music.

Those used to hearing Foley play her pink paisley Fender Telecaster will hear a different side of her as she dons a nylon string acoustic guitar for the album. Foley will play a few songs from the album – along with playing with a full band – when she performs April 17 at SPACE, 1245 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.

Also on the bill is Nikki O'Neill. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are available at evanstonspace.com.

I had the chance to talk to Foley about the new album.

 

Q – Great talking to you again. We last spoke in 2022 about your album “Pinky’s Blues.” And now you have a new album out, “One Guitar Woman.”

What made you want to make this album and was it a dream project of yours?

I've been working on a huge sort of volume on women and guitars and it's got a lot of offshoots. It really started out when I was a kid and I wanted to be a guitar player.

I was influenced by my older brothers and my dad, who all played guitar. When I include someone like Charo in this volume of music, she's the first woman I ever saw play guitar. 

She has just kind of been with me this whole time. And these women pioneers, I just really wanted to pay tribute to them.

Memphis Minnie is another one who has been with me my whole career as a blues artist. When I was starting out as not just a guitar player, but as a blues guitar player, I came to realize Memphis Minnie had been doing it in the 1930s and 1940s.

That's kind of what this project is about.

Q – The first single is “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie," a song by Elizabeth Cotten. I understand that is one of your favorite songs to play on guitar.

Her guitar style is really fun to play as a guitar player. It's not easy to learn because it's a finger picking style.

It's technically challenging, but once you get it, it's really fun to play because you can do it by yourself. And it sounds like a full band. All these parts are going in tandem, the rhythm and the melody. 

It's just very rewarding to learn and to play. And it's kind of beautiful music, too.

Q – You must have been pretty happy with how the song turned out to pick it as your first single.

Yeah, I'm really happy with all the stuff on this album. And the feedback has been really positive. 

I'm really thrilled. I'm not just thrilled because people are receiving it well.

I'm thrilled because I was execute it all. It took me a lot of years to learn all these guitar styles.

Q – Of course, you decided to play all the songs on a nylon string acoustic guitar. What made you want to do that and was it hard making the transition from a Fender Telecaster to an acoustic guitar?

It actually wasn't. I've been playing a nylon string guitar for a couple of decades now.

And the reason I play a Spanish guitar – it's a flamenco guitar – is because of Charo. So this all does date back to early female influences.

And I think a flamenco guitar is a really versatile guitar. First of all, it's beautiful sounding.

I just wanted to demonstrate the versatility of that kind of guitar. And you can use those techniques on a Telecaster.

They're very compatible. 

Q – How did you go about choosing what women to feature on the album or what songs to feature on “One Guitar Woman”?

The songs I picked resonate with me personally. As a longtime interpreter of blues music, I've always found that the lyrical content you sing about needs to be honest.

So it's got to be something that you can relate to. I can't sing about working on the railroad or being in prison, you know. 

And as far as the women who are featured, I really picked, I think, some of the preeminent pioneers of women in guitar.

Q – What were you looking to bring to the songs on the album? How did you go about interpreting what you wanted to bring to these songs?

I wanted to bring my own story, at least have some kind of cross narrative somehow to make their story my story in a way.

It's definitely biographical/autobiographical. 

Q – Are you hoping to bring a new audience to some of these artists? Perhaps some of the people listening to the album are not familiar with them.

Absolutely. I think that's what it's all about. 

That's why I do this. Because people might not know who Memphis Minnie is, for example.

It's to keep their memory alive. These are important figures.

We're walking in their footsteps, literally. I walk in Memphis Minnie's footsteps.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe has gotten a lot more notoriety in the last 10 years. Now she's pretty well known.

And she was a phenomenal guitar player. It just goes to show you that there's been female guitarists the whole time.

They're technically proficient. It's not just a male dominated culture.

There's a whole rich history of female guitarists. There's just not as many of them and that's because women's roles were more dictated to being in the home back then.

Q – Of course, you've made your own impression on the music scene. You have won the Blues Music Award for Traditional Female Artist of the Year three consecutive times. Can you see yourself someday being honored like this by an artist in the future?

That would be interesting. The funny thing is, the only woman on this record that's still alive is Charo.

So if somebody did do something like that, I probably wouldn't be alive to know about it. Maybe I would be.

But it's interesting. Especially with Memphis Minnie.

I don't think she had any idea what kind of impact she had. She died in obscurity. 

And she has had such a huge impact.

It's a strange tragedy and victory all at the same time.

Q – I guess that goes to show you that you can still make your mark even though physically, you might not be here any more.

I think that's why we do art. I think it's kind of a way to transcend our lifespan, because we know we're only going to be here physically for a certain amount of time.

Q – You said you have been getting good feedback about the new album.

Yeah, we're getting really good feedback. Because it's just me on the album, it's so kind of intimate.

It's almost like I'm just sitting there with you in your kitchen or wherever. In our world right now where everything is so overblown and we've got so much coming at us, I really wanted to do something that was just immediate and kind of simple and just stripped down.

And if you come see me live, it's going to sound exactly like that. There's no bells and whistles, there's no tricks.

Q – During your show at SPACE, will you be playing a lot from this album?

I'll be playing a portion of this album, but I'll also have my band with me. We'll be doing both, electric and acoustic.

 

 

 

 

 

The Venue's songwriter showcase series providing a way for area songwriters to talk about their songwriting craft

 

Hayley Hasegawa-Skreens, left, Demi Clara, middle, and Josette Kacey, right, perform March 14 at The Venue in Aurora. Photo by Eric Schelkopf

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

To say that the Fox Valley has a strong music scene is an understatement.

And there is no better way to discover those talented musicians than to stop by The Venue in Aurora for its songwriter showcase series.

Musicians Demi Clara and Aaron Kelly take turns hosting the event. On March 14, Clara brought a couple of her musical friends to the stage with her.

Clara along with Hayley Hasegawa-Skreens and Josette Kacey provided a captivating night of music. Those attending the show also gained more insight about the artists than one would at your typical concert.

Each of them talked about what inspired them to write a particular song and what they are hoping to convey through the song.

Kelly will host the next songwriter show at 8 p.m. May 2. The show is free.

The Venue is located at 21 S. Broadway Ave. in downtown Aurora. More information is at The Venue’s website, themusicvenue.org.

For more videos from the March 14 show, go to youtube.com/@ericschel12/videos.

 

Plainfield resident Connor Lee to perform first solo show at Black Dog Vinyl Cafe

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

Those who have attended open mic nights at Black Dog Vinyl Cafe in Plainfield on a regular basis knows that Plainfield resident Connor Lee writes songs with captivating melodies, such as his song "The Cardinal Song."

The 19-year-old college student will perform his first solo show at 3 p.m. March 23 at Black Dog Vinyl Cafe, located at 16108 Illinois Route 59, Plainfield.

I had the chance to talk to Lee about the upcoming show.

Q – So you must be pretty excited about your upcoming solo show at Black Dog Vinyl Cafe.

Yeah, it is awesome. There's a lot of camaraderie at the open mic nights. It's a really good vibe.

Q – So how long have you been a musician?

I started playing guitar about four years ago. I got really into music after seeing the Nirvana exhibit in Seattle.

I don't know why, but I just connected with Kurt Cobain immediately. But I really didn't sing or perform until recently.

My first open mic was last December. I kind of kept a lot to myself.

I would write stuff for fun and just kind of keep it in my phone for a couple of years. So now that I'm starting to perform my own music, I'm putting those lyrics to melodies.

Q – Are you inspired by any bands in particular?

I got into Bright Eyes this year and it really resonated with me with how Conor Oberst writes songs. And I listen to singer-songwriters like Elliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers.

And that's kind of what sparked me to start performing, finding musicians that sounded like what I could do. My favorite artists are Nirvana, Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins, but I don't necessarily write music like that.

Q – So Bright Eyes, Elliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers kind of inspire you.

Yeah, especially with the songs I've been writing lately. But I'm all over the board with what I listen to. 

Q – What inspires you to write a song?

I definitely will write in reaction to emotions. I'm not going to sit down for no reason and write something necessarily.

At least lyric wise. Sometimes if I'm just sitting in a room and my guitar is nearby, I just have that urge to pick it up and play something.

But as far as actually flushing out a song, it's definitely stuff I'm going through or thinking about at the time. Or even reminiscing about.

Q – What inspired you to write "The Cardinal Song"?

Honestly, it was just literally dreams that I had, which is why that's in the lyrics. It was kind of written in fragments. 

I remember waking up and having a dream that someone passed away and someone asked me to sing a song at their funeral. And that became a verse.

 

And then the part about seeing your breath in the freezing air, I was just walking home from the train and I saw my breath in the air. I thought that was a cool phrase and I just kind of typed that into my phone and used it.

It was just kind of like fragments of different dreams. And a cardinal is a symbol of a passed away loved one. So I wanted to use that.

Acclaimed blues musician Mike Zito to bring honest, heartfelt songs to Buddy Guy's Legends

 

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

For acclaimed blues musician Mike Zito, making his latest album, "Life Is Hard," was a way for him to express his emotions about his wife's battle with cancer.

He recorded the album just a few months following her death in July 2023. Zito will perform March 23 at Buddy Guy's Legends, 700 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, as part of a CD release party for the album.

Billy Flynn will perform a free acoustic set from 5:30 to 8 p.m. followed by the Bernard Crump Blues Band from 9 to 10 p.m. Zito will take the stage at 10:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25, available by going to buddyguy.com.

I had the pleasure of talking to Zito about the new album, which was released after the death of his wife, Laura, from cancer.

 

Q – Of course, your new album, "Life Is Hard," debuted on the Billboard Top U.S. Blues Albums chart at #1. That must make you very proud.

That's pretty good. No complaints. I'm happy about that. 

Laura would be proud. She was excited about the idea of making this record. 

 

I'm thankful that we got it made. More importantly, whether it's number one or number whatever, is that we made a really good record.

It was very cathartic for me and I think it lets the whole world know how much she meant to me and how much I loved her. And that's all that matters.

Q – Are you hoping that people who listen to the album and who are maybe going through similar situations, that it might help them?

Well, sure. The music is mine when I make it. But once it's released, it doesn't really belong to me any more, it belongs to whoever is listening to it.

You know, I've been sober for 20 years. Sixteen years ago, one of the first label records I released had a lot of songs about recovery and being sober. 

People going through something similar came and sought me out to tell me their stories.

So I hope that people fall in love with the music on the new album and it means something to them. Hopefully it is cathartic for everybody.

Any kind of good music, especially good blues music, is supposed to be relatable to people. You're relating to the hard times that everyone goes through. That is absolutely what this record is about.

Q – Musically, what were you trying to do with the album?

I definitely and sincerely wanted to make a blues album, which is something I've never ever done. I've never ever said, "Oh, I'm going to make a blues album."

I realize that I'm a 53-year-old white dude from South St. Louis. I grew up in the '70s and listened to rock 'n' roll.

It's not my music. It's the music that was in St. Louis that I fell in love with.

I'm a student of it. This particular time, I set out to make a blues record. It's like I gave myself permission to do that.

Q – Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith produced the album. What made you want to bring them on?

Joe and I have been friends for 20 some years.  I've known him before he was the Joe Bonamassa that you know now.

Obviously, he's incredibly successful but he's also a sweetheart and a great friend. We all worked together on the studio album "Blood Brothers" with Albert Castiglia. Joe and Josh produced that album.

 

And it was a great experience. I really enjoyed it. 

I wanted the music on "Life Is Hard" to be as top tier and as good as possible. And Josh Smith is an unbelievable arranger. He's so good at arranging.

And Joe pushed me to do my best when I was playing guitar. And I knew he would, which I'm very thankful for.

Q – Of course, you will be playing at Buddy Guy's Legends on March 23. I was just wondering how Buddy Guy has influenced you and your music.

I personally believe I have the best Buddy Guy stories. I kind of grew up in St. Louis and in my 20s, I was opening for a lot of the artists that came through town.

I also was going to Chicago a lot to get seen or heard. I was playing Legends in the '90s and many times I ran into Buddy.

Some of them are really funny stories where he's blocking the parking lot and I'm honking at him because I'm late. And he gets out of his car to yell at me and saw my guitar and asked, "Are you the band?"

And I told him yeah and he says, "Well, come on, you're going to be late." One time I got there at 4 p.m. to do sound check and Buddy and Otis Rush are sitting at the bar drinking.

Then I come back to play four or five hours later and they're still at the bar and now I've got to play in front of them. And I got done and then the bouncer comes over and says that Buddy wants to see me.

And then I come over and Buddy tells me, "Hey, that was pretty good. You can play here any time." 

And they ask me what I want to drink and I'm drinking with Buddy Guy and Otis Rush at the bar. I will take that story to my grave. That was a great night.

Q – When he said that to you, did it make you feel that you made the right choice in getting into the music business and that you should continue on?

Yes. I've gotten to meet several of my heroes that I listened to when I was a kid, like Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter and I've gotten to play with them.

And Johnny Winter told me, "Hey man, you're a good blues guitar player. You got to keep playing the blues."

Those are things that always remind me why I keep doing this.  

Q – And of course Buddy Guy is 87 and is on his farewell tour. And you're 53. So that means you have at least 34 more years of touring in you, right?

I hope so. That would be great.

Q – Of course, you have other projects as well. You're co-owner of the Gulf Coast Records label, which has released several critically acclaimed blues rock albums.

Has the record label exceeded your expectations?

Oh man, by far. I didn't even consider that we were going to make a real record label.

I thought it was going to be a side project to help certain young artists. It never really occurred to me that we could be where we're at today.

I'm so proud of it. We have a whole team that works so hard. We couldn't do it without them for sure.