Solo jazz guitar is an exacting art, and Chicago guitarist Andy Brown has been pursuing his unique finger-style approach to chord-melody playing since falling under the spell of George Van Eps, Joe Pass, and Kenny Poole a couple of decades ago. Praised by Just Jazz Guitar magazine as "a world-class guitarist who is more than capable of giving a clinic on solo guitar performance," this recording captures Andy's nuanced playing on a beautiful array of standard songs, bossa novas, and jazz tunes. Recorded on a frigid January evening during one of Chicago's worst winters in history, this CD is sure to warm your soul! 14 tracks include "Stompin' at the Savoy", "Drum Boogie" and "Anything Goes". Also available: Howard Alden / Andy Brown Quartet, Heavy Artillery (5008).

The 70's Japanese tours of Otis Rush, Jimmy Dawkins, Eddie Taylor and others created a small but intense Japanese blues following that bursts over with talent three generations and forty years later. Delmark Records presents No Border Blues, the first-ever American compilation of some of the best bluesmen and women in the Japanese underground blues scene today, with musical contributions by Johnny Burgin and production by Stephanie Tice.

Rob Mazurek (cornet), John Herndon (percussion), and Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone) are deeply rooted in the Chicago and international avant garde, jazz and post-rock scenes. Starlicker expel sound with pervading energy and other-worldly delicacy. Mazurek leads, composes for and performs with the critically acclaimed Exploding Star Orchestra, Chicago Underground, Smarcho Paulo Underground, and Sound Is Quintet. Herndon, of the post rock collective Tortoise, creates waves of rhythm and maintains an abstract pulse uniquely his own. Adasiewicz is a Chicago mainstay and Down Beat magazine rising star, and plays in his own Sun Rooms Trio, Exploding Star Orchestra, Rolldown, and Loose Assembly.

A walk in the Delta with sanctified swagger, It Ain't Right is a joyous culmination and testimonial to Jimmy's vocal talent and musical gifts. Relevant and inspiring, these songs are loaded with a great sense of collective purpose. Other musicians may cover a tune, but his clear and soulful message and individual approach make any song directly his own, and Jimmy Burns our musical treasure. Jimmy is accompanied by his working band Anthony Palmer, guitar; Greg McDaniel, bass: Bryant "T" Parker, drums; with additional support from Sumito "Ariyo" Ariyoshi, piano; Roosevelt Purifoy, organ; Marques Carroll, trumpet; Chris Neal, tenor sax; Aaron Getsug, baritone sax.

Sun Rooms consists of Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone, Mike Reed on drums and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass. Arise as a trio that focused on free improvisation, they mostly use documents of Adasiewicz off. These recordings were made in Amsterdam at the end of a tour. Under the slogan "We are all Drummers and we all want to swing ", the trio also pushes this CD bounders on the musical sound of world famous Chicago.

With Billy Branch, Eddie Shaw, Big Time Sarah, Eddie Taylor Jr.., Shun Kikuta, Roosevelt Purifoy, Greg McDaniel and Pookie Styx. The debut CD by the daughter of legendary Eddie Taylor (Jimmy Reed rhythm guitarist), who had a hit for VJ with the song "Bad Boy" in 1955. Demetria revisits the song here as a tribute to her late father. But Demetria is not just riding pops' coattails. Even though she just turned 38, Demetria won the B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted Blues Diva Contest 2010, has already performed three times at the Chicago Blues Festival and guested on two Eddie Taylor CDs. 11 songs including the rousing duet with Big Time Sarah on "Wang Dang Doodle".

Jazz saxophonist Rich Corpolongo is back with his 3rd Delmark CD. The first two Smiles (Delmark 502) and Just Found Joy (Delmark 489) featured Rich's avant-garde as well as his mainstream jazz music and both received a four star rating from Down Beat. Get Happy is straight-ahead jazz in trio format (Rich Corpolongo, tenor sax; Dan Shapera, bass; Rusty Jones, drums) reminiscent of Sonny Rollins. Features 2 Charlie Parker compositions, "Chi Chi" and "Dewey Square" and eight standards including "Body And Soul", "Get Happy" and "Lullaby of the Leaves".

In 1978 Ernest Dawkins formed New Horizons Ensemble, a group which today continues to create a sound that showcases their unique combination of jazz, bebop, swing, and avant-garde. The Chicago Tribune describes them as "a band with an uncommon versatility that erupts into new music bursts of dissonance and color. This band can enlighten an audience while enthralling it." the Prairie Prophet is NHE's fifth Delmark CD and features Ernest Dawkins, saxophone; Steve Berry, trombone; Marquis Hill, trumpet, Jeff Parker, guitar; Junius Paul, bass; Isaiah Spencer, drums. Contains all new original Ernest Dawkins compositions. This CD is dedicated to Fred Anderson.

Blues From The Inside Out is the most expressive project of Dave Specter's 35 year career. Featuring his debut as a vocalist, the album is an exciting and timely celebration of blues, soul, jazz, funk and gospel. With a guest appearance on guitar by Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna fame, who also co-wrote one of the album's 12 original tunes. These are exciting times to hear Specter, an evolving artist who embraces growth and discovery. In times when darkness and doubt may seem to hang over us, we need to remember the world is illuminated by possibilities. With this new album, Dave Specter's brilliant light shines down on us all.

Chicago is known as a Jazz city that carries on the tough tenor sax tradition. The Blues feeling was always an important element for the great tenor sax players like Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson, Red Holloway and now that they are all gone it's Ari Brown that is the leading torch bearer. The album title Freebop for Mal is a tribute to the late Chicago trumpeter and Delmark recording artist Malachi Thompson who called his Jazz Freebop because it combined elements of Free Jazz and Bebop. On this, his fourth Delmark album, Ari is accompanied by brother Kirk Brown, Yosef Ben Israel, Avreeayl Ra and Dr. Cuz.

Blues harmonica legend Carey Bell created his own style after learning from the masters Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Bell is a veteran of both Muddy Waters' and Willie Dixon's bands.

HIGH RED CENTER

JUST DUET

Tennessee blues poet Sleepy John Estes made his recorded debut in 1929 with the song "Broken Hearted, Ragged and Dirty Too". In '35 John teamed up with Hammie Nixon and they went on to record many classic sides together until WWII. After a twenty-year absence Delmark's Bob Koester rediscovered John and presented him to the new blues audience in '62. This led to a series of LPs and a reinvigorated career. This album was recorded in November of 1974 at concerts in Japan, one of the very first tours of that country by a blues artist - preceded only by a B.B. King State Department appearance. The Estes tour was a great success and even resulted in an Estes track appearing on the Japanese Top 100 chart! 73 minutes.

Soulful Days is the debut album by Soul Message Band but, for the most part, these masterful musicians are not appearing on Delmark for the first time. Organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham both came from the now defunct Deep Blue Organ Trio who have two Delmark albums and one DVD. Alto saxophonist Greg Ward appeared as a sideman on Jason Roebke's High Red Center album (DMK 5014) and tenor man Geof Bradfield recently came out with his Delmark debut, Yes, And... Music For Nine Improvisers (DMK 5027). Newcomer Lee Rothenberg is featured on guitar and wrote "Sir Charles", the smoking opener for this funky, greasy organ combo album.