DOWNTOWN — This year's Chicago Blues Festival kicks off Friday with a special salute to Alligator Records and its 45th anniversary.
The Chicago-based label began in the early 1970s by then-23-year-old blues fan Bruce Iglauer who worked as a shipping clerk at Dellmark Records. He made his first record for the label, Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers, pressing 1,000 copies.
"Alligator was a leap of faith, an underfinanced one-man operation run out of an efficiency apartment," Iglauer says in the liner notes to the "Alligator Records 45th Anniversary Collection."
Today, Alligator says it is the largest independent blues label in the world.
The free, three-day festival will be played across four stages in the park.
Here's the full lineup:
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
Petrillo Music Shell: Alligator Records 45th Anniversary
6 p.m.: Tommy Castro & The Painkillers with guest appearance by Toronzo Cannon
7 p.m.: Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials with guest appearance by Corky Siegel
8:15 p.m.: Shemekia Copeland and special guest Curtis Salgado
Bud Light Crossroads Stage: Alligator Records Day
11:15 a.m.: Peaches Staten
12:45 p.m.: Maurice John Vaughn
2:30 p.m.: Moreland & Arbuckle
4:15 p.m.: Curtis Salgado
Jackson, Miss. Rhythm and Blues Stage:
11:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion on Alligator Records 45th Anniversary
1 p.m.: Sherman Lee Dillon
2:30 p.m.: Pat Brown
4 p.m.: Eddie Shaw & The Wolfgang
5:30 p.m.: Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith Jam Session
Pepsi Front Porch Stage:
Noon: Blues In The Schools with Stone Academy, Eric Noden, Katherine Davis
1:30 p.m.: Fruteland Jackson
3 p.m.: The Omar Coleman Band
4:30 p.m.: Legends of Blues with Sam Lay, Corky Siegel & Marcella Detroit
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
Petrillo Music Shell: Soul and R&B Night
5:30 p.m.: Wee Willie Walker & We “R”
6:30 p.m.: Irma Thomas
8:05 p.m.: Fred Wesley & The New JB’s
Bud Light Crossroads Stage: Soul and R&B Day
11:15 a.m.: Cicero Blake
12:45 p.m.: Theo Huff
2:30 p.m.: Nora Jean
4:15 p.m.: Otis Clay Tribute Band
Jackson, Miss. Rhythm and Blues Stage:
11:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion Artist Spotlight: Eddie Cotton, 2015 International Blues Challenge Winner, moderated by Alex Thomas.
1 p.m.: Southern Komfort Brass Band
2:30 p.m.: Teeny Tucker
4 p.m.: Eddie Cotton
5:30 p.m.: Jam Session with Southern Komfort Brass Band
Pepsi Front Porch Stage:
Noon: Fernando Jones International Band with A-Z Blues (Italy)
1:30 p.m.: Barrelhouse Chuck Blues Trio featuring Billy Flynn & West Side Andy
3 p.m.: Lazy Lester featuring Rockin’ Johnny
4:30 p.m.: Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
Petrillo Music Shell: Tribute to Otis Rush
5 p.m.: Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters
6:30 p.m.: Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater
8 p.m.: Otis Rush Tribute featuring Jimmy Johnson, Abb Locke, Brian Jones, Carl Weathersby, Bob Stroger, Sumito Ariyoshi, Big Ray, Eddy Clearwater, John Kattke, Mike Welch, Rawl Hardman, Harlan Terson, Bob Levis, Billy Flynn, Mike Wheeler, Lurrie Bell, Shun Kikuta, Mike Ledbetter, Eddie Shaw, Sam Burton, Willie Henderson, Diane Blue, Ronnie Earl, Marty Sammon & Anthony Palmer, Kenny Anderson, Leon Allen, Henry Ford & Willie Woods.
Bud Light Crossroads Stage:
11:15 a.m.: Charlie Love
12:45 p.m.: James “Super Chikan” Johnson
2:30 p.m.: Kinsey Report
4:15 p.m.: Diunna Greenleaf
Jackson, Miss. Rhythm and Blues Stage:
11:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion on the “Great Migration” with Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Eddie Shaw, John Primer, facilitated by Alex Thomas.
1 p.m.: Ben Payton
2:30 p.m.: Adib Sabir
4 p.m.: Nellie “Tiger” Travis
5:30 p.m.: Jam Session with Adib Sabir
Pepsi Front Porch Stage:
Noon: Melody Angel
1:30 p.m.: The Jimmy Burns Band
3 p.m.: John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band
4:30 p.m.: Lurrie Bell
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