2025 Chart and Year in Review
With everything that’s been going on politically in the U.S., including the horrific ICE raids in Chicago and other cities, this has been a difficult year to stay focused on writing and music. Continue Reading
2024 Chart and Year in Review
I was lucky to be able to experience even more live music this year than last. I danced to some great DJs as well, even attending a couple of underground or semi-private parties. It’s always fun to make new friends among the die-hards of the Chicago scene. Continue Reading
Chris Nazuka Interview
Previously unpublished interview with Chicago deep house producer Chris Nazuka. Continue Reading
2023 Chart and Year in Review
This year I focused more on experiencing live music than acquiring new albums. Continue Reading
Chosen Few Picnic 2023
I can’t think of another musical experience that is as welcoming and joyful, capturing the love and acceptance that is house. Continue Reading
Damon Locks on Black Monument Ensemble
Damon Locks’ Black Monument Ensemble offers a unique sensory experience. The group’s live performances, often comprised of over a dozen artists, combine choral singing, recorded samples, live instruments, costume, and dance to form a beautiful, immersive whole. In March 2021, during one of the pandemic lock-downs, I interviewed Locks by… Continue Reading
DJ M-TRAXXX: Extended Cut
I wrote about Manny Cuevas, better known as DJ M-TRAXXX for the December 2022 issue of The Wire. What follows is an extended history. Be sure to check out his collection of over 550 house and techno mixes. Manny Cuevas was born and raised in Lorain, Ohio, a small city… Continue Reading
2022 Favorite LPs
Here are my favorite releases of the year in alphabetical order. I’m skewing jazz these days, and I am slightly biased towards artists I’ve been lucky enough to see live. Another caveat: there will likely be a handful of additional 2022 releases trickling into my collection in the coming week…. Continue Reading
Richie Weeks: The Love Magician Archives
Weeks is a prolific singer, songwriter, and producer. Between 1977 and 1979, disco legend Patrick Adams installed Weeks in the studio and sent him a series of talented musicians and singers. Continue Reading
2021 Top 10s
Favorite albums of the year Continue Reading