Blues for brunch at Firefly
By John Sollenberger 01/24/2008
Continuing this week’s theme of solo blues in small restaurant venues, here’s an idea: If you’re not into late night-clubbing, check out Firefly Bistro’s blues brunch Sunday morning. That’s where and when Barry “Big B” Brenner has been holding down a regular spot for quite a while now.
As I’ve pointed out before, blues is a genre of varying voices. From the raucous to the serene, the sounds are as varied as the folks who play them. Brenner’s music ranges from blues to rags to stomps, focusing on the pre-WWII sound.
Brenner grew up surrounded by blues on the south side of Chicago. While honing his craft over the past 30 years, he’s gigged alongside such legends as Albert King and Eric Burdon. He’s noted for his fingerstyle, bottleneck slide and ragtime guitar picking. This is authentic country-folk blues, with Delta influences as well as the dust of the Texas plains and the bayous of Louisiana. This should be a fun way to end the weekend.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT