Of all the artists I book here at the Skokie Theatre, Bucky Halker is my personal favorite. His Tribute to Woody Guthrie is something I look forward to every year and Bucky captures Woody’s spirit better than anyone else. Bucky’s own songs are in the best Chicago literary tradition and compare to Carl Sandburg and Studs Terkel. Bucky is just downright good. Allan G. Curtis, Mgr. of Operations-Skokie Theatre, Skokie, IL
To hear the live interview with Bucky and performances by Bucky, Don Stiernberg and Janet Bean on WBEZ simply click on the following: WBEZ
To view the Chicago Reader story on Bucky just click on the following: CHICAGO READER
Hey, I produced a series of three CDs on Illinois folk music for the Illinois Humanities Council. The Folksongs of Illinois CDs feature archival tracks, songs from old 78s and LPs, and new studio recordings. Everything from early country, to polka, to tamburitzan, to Swiss yodeling, to blues and gospel. Artists range from early country stars like the Girls of the Golden West to gospel legend Mahalia Jackson to polka king Little Wally to alt country’s Jon Langford, Janet Bean, and Kelly Hogan. Heather McAdams did the cover art, and they look classic. Lots of background info and liner notes.
The CDs are distributed by the University of Illinois Press. Check in with the U of I Press where they’re selling for 15 bucks. They’re definitely worth it. Just google Folksongs of Illinois and you see just how much glowing media attention the CDs have received.
For info and sales: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/latest/title.html
At last! After two CDs and a decade of performing worker protest songs, as well as lecturing and writing about the subject, I was aching to get into the studio with my own songs. Late in 2003 I jumped in! I may have been too ambitious for my own good, but I really wanted to do a studio project that covered a lot of stylistic ground, relied on more detailed arrangements, and utilized the skills of several of Chicago best musicians.
The songs stylistically range from straight country, to jazz, to jingly-jangly pop rock, to New Orleans R&B, to Tex Mex, to straight-ahead rock. There’s string sections on a few tunes and horns galore on others, plus ample doses of vocal harmonies, pedal steel guitars, mandolin, electric guitars, Hammond B-3 organ, and bits of dobro and lap steel. Very little overt lyrical politics on this one.
There’s guest appearances from legendary jazz violinist Johnny Frigo, mandolin master Don Stiernberg, Pickles Piekarksi (John Prine), Paul Mertens (Poi Dog Pondering & Brian Wilson), Jim Cox (Marian McPartland), Brian Wilke (Hoyle Bros.), Paulinho Garcia, Steve Rashid, James Sanders, Kat Eggleston, Sue Demel (Sons of the Never Wrong), and Brother John Kattke (Buddy Guy’s Legends House Band). Of course, my basic core band from 2003-2005 is also here with Drew Enselman, Marshall Dawson, and Dan Polonsky.
To Order Online or To Download Songs or a Copy visit: