Chicago Bluesfest 2025: 24 lines about a Dozen Hot Acts by Seran Williams
- robzee8
- Jul 13
- 5 min read
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The much beloved - and needed – festival takes place every year (almost) in early June in Chicago's Millennium Park. This free event presents and honors the rootsiest players in the blues universe. The genre flourished in Chicago as the Great Migration of the early 1930s and 40s planted its musical seeds along the way on its northern trajectory.
From the festival's beginning in 1984, it has blossomed from the early days of Willie Dixon performing and booking such greats as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, and Junior Wells. This year was a tribute to BB King's centennial, and the lineups included powerhouses Bobby Rush and Mavis Staples, with youngbloods like Clarksdale, Mississippi's Kingfish (Christone Ingram), D.K. Harrell, and Stefan Hillesheim.
Highlights to remember:
Julia A. Miller – Stalwart president of Delmark Records, Julia sat down with 90-something-year old Bobby Rush at the beautiful Ramova Theater in Bridgeport on June 5, 2025, for a spellbinding and enjoyable conversation about his life. Bobby enraptured the audience with stories of mobsters, his role in the movie “Sinners”, and how he pioneered the art of rap well before anyone else.
Tom Marker – Chicago blues radio icon Tom Marker kicked off the entertainment as DJ on Thursday, June 5 at the Ramova with a variety of fantastic blues playlists. He also served as the main emcee for the next three days on the Pritzker Pavillion with his familiar voice and vast knowledge of the artist’s background paving the way for their time on stage.
Bobby Rush – Big star, teller of tales, and honored by the City of Chicago, the details of his life achievements may change with Bobby's whims, but his harp stays strong every time he performs with his eye-catching and talented “exotic shake dancer” ladies. At his age, (91, we think), he's proved once again he's no “chicken haid”, as he acquired recently his long-sought ownership of his own master recordings, and admonished the crowd with a “don't you come back no more” refrain (we know you didn't mean it,Bobby).
Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues – It's not just his bedazzled blazer that energized us, it was his harp style and the backup by the Chicago Horns that mesmerized the throng at the Ramova kickoff. Joined on stage by Ronnie Baker Brooks and the Chicago West Community Music Center Choir, Billy previewed the title song from the album “Begging for Change”, that will launch on August 1 at Rosa's Lounge.
Vick Allen and the Velvet Soul Band – Producer and entertainer Vick Allen and his soulful band delivered a sizzling version of Buddy Guy's asking, “What Kind of Woman is This?” The packed Mississippi Crossroads stage wanted to know, too, as they roared with approval and continued to do so the entire set.
DK Harrell – This rising star who is now featured on the Alligator Records label declared that “Big men got style”, and then he showed us. At times, he seemed possessed by the spirit of BB King, his longtime inspiration, with his guitar on his hip and wearing one of BB's shirts, as he joined Kingfish and Jonathan Ellison in a tribute to King on the Pritzker stage.
Dawn Tyler Watson – This Canadian songbird went easily from cool jazz vocalizing to full throated power. Her first appearance at the fest won't be her last as she wowed the crowd with the power of her voice, literally mimicking a trumpet at one point.
John Primer – With Steve Bell on harmonica, Primer on guitar brought the crowd south to a sultry night on a porch somewhere down a gravel road. Setting steamy traditional blues aside for a moment, Primer made the crowd sweat as he added some funk moans from his slide.
The Stefan Hillesheim Band – Chicago transplant Stefan Hillesheim hails from Koblenz, Germany by way of Los Angeles where he attended the city's Musician Institute studying guitar. Young, talented and guiding a seasoned band, Stefan's red-hot players set Rosa's stage ablaze with scintillating rhythms taking us along on a seemingly easy ride through the magic of blues guitar.
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – From wonderkid to seasoned blues guitarist and vocalist over a decade later, Clarksdale's favored son covered the bluesphere, from trad to today. He invited a “couple of ladies” to join him on the Pritzker Pavilion main stage, which, much to the angst of security staff, turned into a full throng of happy, gyrating fans letting loose to his stellar set of guitar grooves.
Lurrie Bell and Frank Catalano – The lead-in act before Mavis took the stage, Bell and Catalano made a fine duo. Lurrie's improvisational riffs on blues guitar, enhanced by Catalano's smooth sax, gave the Pritzker crowd the “after a rainstorm groove” to prep them in the right frame for the final show of the 2025 fest.
Mavis Staples – Because we don't mind how many stories the 86 y/o Mavis shares of her life, we'll hang on every word and want to keep seeing her live on stage like we saw at the fest finale. Just ask the adoring crowds that, rather than going home, sheltered for over an hour from the rainstorm in the parking garages while waiting for her set.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”- The audience sung along after each rendition of the national anthem. Some knew the words and some did not, although many attempted. Bets are that next year the voices will be louder as more people will have studied the song aforehand.
The one main glitch was the midday storm on Sunday, causing CJ Chenier's set to be scrapped as the audience took shelter. But after Chicago's first and current poet laureate Avery R. Young recited an original piece as a tribute to Mavis Staples, the vibe was back on track as Miss Mavis provided the finale to the weekend's excitement.
Through all this festivity and just a few steps away, Miller's Pub on Wabash was there with open doors for the hungry, the thirsty, and the not-ready-to-quit crew, all very reminiscent of a Fellini movie.
Next year's fest dates aren't settled yet, but chances are it will once again kick off at the Ramova Theatre on the Thursday before. You can bet the stages at Millennium Park will come alive that Friday through Sunday. As in past years, clubs around Chicago will continue the blues groove throughout the weekend. Check the local listings and mark those calendars now!
And, as avid blues (and Cubs) fan Michael Murphy said, “Bluesfest is the best thing we do in Chicago. We showcase our treasures like Mavis and Buddy and leave room for shiny stars like Kingfish and Young Rell. And it's free – sweet home indeed!”
(Don't miss this free annual festival – the Crescent City Blues and BBQ in Lafayette Park, New Orleans, October 10-12, 2025)
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