Thursday, July 28
The more you listen to Terence Blanchard, the better he gets. The trumpeter/composer from New Orleans contains multitudes: shining bop phrases, burning progressivism, convulsive soul, smoky romance. It's tailor-made for Blanchard's runaway career as a film composer, one of the busiest and most prominent of the current era. (Seriously—check out his IMDb page.) [...]

Peter Margasak at our sister paper the Chicago Reader brings the news that the Black Cat will be hosting a pre-Inauguration Day concert on Jan. 19. The Big Shoulders Ball, as the name suggests, is a Chicago-oriented event. It was coordinated by Tim Tuten, co-owner of a great Chicago venue, the Hideout, and the lineup [...]