Mississippi Heat

Make Music Chicago – Washington Square Park – June 21, 2024

Posted on by admin

Less than 24 hours after the summer solstice and I’m already depressed, as the day seems so much shorter than yesterday. But I press ahead and make my annual footslog to the Make Music Chicago celebration.

This year, in conjunction with The Newberry’s A Night at Mr. Kelly’s exhibit, Washington Square Park presented, I think, the jazz group, the Marshall Vente Trio (Vente is a keyboard player, but Jeremy Kahn was tickling the plastics on the digital piano, and I wasn’t paying attention to all the introductions, so I don’t know), with Greta Pope, and the blues group Mississippi Heat, whom I saw at the same event two years ago and was prepared for this time, remembering to bring my ear plugs, which was not a reflection on their quality, but rather their volume.

As entertaining as the bands were, and as beautiful as the 80-degree day was, I couldn’t help but imagine the chill in the air from the autumn breeze that will be here in a day less than three months. Nevertheless, I was heartened by the fact that, despite the complaining I hear from my suburban friends, there wasn’t a cicada to be seen or heard.

Make Music Day – Washington Square Park – June 21, 2022

Posted on by admin

In conjunction with the Blues Travelers portion of the about-to-close exhibit, Crossings: Mapping American Journeys, at the Newberry across the street, which I wrote about several months ago, Washington Square Park was home to the blues on Make Music Day.

The first band to heat up the park on the day of the summer solstice for the annual city-wide festival was the aptly named, as it was 98 degrees in the shade, Mississippi Heat.

But there was shade, and a breeze. And, if you clap slowly, which seems consistent with a bluesy kind of feel, the minimal amount of energy expended might be offset by the cooler air created in front of your face. As of today, I declare this to be known as the delta effect, not to be confused with the Delta Breez ventilation fans.

John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band were next. Primer is originally from Mississippi and has a resume as long as the sunrise to sunset day was in Reykjavik, which clocked in at over 21 hours. His website says it all – “YOU CAN’T PAINT THE BLUES WITHOUT THE PRIMER!”

But you can beat the blues by listening to them on a lazy day in the park.