The songs and stories behind the Chicago Blues will come to parks across the city this summer as Chicago singer, composer and bandleader Lucy Smith and writer and narrator Cheryl Corley present Chicago Bound: The Great Migration of the Blues. The concert is a celebration of the lives and artistry of legends Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Koko Taylor, Lillian Green and more. Three public performances are scheduled as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks: Saturday, July 6 at 6 p.m. at Ellis Park in Bronzeville’s Douglas neighborhood; Saturday, August 3 at 3:45 p.m. at Ada Park during the Morgan Park neighborhood’s Roots Festival; and Friday, September 6 at 6 p.m. at Warren Park in the West Ridge (West Rogers Park) neighborhood.
All performances of Chicago Bound are free to attend and appropriate for all ages. For more information, visit lucysmithjazz.com/chicago-bound-the-great-migration-of-the-blues.
Chicago Bound: The Great Migration of the Blues showcases the works of musicians who laid the foundations of the Chicago blues sound as they traveled from the Mississippi Delta to neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Chicago. They often performed at Chicago’s historic Maxwell Street market, where they created the electrified urban blues sound that came to be known as the Chicago Blues. Many of those talented artists signed on with the city’s acclaimed Chess Records label, leaving legacies that live on today. Chicago Bound chronicles that history with music and stories about legends Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Koko Taylor, Lillian Green and more. Lucy Smith and the Lucy Smith Quintet perform the music. Journalist and Chicago media personality Cheryl Corley wrote and narrates the stories.
Chicago Bound: The Great Migration of the Blues is part of the Chicago Park District's 2024 Night Out in the Parks programming.
Performance details and locations:
Chicago Bound: The Great Migration of the Blues
Saturday, July 6 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Ellis (Samuel) Park, 3520 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago
Free admission
Artists: Cheryl Corley, writer and narrator; Lucy Smith Quintet: Lucy Smith, vocals; Ernie Adams, drums; William Kurk, keys; Michael Ross, guitar; and Ivan Taylor, bass.
Saturday, August 3 from 3:45–5:15 p.m.
Morgan Park Roots Festival at Ada (Sawyer Garrett) Park, 11250 S. Ada Street, Chicago
Free admission
Artists: Cheryl Corley, writer and narrator; Lucy Smith Quintet: Lucy Smith, vocals; Ernie Adams, drums; Chris Mahieu, keys; Michael Ross, guitar; and Ivan Taylor, bass.
Friday, September 6 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Warren (Laurence) Park, 6601 N. Western Avenue, Chicago
Free admission
Artists: Cheryl Corley, writer and narrator; Lucy Smith Quintet: Lucy Smith, vocals; Ernie Adams, drums; Chris Mahieu, keys; Junius Paul, bass; and Michael Ross, guitar.
About Lucy Smith
Lucy Smith is a singer, composer, bandleader, cultural programmer, and producer whose quartet/quintet is a dynamic part of Chicago’s music scene. She was born and raised in the Englewood community on the South Side of Chicago. Her musical collaborations include works for theatre, film, and spoken word productions. Lucy's holiday album, Singing Christmas, ranked No. 1 on the Americana Charts in January of 2023. She leads a myriad of musical combinations exploring the worlds of traditional jazz, blues, gospel, and other popular music, including her project, Autumn in Augusta (AIA), a folk and soul-fused tribute to her mother. AIA’s first CD release, Songs My Mama Would Like, garnered rave reviews, and Lucy and her band were featured at the 2015 Chicago Jazz Festival. She worked for eight years as the music director for Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian’s “Jazz at Four” service, where she created a new jazz-infused paradigm for worship while rearranging centuries-old hymns and keeping alive the legacy of sacred jazz music.
Lucy’s other music director work includes projects at the Park West Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre, where she shared the stage with blues legend Koko Taylor and others. She has composed and performed music for the feature film Hannah Free and the documentary Woke Up Black. She cast and directed a reader’s theatre production of Jewell Parker Rhodes' Ghost Boy. Lucy was the lead vocalist for the Center for Black Music Research's Stop-Time Ensemble (Columbia College) and the Concord Orchestra. Lucy was the producer/coordinator for the music stage at the Artists of the Wall Festival in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood for nine years. Lucy performs often for organizations working on social and economic justice issues. Lucy completed jazz vocal (M. Mus) and jazz studies (B. Mus) under the tutelage of Bobbi Wilsyn, Orbert Davis, Jennifer Shelton and Patricia Barber. Before full-time musicianship, Lucy was the Associate Director of the Crossroads Fund in Chicago. For more information, visit lucysmithjazz.com.
About Night Out in the Parks
Since its inception in 2013, the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks (NOITP) has provided thousands of hours of safe, diverse, and unique arts programming where artists and audiences can connect and celebrate Chicago’s rich cultural tapestry in neighborhood parks. With generous support from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events as well as support from additional local funders, NOITP produces free cultural events annually in all 77 community areas of Chicago, ensuring equity in access to the arts for all Chicagoans. Through multiple disciplines—theater, music, movies, dance, site-specific work, nature programs, and community festivals—the Chicago Park District brings high-caliber performances and world-class cultural events into the city’s parks. For more information, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/events/about-night-out-parks.