[yapc] some blues & jazz recommendations

[Mike Fragassi]

(I'll get this up on the wiki later.)

Blues:

Buddy Guy's Legends.  Great place, real deal, good food, and centrally
located in the near south Loop.
 Close to the Harrison stop of the Red line.
 http://www.buddyguys.com/

North side joints in Lincoln Park:  B.L.U.E.S. and Kingston Mines.  Fine,
but sort of touristy/trendy.
 Nearest to Fullerton stop of Red & Brown lines.  Not too far from Goose
Island, and apparently on Sundays admission in one gets you in the other,
so this might be a good destination for after the arrival dinner.
 http://www.chicagobluesbar.com/
 http://www.kingstonmines.com/

Bossman Blues Center: If you're feeling adventurous, a real neighborhood
blues venue in the West side.
 http://centerstage.net/music/clubs/boss-man-blues-club.html
 1 block off the Garfield Park Conservatory stop on the Green Line
(actually I think the east exit from the platform dumps you right in front
of the place), but not a neighborhood to wander in.

The Checkerboard Lounge:  Another real neighborhood spot, this time in
Hyde Park on the South Side.  The only drawback I remember is that it's
kind of cavernous.  A lot of restaurants and shops are right around it,
including a packed Jamaican place the name of which escapes me.
 http://centerstage.net/music/clubs/checkerboard.html
 Take the Metra Electric Line to the 51-53rd St. exit.  I'm not sure
how to get there by L and bus.  It's literally just west of the tracks,
in a shopping center behind a McDonalds.

Rosa's Lounge: great place, but hard to get to, and not much else around
it.  Near the Blue Line Logan Square stop and you'll probably want a cab
to get the rest of the way.
 http://www.rosaslounge.com/

Jazz:

HotHouse is 2 blocks or so from Buddy Guy's, and is more of an eclectic
world-music/hip-hop/fusion type place, but that includes a lot of jazz.
  http://www.hothouse.net/
  Monday the 26th actually features Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues, which
should make for a good Reeses-cups,
You-got-blues-in-my-jazz-You-got-jazz-in-my-blues night out.

The Green Mill is still going, til late.  It's 1 block west of the
Lawrence stop on the Red line.
  http://www.greenmilljazz.com/

Jazz Showcase is where big jazz names passing through tend to play; tends
towards more traditional/bop/"Wynton-y" stuff.  It's just north of the
Loop.
  http://www.jazzshowcase.com/

Andy's is supposed to be good, though I've never been there, and is also
just north of the Loop.
  http://www.andysjazzclub.com/

The New Apartment Lounge is way off the beaten track and apparently only
has jazz on Tuesdays, but I've heard praise for it.  Never been there
myself, can't vouch for the neighborhood or give directions.
  http://centerstagechicago.com/music/clubs/new-apartment.html

The Velvet Lounge is the place that would be nearest to IIT (2 blocks east
of the Chinatown Red line stop), but they just closed their old space and
still haven't opened the new one.  (Just in case anyone's heard of it and
wanted to go.)
  http://www.velvetlounge.net/