Chicago—Steppenwolf’s Traffic Series explores the rich blues legacy of Chicago and its parallels to hip-hop in Blues/Hip-Hop Intersection, a one-night-only presentation on the Steppenwolf stage. The performance, hosted by Chicago harmonica legend Billy Branch and Chicago Public Radio’s Sylvia Ewing, plays in the Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted on Monday, August 7, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. $20 tickets are available online at www.steppenwolf.org or by calling (312) 335-1650.
Combining performance, poetry and perspective for a multi-generational audience, Blues/Hip-Hop Intersection is hosted by hometown harmonica hero Billy Branch and award-winning journalist Sylvia Ewing. Branch’s group The Sons of Blues and the following Chicago-based performers will be featured: Hip Hop poet/singer Avery R. Young; poetry slam veterans Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin; MC's BeatMonstas, Butter, Itch 13 and Sense; vocalist Mae Koen; harmonicist Russ Green; and hip-hop artist Ugochi.
The following artists are all available for interview:
Billy Branch – Co-host and Musical Director
Internationally recognized two-time Grammy nominee blues harmonica player Billy Branch has performed on over 100 records with legends like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, KoKo Taylor and Albert King. A native Chicagoan, he has brought the blues to audiences in South America, Central America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Billy formed The Sons of Blues (S.O.B.s) featuring musicians who were sons of famous blues artists. He continues to pass on the blues tradition with his Blues in the Schools programs, which he has taught in the Chicago school system for over 20 years.
Sylvia Ewing – Co-host and Director
Sylvia Ewing is an award-winning communication journalist. “Unabashedly in love” with Chicago, Sylvia is a producer on Eight Forty-Eight on Chicago Public Radio. She has been an on-air pledge host for Channel 11 for almost 20 years and is a former producer and correspondent for Chicago Tonight and Art Beat. As a freelance journalist, she has contributed to Chicago Parent, N’Digo, Chicago Sun-Times, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer and South Africa Now, as well as the radio stations WMAQ and WVON. She is also a part-time professor at Columbia College.
Avery Young – Hip-hop vocalist, spoken word artist
An accomplished singer, Avery has worked with Roy Ayers and has appeared on HBO, BET, MTV and VH1 and for the past two years has been featured with Dance Africa. His style of writing and performance, labeled “Sunday Mornin’ Jook-Joint,” blends spoken word, jazz, gospel and chant. He edited Abstractvision and is a columnist for Say What Magazine, and is currently working on an album of original music.
Kevin Coval – Spoken word artist
Kevin Coval has performed on four continents in seven countries including The Parliament of World’s Religions in South Africa, The African Hip-Hop Festival in England and St. Xavier’s in India. He serves as an artistic consultant and performs on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. He has contributed to The Spoken Word Revolution, Chicago Tribune, C-SPAN and WBEZ. Kevin is the co-founder of The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival and is the artistic director of Young Chicago Authors.
Idris Goodwin – Hip-hop vocalist, spoken word, playwright
Named one of the most influential people in Chicago under 30 by UR Magazine, Idris is the co-founder and instructor of Hermit Arts, a Chicago-based creative collective committed to original performance work. In 2004, he was awarded a NEA/TCG Playwright in Residence grant to explore hip-hop aesthetics with Free Street Programs. Idris has been a guest lecturer at School of the Art Institute, De Paul University, Columbia College, Yale and Sarah Lawrence.
BeatMonstas – Hip-hop vocalists
Former students of Columbia College, emcees Noble Dru, Nipples Tha Pimp, Diamond Back and Phashara formed BeatMonstas in 2003. The group has an aggressive rap flow unlike any in today’s hip-hop culture. Their album 3rd Weapon Full Length was released in 2005.
Butter – Hip-hop vocalist, spoken word, bass guitar
A public teacher in Chicago for the last four years, he devotes his time outside of the classroom to promote young artists, writers and DJs. He competed in the 2000 National Poetry Slam and has appeared on various underground hip-hop releases, including his upcoming solo album.
Itch 13 – Hip-hop MC
Itch 13 is a Chicago-based DJ who has played numerous local venues, including the city-wide poetry slam Louder Than A Bomb. He is known for playing in clubs as well as flowing with poets and MCs.
Sense – Hip-hop vocalist, poet
Sense comes out of Young Chicago Authors and was a finalist in the World Crew team. The 17-year-old has performed in venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Hip Hop Festival, The Lyricist Lounge and the Center for Inner City Studies.
(S.O.B.s) The Sons of Blues
Billy Branch’s band of world-class musicians includes Minoru Maruyama on guitar, Ariyo on piano, Nick Charles on bass and Moses Rutues on drums and vocals.
Mae Koen – Blues vocalist
Mae Koen toured with Aretha Franklin from 1997-2000, and has also appeared with Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion and Carole King. Locally, she performs with the Bobby Schiff Band and the jazz group VocalPoynt.
Russ Green – Harmonica and vocalist
Russ Green’s first desire was to recreate the sounds of Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Unable to afford the instrument, Green learned harmonica, and became greatly influenced by legends Sugar Blue, Billy Branch and Buddy Guy. He can be heard on the Chicago Blues Harmonica Project.
Ugochi – Hip-hop and spoken word artist
Ugochi has performed her individualized form of sound power in cities across America, as well as Paris, London and Amsterdam. She has been featured on WTTW and WXRT and has performed with Common, Eric Benet and John Legend. In 2001, she was selected as a finalist in HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and performed in Dance Africa Chicago 2001. Her latest album, AfriC Suttafly, was released in 2005.
Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon. The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work. Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of thirty-five artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation.
###