JC SMITH PRESENTS THE YOUNG GUNS FEATURING CHICO BANKS, MICHAEL WHEELER AND 13 YEAR-OLD GUITAR PHENOMENON 'LITTLE CHRIS'

It has been said that Jazz is America's greatest living art form. It can be argued, however, that blues music, as the essential foundation of both Jazz and Rock 'n Roll, is the single most important contributor to music of the 20th century. The legacy of Chicago blues represents the great migration of African-Americans from the rural south to the urban north, from the agricultural to the industrial, and from the acoustic to the electric. As part of the Work, Worries and Revolution, we explore the blues as a music not of overt political, but rather as a music uniquely formed by the African-American experience. -- Wayne Horvitz, Music Curator

2006 Bay Area Blues Society West Coast Blues Band of the Year award-winner JC Smith is an outstanding performer noted for his energy and charisma. Prior to playing guitar, he was the drummer for the Back to Back Blues Band. In 2000, he emerged from behind his drums, armed with a Gibson 335 and has been a force in the Blues world ever since. Guitarist, singer and songwriter Chico Banks is part of the new generation of Chicago blues players who are expanding the boundaries of this often maligned, misunderstood music. For the past decade Michael Wheeler has been making a serious mark in Chicago and the international blues scene. Whether he's playing in Chicago, on television or in Europe, Wheeler plays his heart felt music to the crowd with raw enthusiasm. “Little Chris,” 13 year-old guitar phenomenon, has already shared the stage with legendary performers including Buddy Guy, Ronnie Baker Brooks, The Kinsey Report, Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues - Steepwater Band, Howard and the White Boys, and Funky MojoDaddy. He has performed at the Blues Festival in Chicago, Rosas lounge in Chicago, Leroys Bar and Grill in Porter, Indiana, Buddy Guys Legends in Chicago, and the Shoreline Brewery in Michigan City, Indiana.

Additional information:

• JC Smith presents the Legends of Chicago Blues on Saturday, Nov. 15.