Since 2003, local label Numero Group—founded by self-described music obsessives Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley—has been compiling rare, mostly unheard records from eras past and releasing re-mastered recordings, bringing new light to several artists and their material that would’ve otherwise been long forgotten. The genre of music isn’t limited to anything specific, either, as the label has dipped its paws into everything from soul to disco to world music, with literally every venture a unique success. Tonight, Numero Group presents its “Eccentric Soul Revue,” featuring performances by Syl Johnson, Renaldo Domino, The Notations and the long absent The Final Solution. For lovers of soul, this is a must-see event for sure. (Tom Lynch)
April 4 at Park West, 322 W. Armitage, (773)929-5959, 9pm.
Soul Tracking: The Journey of Bettye LaVette When LaVette sings, “All of my life I have waited for this moment to arrive,” it’s a profession of profound personal dignity and self-possession. You may find yourself in tears.
Soul Music Supernova: The Unforgettable But Almost Forgotten Saga of Maxx Traxx There was no more important 1980s soul band in Chicago than Third Rail. Their ride was short but fierce and significant. The band recorded two progressive soul-jazz albums in 1982. The two albums will be rereleased on November 3 as “Maxx Traxx: Third Rail,” a double-album package from Numero Group, a Chicago label with multiple Grammy Award nominations.
A Positive Light: The Soul Children of Chicago Sing "O-o-h Child" at Chicago Live! The Chicago Live! concerts coincide with the last weekend of “State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois” music exhibit. As a sendoff, the Soul Children of Chicago will sing “O-o-h Child” in tribute to this socially significant Chicago song. The thirty-piece choir has been rehearsing the song for a month and the pier audience will be encouraged to…
For “Want” of a Change: A Preview of Rufus Wainwright at Ravinia Park Rufus Wainwright isn’t the first singer-songwriter to reinterpret earlier work through an orchestral lens. And much of Wainwright’s third and fourth albums, “Want One” and “Want Two”—whose twentieth anniversaries are the prompt for this new tour—is fully scored. But when Wainwright hits the Pavilion stage at Ravinia tonight, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be behind him.
