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Featured Musicians

Paul Abella Trio

Performing Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., the Paul Abella Trio thinks that Jazz should be funky, soulful, gritty, and fun. They seemingly take their inspiration from everywhere…Southern Soul, Chicago Blues, Nuyorican Salsa, funk, R&B and more, as seen through the lens of Jazz in Chicago.​

 

Guitarist Steve Knight is a renaissance man. A respected musician in Chicago who leads multiple ensembles which bear his name, a graduate student who has already earned numerous degrees from elite universities throughout the Midwest, and an impresario, presenting his Jazz in the Yard concerts at Senn Park on Chicago’s far North Side throughout the summer.​

 

Bassist Chris Bernhardt has played in a mind-boggling number of musical ensembles in and around the City of Chicago. He’s played with a long list of Chicago Blues legends, local pop bands, one of the suburbs’ most beloved 80’s cover bands, and he leads his own group, BMR4. A man who can bring that much experience to the table makes any band that he plays in richer for the experience.​

 

If you’ve heard the name Paul Abella, you might recognize him as the voice of the morning show on WDCB, Chicago’s Home for Jazz and Blues, where he’s worked since 1995. If you’ve seen him perform at Fitzgerald’s, Beer Shop, Q BBQ, Ina Mae Tavern, Andy’s Jazz Club, The Jazz Showcase or hundreds of other venues throughout Chicagoland, then you know that he owns a cajon and a tambourine.

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Callaloo

Scott Johnson, founder and leader of world fusion steelpan group, Callaloo, was in Trinidad, February 2020, where he performed in the national steelband competition Panorama for the 2nd time and has been playing steelpan for over thirty-five years.

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His performances include popular songs with an island theme, traditional calypso music (Harry Belefonte), Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett and original compositions in Latin and Caribbean styles. He uses high quality recorded accompaniment tracks that support the live steelpan sound!

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Catch Callaloo on Saturday from 12:30 – 2 p.m.

Katie Kostner

During the school year, Katie Kostner is a college student earning her BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in music and dance. However, from May—August, she is a gigging musician throughout the Western Suburbs of Chicago bringing her love of music to venues throughout the area! With her blend of pop, rock, country, 80’s and 90’s music, Katie has something for everyone!

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In addition to performing live at area events, Katie is known for producing her own series of Facebook and Instagram Live Quarantine Concerts, leading to a feature story on Chicago’s WGN news.  She won the DuPage County Fair talent competition twice and has sung the National Anthem for Chicago White Sox games!

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Catch Katie on Saturday from 2 – 3 p.m.

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Graduating from college in 2002, the creative team was born. As the songs began to evolve, so did the band. In the summer of 2004, Out For Hours welcomed drummer Paul Wilhelm and bassist Mark Vazquez. Paul attended the University of Illinois, where he was a regular in the local music scene while Mark demonstrated diverse styles of bass guitar as a member of The University of Chicago Jazz Ensemble. Paul’s brother, Adam Wilhelm, joined the band on keys in 2008. Classically trained, Adam focused on diverse styles of Jazz and Ska while at Knox College. Playing in several multi-genre bands, Paul, Adam and Mark brought their unique styles to the band, creating the eclectic sound of Out For Hours. After 8 years of writing and performing, Mark said goodbye to the band for personal reasons. Enter Tim Fullerton on bass. Tim, a long time singer, songwriter and lead guitarist, shifted his talents from another rock project to join Out For Hours.

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To date, Out For Hours has performed on major network television, national radio, shared the stage with major label acts and has captured fans across the globe.

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Out For Hours has been described as a melodic rock band with a pop and funk edge, and it’s the enjoyment the band receives from performing its unique songs that inspires the band to keep writing.

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They will be performing on Saturday from 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Out for Hours

Priding themselves on writing melodic tunes, the Chicago band has shaped itself by fine tuning their sound over the past 10 years, finding their groove as Out For Hours.

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A tornado brought the two band founders together. Vocalist Frankie Monacella and guitarist Chris Ulrich, both songwriters originally from Riverside, met on a mission project to help victims in a tornado-ravaged section of Oklahoma in 1999 (the origin of The Tornado Song).​

Galway Gals

“High level of vocal quality and musicianship!”
– Fox Valley Entertainment Magazine

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In a male-dominated Celtic music scene, Galway Gals are a breath of fresh air. Liz McNichols and Anna Gillan are classically trained musicians who blend the best of traditional Irish folk with songs by modern Irish pop artists.

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Catch them Sunday morning from 10 – 11:30 a.m.

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Jolly Mon Jams

As a lifelong brass musician, Bill was mesmerized by the steel pans (or steel drums in the US) on his many trips to the islands. The sounds and ingenuity to make a beautiful instrument out of a piece of recycled metal is amazing. So 10 years ago he decided to learn how to play in his living room using YouTube and had been playing ever since.

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Catch Jolly Mon Jams Sunday from 12 – 1:30 p.m.

Hollywood Slims

Hollywood Slims Blues Band plays on Sunday from 2 – 4 p.m.

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