Harlem Avenue Lounge

Harlem Avenue Lounge sits on historic Route 66, the best-loved highway in the United States. It is at the crossroads of Ogden and Harlem, in Berwyn, just southwest of Chicago.
This is a no nonsense Chicago style tavern. You enter through the back door which is on the east side of the building. They accept cash only. However, there is a bank across Ogden with an ATM. The bar has no kitchen but they do have beef jerky and the bartender will microwave a fresh basket of popcorn or cook up a small frozen, Reggio’s pizza. White Castle is directly next door if sliders and onion rings will help to get you through the night. A well stocked blues juke box keeps the vibe going between sets. You can also play a game of pool, throw some darts, play Golden T or match wits with the poker machine.
A huge rectangular bar dominates the room and there are a few tables and chairs directly in front of the stage. Drink shelves are mounted along both walls for the days when all the seats are taken or if you want to gather around your friends who are seated at the bar. Every seat in the house has a good view of the stage.
The owner, Kenny Zimmerman, seems to always be in motion. He careens around the room from one task to another in the fashion of a pinball, never stopping at one point for longer than a few seconds. He adjusts the sound system, clears empty bottles, restocks the bar and moves around the room talking to his customers. He’s got his eye on everything.
Reports from the national news media would make one think that the blues is a dying genre. The only time we here about the blues is when an old timer passes or Eric Clapton releases a new CD. But the view from Harlem Avenue lounge is vibrant and very alive.
There is a full schedule of live blues every week at the Harlem Avenue Lounge. The lineup includes many of the same bands and musicians that you see at the downtown clubs but in a more relaxed atmosphere and with plenty of free parking. You can park on the street, in the back lot or in the White Fence Farm lot across Harlem Avenue. There is no cover charge on Tuesday or Thursday and on Friday and Saturday it’s only $6. The website calendar is kept up to date, so you can always check and see what’s happening. http://www.harlemavenuelounge.com/
Every Thursday, musicians from all over the Chicago area and around the world line up to jam. HAL hosts an open mic/jam beginning at 8:30. There is no cover on jam night. The house band plays the first hour or so, warming up the crowd. Musicians sign up with Kenny when they arrive, and he calls them up to play based on their instrument and level of experience. Sam Cockrell is the bass player for Harlem Avenue Lounge’s host band. Sam says, “The Harlem Avenue Lounge is a good place to try to break into the Chicago blues scene. A new guy could get his heart broken at Buddy Guy’s waiting for a turn to be called up to play.” Toronzo Cannon (Cannonball Express) plays guitar at the jam on Thursdays, he says, “Unlike the pro jam at B.L.U.E.S., Kenny will give anyone a chance to jam on Thursday night, anybody can get up…good or bad.”

The delicately balanced eco system that is the Chicago blues depends on jams. There is a symbiotic relationship between the musicians and the clubs. The venues needs customers so they can stay open and the musicians need places where they can get exposure for their music. The jam provides exposure for new, up and coming musicians to play in front of a live audience. It’s a way to audition for a job or make contact with a band that needs a helping hand. As a musician, it stretches you and lets you out of your rut. It’s a refresher. It makes all your other performances fresher and more alive. You can experiment and see what moves the audience and at the same time network with the other musicians. Everyone brings their friends, family and hopefully more paying fans for the clubs.
Thanks, Kenny, for keeping the blues alive and affordable.

Harlem Avenue Lounge
3701 S Harlem (at Ogden, next door to White Castle)
Berwyn, Illinois 60402
(708) 484-3610
http://www.harlemavenuelounge.com
HOURS OF OPERATION
Mon noon-1am
Tues 2pm-1am
Thu noon-1am
Fri noon to 2am
Sat noon-3am

Toronzo Cannon shares his mommas recipe for Sock It To Me Cake

CAKE INGREDIENTS
3 cups all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening or butter
2 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons of the dry cake mix above
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounces of chopped pecans

GLAZE INGREDIENTS
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt pan with pan release spray or grease and flour pan. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Set aside 3 tablespoons of mix for filling.

Cream shortening and sugar with electric mixer set on medium. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Next, stir in the sour cream and the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Adjust the mixer to a low speed and add in the flour mixture a little at a time and beat until it is mixed well.

Fill bundt pan with half of batter. Mix up the filling ingredients and sprinkle into batter in pan. Add the rest of the batter over the filling.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately one hour. When a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven and let it rest in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

When it is cool, mix up the glaze and drizzle over cake.

Growing up in the shadows Chicago's blues mecca, Theresa's Lounge, had a lasting effect on Toronzo Cannon. As a kid, Toronzo would listen to the raw, soulful sounds of legends like Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. "It wasn't just the music that got me, but the effect on the people. I knew right then, that was what I was gonna do." These experiences led him to pick up his first guitar as a teenager and begin to learn to sing and play the sounds he heard. Inspired by the three Kings (Freddie, B.B. and Albert), a little Hendrix and some 70's R&B/Soul, Toronzo soon developed his own sound. "If I wasn’t gigging I was hitting every jam session I could find. I couldn’t get enough." It was during this time that he developed his own powerful, gospel-flavored vocal style and electrifying stage presence.


After playing rhythm guitar with local artists like Wayne Baker Brooks and Joanna Connor, Toronzo decided to form his own band, The Cannonball Express. He immediately was in demand, playing some of Chicago’s greatest blues venues like Buddy Guy’s Legends, Kingston Mines, B.L.U.E.S, and Blue Chicago as well as shows from Kentucky to Delaware and Iowa to Indiana. He also became a popular festival attraction, playing The Chicago Blues Festival and the 2008 San Jose Blues Festival with other local young guns Chico Banks and Mike Wheeler. Internationally, Toronzo has been flown into Latvia as a featured solo artist three times over the past few years.
The wide stylistic range on 2006’s MY WOMAN, Toronzo’s second recording as a front man, merely hints at the unpredictable, explosive nature of his live shows. Says Toronzo, "I like to bring that energy to the stage. It goes back to the shows I had spied on as a kid at Theresa’s. Those cats would play some smokin’ music and put on a great show at the same time.” Since the release of MY WOMAN, Toronzo and his band have been tearing up stages and exciting crowds from Chicago to the Balkans. At the core of Toronzo's appeal is his heartfelt love for the music and his respect for the audience. His feeling is if he doesn't leave them sweatin' and smilin', he hasn't done his job.

SO GET ON BOARD, TORONZO'S CANNONBALL EXPRESS HAS JUST BEGUN TO PICK UP STEAM, AND THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT!

If you want to see Toronzo perform in person, check out his myspace.com calendar

Booking Information:
1(773)744-0018
toronzocannon@mac.com or
toronzocannon@sbcglobal.net

Mississippi to Chicago Salmon Croquettes

"This was my Mother's favorite, original, quick meal recipe to be served with spaghetti & cole slaw "…Ramblin Rose Kelly


Here's Ramblin' Rose and Marty McCaw at
"Marty Gras 2008" (The keyboard player in the background is Al Woodley from the Pat Smillie Band)




Ingredients
1 can Pink Wild Alaskan Salmon (approx.15 oz.) or
2 cups of flaked, fresh cooked salmon
1/2 medium onion
1/2 medium bell pepper
1 clove garlic (Optional)
1 large egg
1/2 t. salt (to taste)
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2/t. paprika
1/2 C. White or Yellow corn meal
( Finely crushed cornflakes can be substituted for corn meal
Olive oil

Utensils
shallow Bowl
fork
wax paper
skillet or deep fryer

Procedures
Empty salmon into bowl, use fork to flake salmon apart into tiny pieces
Finely chop onion, bell pepper & garlic, then add to salmon
Add egg, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to salmon, mix & mash thoroughly
Form salmon patties by hand or use the rim of a glass, etc.
Spread corn meal on wax paper, sprinkle with paprika, then coat each pattie with corn meal
Fry in moderate amount of hot olive oil or spray entire pattie with PAM and Bake in 350o oven until golden brown

Makes 5 Patties (Um! Um! Yummy!)


Mississippi Mama Kelly served these croquettes as a meal with spaghetti
or Cole slaw but I sometimes make them smaller and serve them as appetizers with a little Cajun rémoulade sauce on the side. I make about 10 small patties or if it’s a party where there will be standing up eating, I make 20 little balls and serve on toothpicks or skewers

Rémoulade Ingredients

½ tsp Cajun spice mix
¼ tsp Cayenne
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp pickle chopped fine

Just whip it up in a bowl and serve as a sauce for the patties or as a dip for the balls.

Greens for Bluesmen

"Now I'm not a cook, but I do know this, All bluesmen love these greens!"…Carl "CC" Copeland


GREENS Ala CC
2 ham hocks
3 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion
2 tbsp white vinegar or cider vinegar
3 lbs greens (any combination of collards, turnip greens and mustard greens)

Put hocks in large pot on stove and cover with 5 quarts of cold water
.Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer
Greens are usually grown in sandy soil and must be washed two or three times to remove all the grit
Cut away the thick stems and any yellow or damaged leaves.
Submerge the leaves in the cold water and swish them around let the sand settle to the bottom of the sink.
Gently remove the floating leaves and drain and clean out the sink. Repeat 3 times.
Roll the leaves four times and chop into strips about 1”
Add the clean, chopped greens on top of ham hocks
Cover pot and let simmer for at least 1 hour
Add a shot of white vinegar in the last half hour and serve
your greens with some corn bread to soak up the "likker"


Greens are good for you baby
They're full of calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium


**
Turn your left over collards into ‘Kickin’ Collards

1 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in to at least 6 thin slices
1 cup ham stock
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups left over collards

Heat oil in sauté pan
Add garlic. When the garlic is just barely light brown on the edges immediately add stock and crushed red peppers. If you hesitate, the garlic will change flavor and ruin the whole dish...don't let the garlic get too brown! When stock is heated through add collards, stir. Cook for 2 minutes and they are revived, refreshed and ready to KICK

These greens can stand up to almost anything else you can put on the table.
They are so outstanding that they cannot be overpowered by anybody's BBQ sauce. And yet, they are sublime with the bland comfort foods like grits, mashed potatoes, beans or mac and cheese. Any they are good tomorrow too! So, as long as you are going to all this trouble, make a “whole mess o’ greens”

IF YOU END UP WITH TOO MUCH WATER IN THE POT AT THE END—SAVE IT! Simmer it down. It makes a good beginning for soup stock. Let it boil down to a quart or two and save until the next time you want to make jambalaya, split pea or navy bean soup.

According to folklore, collards served with black-eyed peas and hog jowl on New Year's Day promises a year of good luck and financial reward, hanging a fresh leaf over your door will ward off evil spirits, and a fresh leaf placed on the forehead promises to cure a headache.

Seven Step Guide to Enjoying the Chicago Blues

Tourist Guide to Enjoying the Chicago Blues

Follow these seven rules for a genuine, unforgettable Chicago Blues adventure

1. Go out to the neighborhood clubs. The people in the neighborhood clubs are much more gracious and friendly and the prices will be lower. The downtown clubs employ the same musicians but the show is always much better when everyone is relaxed and there’s a chance that you will meet some real local Chicagoans. The downtown clubs are full of other tourists.
2. Plan to stay until the last set
Sleep late or take a long afternoon nap (you’re on vacation, right?)
There are usually three sets. The first set is a good time to get a seat, but the crowd and the band are not warmed up yet. The second set is the most crowded. The third and final set is the best. The crowd thins out a little and this is when the bands call up their friends and local talent to jam. This is the best part of the show.
3. Talk to the people at the tables around you, tell them where you’re from and I guarantee you’ll have a better time. You will go back home with great stories about warm, quirky and welcoming Chicago natives
4. Buy CD’s directly from the musicians, they will be pleased to give you an autograph. (Bring a felt tipped pen). You can’t buy a better souvenir at the airport or Navy Pier.
5. Bring your camera or camera phone; if you just bought a CD they will be very happy to pose for pictures.
6. Arrange for a cab or limo to take you back to your hotel.
You don’t want a DUI ticket to ruin you vacation and possibly your life.
And you don’t want to get lost; Chicago’s a big, spread out town.
7. Stop at an all night diner on the way back for some really great food and more low cost entertainment

For specific information about club locations and places to eat, send me an email at porkchop@chicagobluescookbook.com

Now We're Takin' Sides

Chicago is divided. If you ask a Chicagoan where he’s from he has the option to answer in many ways. If the, “Where are you from?” comes from someone from another state he’ll just answer, “Chicago.” Actually, I’ve heard people from far away suburbs claim to be from Chicago, even when there town resembles Springfield. If the query comes from someone from Chicago, he answers with the side of town: North side, Southside, Westside. If the question comes from someone from the same side, he may answer which side of the train tracks or viaduct, unless it’s a Catholic from the same side of the city who is asking, then he will answer with his parish. If it’s a political gathering the correct answer is your ward number and your precinct number. If it’s a community police meeting, then we identify ourselves by area number and beat number.

And Chicago is divided in many other ways. Margie's ice cream or Gertie's? Are you a Cubs fan or a Sox fan? Anyone who professes to be both a Cubs fan and a Sox fan is considered a weenie.
Now, weenies, that’s another way that we are divided. Hot Doug’s or Fat Johnnies?

Thick or Thin Pizza? Now the real infighting begins. Chicago has the best pizza every in every category. It’s the one food that we can all agree on. And it‘s a food everyone can disagree on. The main argument falls into categories ‘THIN VERSUS THICK” Every neighborhood has their favorite joint.

If you love thin and you’re from the Southside, your heart probably belongs to Vito and Nick’s. If you don’t know pizza from corned beef and cabbage you probably like Fox’s.
Everyone can love Uno’s and Due’s thick stuffed pizzas because they are really not in anybody’s neighborhood. It used to be easy to love Lou Malnati’s but now they have grown to resemble a chain restaurant. Nobody from Chicago admits to loving a chain restaurant, even if they have really good pizza.

After we are finished dividing ourselves up by sides, parishes, areas, beats, wards, sports clubs, fast food favorites, and pizza joints then we segregate ourselves by race.

I wonder if those other people have anything good to eat in their neighborhood?

PAT SMILLIE'S – DETROIT, STAND UP, RED CHILI

Pat Smillie was born in Detroit and this chili is so thick that your spoon can standup all by itself.

1 lb ground turkey (seasoned with lemon pepper)
1 lb hot Italian sausage

1 can spicy chili beans (and sauce)
1 green bell pepper,chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 bottle of Miller LITE beer for the chili, and one for the cook
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons steak sauce
4 tablespoons hot sauce
6 cups tomato juice
4 cups crushed tomatoes
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
¼ cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cayenne
2tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 bay leaves

Brown turkey sausage and Italian sausage. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and let cook for 5-6 hours.
PatSmillie.com

Born in Detroit, MI on Valentines Day 1969, Pat’s musical memories stretch back to age 5 when he would listen to music in the car with his father. He fell in love with the music of classic Motown singers like Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Levi Stubbs (of The Four Tops), and Detroit’s original blue-eyed soul shouter: Mitch Ryder.

Pat’s interest in performing and writing songs developed throughout his teens. At age 15, he began making music with assorted friends and relatives. By age 18, he had joined his first garage band. Around this time, Pat also began collecting the recordings of his favorite vocalists. He would spend the better part of the next decade immersed in the classic recordings of legendary Blues and R&B artists like Ray Charles, James Brown, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Al Green, Etta James and Joe Cocker. In the process, Smillie would amass an almost encyclopedic knowledge of “useless liner note trivia” but, most importantly, he also began to find his own voice.
In 1992, Smillie moved to Chicago where soon he was being invited on stage to sing in blues joints across the city. In 1996, Pat booked his first headlining gig at The Tyrone Davis Entertainment Center (with Tyrone’s blessing). Over the years, Pat Smillie has opened shows for national touring artists including Koko Taylor (“The Queen of the Blues”), The Robert Cray Band, Jim Belushi & Dan Aykroyd, Bobby Rush, and Andre Williams.

In 2001, Chicago R&B legend, Tyrone Davis, joined the band on stage for a few songs. Pat and his background singers (Renee Ruffin and Tina Howell) provided back-up vocals for Mr. Davis as he performed “Turning Point”, “Turn Back the Hands of Time”, and “Mom’s Apple Pie”.

In May 2003, Pat celebrated the release of Letter to Hampton (FBM 1001). The disc featured guest appearances from Chicago blues stalwarts Jimmy Burns and Vance “Guitar” Kelly. In March/April 2004, the album cracked Living Blues magazine’s TOP 25 album chart - garnishing airplay on blues radio programs across the United States.

In January 2006, Pat Smillie teamed up again with co-producer, Bud Johnson (of Red Brick Recording) to record six new original songs and a handful of cover tunes. The resulting album, Down by the River (FBM 1002), features the first new studio recordings from the band in over 3 years. Special guest appearances include contributions from Corky Siegel, Alice Stuart, and the Chicago Playboys Horns.

booking info E-mail: pat@patsmillie.com