Come to the June 9 record release party at the Hideout for the Queen of Maxwell St. and then see her perform again June 10 at the Chicago Blues Festival.

A new classic Chicago Blues release.

Big Boss Lady contains 13 tracks from famous blueswoman songwriter and singer, Johnnie Mae Dunson. Known best for her songs recorded by Jimmy Reed and Koko Taylor, Johnnie Mae Dunson delivers the original goods on this historic CD recording. All the songs are written by Johnnie Mae Dunson Smith and were recorded during summer 1998 and fall 1999.

Featured here are her time honored originals Evil, I’m a Whole Lotta Woman (her answer to Bo Diddley’s I’m a Man), I’m Going Upside Your Head, I’m a She Wolf, Big Boss Lady and recent songs, Blue Sky is My Blanket, My Baby’s Gone and Trouble Just Won’t Let Me Be.

Featured musicians on this recording are Jimi "Prime Time" Smith and two of the famous Lost American Bluesmen, Frank "Little Sonny" Scott Jr. and Jimmie Lee Robinson.

Johnnie Mae Dunson will be a featured performer at the 2000 Chicago Blues Festival and has appeared on the Chicago Cable TV program "Speaking of the Blues" and on WTTW’s Image Union. She has been the subject of feature story/interviews in the Reader, The Daily Herald, The Sun Times, Blues Access and Blues Review magazines and on radio on Chicago's Public FM WBEZ’s 848 and Comin’ Home programs.

Johnnie Mae is a true legend of Chicago blues, and a real American songwriter. -- Neal Pollack-the Reader

Big Boss Lady-Johnnie Mae Dunson like Maxwell Street itself, personifies the indomitable spirit of the blues. -- Justin O’Brien-Living Blues

Her original blues songs are timeless in their vitality…. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything recorded in recent years that is as deeply personal and universally appealing.. -- D. Thomas Moon

CD’s are $15.00 ea, Cassettes are $10 ea. Plus $4.50 shipping and handling per order.

Send a check or money order or call to make a credit card purchase.

For this project, the Executive Producers are: Johnnie Mae Smith and Jimi "Prime Time" Smith, the Project Manager and recording engineer is James Fraher of Bogfire, the Mixing Engineer is Maurice Houston of Studio M, Waukegan, IL, the Mastering is by Thom Griffin of Real Deal Duplicating, the Package Design is by Connie Scanlon of Bogfire, and the Photography is by James Fraher of Bogfire.

• June 9^th, Friday, 9:30 pm, Record Release Party at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago, 773-227-4433. A special Blues show and record release party for Johnnie Mae Dunson’s new cd "Big Boss Lady" featuring Johnnie Mae’s son Jimi "Prime Time" Smith and many special blues guests including Rollin’ & Tumblin’ and Frank "Little Sonny" Scott Jr..
• June 10^th, Saturday, 4 pm, Chicago Blues Festival, Juke Joint Stage.

For more information about Johnnie Mae Dunson visit these websites

• Lakada Music
• Johnnie Mae Talks to Hillary Clinton
• Johnnie Mae Dunson's Plea and Blues Lament to Mayor Daley and Chancellor Broski

• Images of Blues Protest Rally, Maxwell and Halsted Streets, August 29, 1998
• Images of Maxwell St. Heritage Festival, Maxwell and Halsted Streets, September 19, 1998
• Image of Johnnie Mae Dunson being crowned Queen of Maxwell Street, May 1999

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