Johnnie Mae DunsonOn Saturday, Sept. 19, 1998, noon at Maxwell and Halsted Streets.
Sorry you missed the last one?
Johnnie Mae DunsonThis may be your last chance to hear live blues on Maxwell Street, played by musicians who created it. --SB, Maxwell St. Historic Preservation Coalition<mar@interaccess.com>; Ph: 312-341-3696.
Art, music and cultural pride will be the emphasis of the Maxwell Street Heritage Festival, which begins at noon on Saturday, September 19, 1998 in what remains of the legendary Maxwell Street neighborhood at Maxwell and Halsted Streets. The recently erected Maxwell Street Wall of Fame will be dedicated and other works of visual art inspired by the legacy of Maxwell Street will be displayed, or created on the spot.
The event is sponsored by Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, which is fighting to prevent the neighborhood's destruction by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Since Maxwell Street is the birthplace of the Chicago Blues, music will be a centerpiece of the festival. Scheduled to appear are Jody Noa and his Sho Nuff Blues Band, and Maxwell Street veterans Johnnie Mae Dunson, Piano C. Red, John Primer, Frank 'Little Sonny' Scott Jr, and Johnny Too Tough. Every Maxwell Street event draws outstanding musicians because of the street's singular importance to the development of Chicago Blues, so surprise guests are likely. "Hearing the blues performed on Maxwell Street, where so much of urban blues culture began, is a unique and precious experience," says Charles Cowdery, president of the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition. "It is an experience UIC wants to prevent anyone from having in the future, "says Cowdery.
All of the buildings and businesses that remain in the Maxwell-Halsted area are threatened by UIC's expansion plans but most immediately threatened is Jim's Orginal, a Maxwell Street landmark. A carryout-only stand, Jim's originated the Maxwell Street Polish Sausage sandwich that is now a mainstay at sandwich stands and restaurants throughout Chicagoland. It has been operated on the northwest corner of Maxwell and Halsted by the same family since 1939. It is still a viable and successful business, operating 24 hours a day.
The Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition has urged UIC to develop a South Campus Expansion plan that provides for restoration and reuse of the many historic buildings in the Maxwell Street neighborhood. The preservation of these physical remains is essential to our second goal, the creation of an environment in the revitalized neighborhood that recognizes, cherishes and continues the heritage and culture that have made Maxwell Street world famous.
The Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, which is sponsoring the festival, consists of neighborhood religious leaders, community activists, current and former Maxwell Street residents and merchants, UIC students and staff, historic preservationists, blues lovers and many others.
For more information visit the Coalitions website <http://www.openair.org/maxwell/preserve.html>. Or call: 312-341-3696 or Email<mar@interacces.com>.
Video captures by Pat Cunningham
web page provided by OPENAIR-MARKET NET
return to Preserve Maxwell Street