For immediate release: 5/27/02

Contacts: Frank Scott Jr. 773-264-4746; Sam Sadou 773-989-4569; Mr. H, 312-813-1051; Steve Balkin 312-341-3696, Email: mar@topicbox.com

Maxwell Street Blues during Chicago Blues Fest 2002 and beyond


The old Maxwell Street neighborhood is now mostly gone. It historic buildings and traditional Blues culture have been needlessly and almost totally destroyed by the University of Illinois at Chicago.

But where have the Maxwell Street Blues gone? Here is where some of it is:

You are also likely to see Maxwell Street Blues musicians playing on the street near the Blues Fest as well as at clubs and taverns around the city.

On a bittersweet note, legendary Jimmie Lee Robinson, the Lonely Traveler and King of Maxwell Street, has been fighting cancer but an operation to remove a tumor has been highly successful and he is on the rebound. We hope to see him out at some of the events. It would be nice if he heard good wishes from his fans. His phone number is 773-778-1476.

The Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition is still fighting to save Paul and Bill's Tailor Shop (still in business) on 718 W. Maxwell Street, the Maxworks Building at 716 W. Maxwell, the old Jewish Butcher shop at 717 W. Maxwell, the still active Gesthemene Baptist Church (a former Romanian Synagogue) on South Union, and the two temporary hot dog stands, still serving up Maxwell Street Polish Sausages at Roosevelt Rd and Union. The Coalition is also working on outstanding issues such as the right for Reverend Johnson's Blues Bus and other former vendors to be able to sell in the old neighborhood, affordable housing in University Village, the rebuilding of the Juketown Community Blues bandstand, parking access and street reconfiguration for the historic St. Francis of Assisi Church, the use of three buildings for a Maxwell Street Museum, and the preservation of the 13th Street Community Gardens as well as book and video documentary projects.


For more information about Maxwell Street see <http://www.openair.org/maxwell/preserve.html> and <http://www.maxwellstreet.org>.


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