Dave Hoekstra chats with frontman/trumpeter/guitarist Lech Wierzynski of the California Honeydrops, who bring their Bay Area soul sound to the city this week.  They discuss Wierzynski’s journey from Warsaw to the US (and the Chicagoland area) in his youth and studying under prolific jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, the band’s roots in busking in Northern California and easy-going jazz/R&B-infused sound, their upcoming show at Concord Music Hall on 5/11, and more. http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3502106/3502106_2018-05-10-054606.64kmono.mp3?ad_params=zones%3DPreroll%7Cstation_id%3D3772.mp3

Dave Hoekstra chats with frontman/trumpeter/guitarist Lech Wierzynski of the California Honeydrops, who bring their Bay Area soul sound to the city this week.  They discuss Wierzynski’s journey from Warsaw to the US (and the Chicagoland area) in his youth and studying under prolific jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, the band’s roots in busking in Northern California and easy-going jazz/R&B-infused sound, their upcoming show at Concord Music Hall on 5/11, and more. http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3502106/3502106_2018-05-10-054606.64kmono.mp3?ad_params=zones%3DPreroll%7Cstation_id%3D3772.mp3

Dave Hoekstra visits with Chicago blues harp virtuoso Martin Lang, who joined veteran bluesman Tail Dragger (real name James Yancy Jones) on stage in the gymnasium at Cook County Jail for a landmark gig at 26th and California. The show marked a return to County for Tail Dragger, now a free man, who did 17 months following an early 90’s dispute that left another blues artist dead.  Dave and Martin discuss Tail Dragger’s story, which consists of the classic blues elements […]

Dave Hoekstra visits with Chicago blues harp virtuoso Martin Lang, who joined veteran bluesman Tail Dragger (real name James Yancy Jones) on stage in the gymnasium at Cook County Jail for a landmark gig at 26th and California. The show marked a return to County for Tail Dragger, now a free man, who did 17 months following an early 90’s dispute that left another blues artist dead.  Dave and Martin discuss Tail Dragger’s story, which consists of the classic blues elements […]

Dave Hoekstra talks with filmmaker Laura Force Scruggs and executive producer Jake Scruggs about their documentary Uncle Fun: You’re the One, a tribute to Chicago’s late, great novelty toy and novelty shop Uncle Fun and the creative mind of Ted Frankel.  They talk about Laura’s learning the art of documentary-making on the fly, what about the shop tapped into the “outsider” mentality and what it meant to the people who passed through over the years; Ted himself then joins the show […]

Dave Hoekstra talks with filmmaker Laura Force Scruggs and executive producer Jake Scruggs about their documentary Uncle Fun: You’re the One, a tribute to Chicago’s late, great novelty toy and novelty shop Uncle Fun and the creative mind of Ted Frankel.  They talk about Laura’s learning the art of documentary-making on the fly, what about the shop tapped into the “outsider” mentality and what it meant to the people who passed through over the years; Ted himself then joins the show […]

Dave Hoekstra welcomes soul-pop/folk/roots/wild card duo Freddy & Francine – aka Lee Ferris and Bianca Caruso – who bring their powerhouse vocal harmonies and soulful hooks to the Nocturnal Journal. Along with a few live songs, they talk about taking the leap to move from LA to Nashville and co-writing in the Nashville scene, the problem with getting boxed into the “Americana” genre, the process behind coming up with a great hook, the breadth of their individual work outside the […]

Dave Hoekstra takes the show on the road and talks to Jackie Dixon, President of Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation about the Blues impact on the studio. They are also joined by City of Chicago Cultural Historian Tim Samuelson, to add about building history. Dave, Jackie, and Tim talk about the new studios and the improvements and restoration as well as opportunities Chicago artists will have to be able to record their music at the historic space.

Dave Hoekstra brings you the Nocturnal Journal live from 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, the home of Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation and the historic former home of Chess Records and artists like Dixon, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Etta James and countless others. Willie’s daughter and foundation president Jackie Dixon talks about the reopening of the recording studio and future plans for the site, official Chicago cultural historian Tim Samuelson gives us some historical context, we hear some memories from Chess […]

Dave Hoekstra takes the show on the road and talks to Jackie Dixon, President of Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation about the Blues impact on the studio. They are also joined by City of Chicago Cultural Historian Tim Samuelson, to add about building history. Dave, Jackie, and Tim talk about the new studios and the improvements and restoration as well as opportunities Chicago artists will have to be able to record their music at the historic space.