The Chapmans

Evanston, IL — The Chapmans are scheduled to appear at the Bluegrass Legends Concert series in Evanston, IL on Saturday, November 29, 2008. Doors open at 7:00 pm and the concert begins at 8:00 pm. Gypsy Guitar Legend Alfonso Ponticelli is also on the bill.

When: Saturday, November 29 — 8:00 PM (doors open 7:00 PM)

Where: American Legion Music Hall 1030 Central Street, Evanston IL

Tickets:

• $20.00 Donation Adults
• $15.00 Seniors & Kids 16 & under

Reserve tickets at www.chicagobluegrass.com

The Chapmans

The Chapmans have taken their place among the best and brightest in American bluegrass by balancing a demanding touring schedule with an award-winning recording career. The Chapmans are truly a family bluegrass band. Their musical journey began in the early 1990s in Colorado when John Chapman won a statewide junior division fiddle championship in his early teens. Inspired by his son’s interest in music, John’s father, Bill, took up the banjo, and the two started a bluegrass band with some family friends. Eventually John switched to guitar and sang lead vocals. When younger brothers Jeremy and Jason took up mandolin and bass respectively, a hobby turned into a full-on family passion.

The Chapmans won the emerging artist award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2002. The honor mean a lot to The Chapmans because IBMA award winners are chosen by the votes of industry professionals: musicians, songwriters, radio programmers and journalists. It meant that a group begun as a way of having some family fun had been accepted by their peers in the bluegrass world as one of their own.

Alfonso Ponticelli

Alfonso Ponticelli

Opening the show is Chicago’s own Gypsy Guitar Legend, Alfonso Ponticelli. Alfonso has studied gypsy-jazz music for more than a decade, having traveled several times to the annual Django Reinhardt festival in France. He introduced gypsy-jazz to Chicago in the 1990s, when he began teaching a weekly Django-style class at the renowned Old Town School of Folk Music, and he is often invited to teach his popular workshops at festivals around the country. A multi-instrumentalist, he won the 1994 U.S. National Mountain Dulcimer Championship and plays both banjo and guitar with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. He’s also a gypsy flamenco guitarist, having been to Cordoba, Spain, to study with the great flamenco guitarist Vicente Amigo.

Bluegrass Legends Concerts

Bluegrass Legends Concerts (Evanston, IL) is the only running bluegrass & acoustic music concert series in the Chicago area that features national headline bluegrass talent. The 2008/09 fall/winter series marks our 10th year of presenting the nation’s top acoustic bluegrass talent and local folk-roots opening acts in an all-ages, non-smoking concert setting for families. Bluegrass Legends Concerts are all about great music in a truly community setting for families, friends, and neighbors.