Low-reen!
Low-reen on growling vocals, telecaster, and bass guitar is a songwriter who brings her sizzling hot Chicago Blues to entertain old and new fans alike with a collaboration of talented Chicago Blues partners. Low-reen performs in several bands & ensembles, as well as solo (details below):
- Low-reen (Solo)
- Low-reen & Maxwell St Market Blues (Band)
- Low-reen & Charlie Love (Band or Duo)
- Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Charles Delta Bluus Hogg Hayes (Band)
- Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Peewee Hayes (Band)
- Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse (Band)
- Low-reen & Jim Harpdog Hellen (Duo)
- Low-reen & Graham Warwick (Band or Duo)
- Low-reen & Paul Kaye (Duo)
- Low-reen & Rafael Torrez (Duo)
Low-reen has a soulful voice carefully curated by smokes & whiskey 🙂 that many have compared to Janis. Low-reen has been influenced by many many musicians before her, from Chicago’s own Robert Nighthawk to Muddy, Honeyboy to Wolf, Magic Sam to Jimmy Reed, as well as rock’s bluesier side Grateful Dead to Rolling Stones. Low-reen picked up guitar later in life, influenced by her friendship with her mentor David Honeyboy Edwards. Low-reen took a few classes at Old Town School of Folk Music with renowned guitarists Eric Noden & Chris Walz. Low-reen honed her skills as a musician and vocalist as well as an entertainer, sitting in with and playing alongside legendary Chicago Blues musicians such as Tail Dragger, Elmore James Jr, Little Scotty, Tony Brown, Charles Delta Blues Hog Hayes, Peewee Hayes, Bobby Too Tuff, Paul Petraitis, Rockin’ Johnny, Eddie Taylor Jr, Willie Buck, Killer Ray Allison, & LT McGee. All that good mojo has rubbed off!
Low-reen has performed extensively in the Illinois / Wisconsin area, as well as Texas. Chicago appearances include residencies at Maxwell St Market, Polk St Pub, Lee’s Unleaded Blues, & The Water Hole- Chicago’s Juke Joint; regular appearances at Randolph Market, as well as past shows at Chicago’s historic Grand Ballroom, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Brother’s Rising MC Toys for Tots, Chicagoland Motorcycle Toys for Tots Parade, Roosevelt University, Waukegan Lakefront Summer Concert Series, and four appearances over three years at Chicago Blues Festival. Low-reen has appeared on WGN 720 AM Radio Dave Hoekstra’s Nocturnal Journal and WGN 720 AM Radio Justin Kaufmann’s Extension 720 Live from Studio 303. Low-reen has a self-produced CD Low-reen & the Maxwell St Market Blues Band Live at Chicago Blues Fest. Low-reen since 2010 has hosted a weekly blues jam to facilitate gathering/fun and growth of local blues musicians as skills get passed down from expert to novice. These weekly blues jams have had a huge influence on Low-reen’s development as a Chicago Blues performer, and she was inducted as an Ambassador into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2015 in her role as a community organizer within the Chicago Blues community.
Low-reen has many projects in the Blues Community besides performing:
- Co-Founder & Associate Director with Brett Champlin of Chicago Blues Camp 2016-2020
- Photographer Low-reen’s Live Blues 1997-present
- Founding Member & Director of Friends of Chicago Blues, a friendlier Chicago Blues organization 🙂 2016-present
- Writer / Photographer Big City Blues 2017-present
- Volunteer with Jeff Pinzino of Chicago Blues Revival 2019-present
- Writer / Photographer / Festival Volunteer with Tom Radai, Don Petrausky, & Cazz Mandli of Wisconsin Blues Society’s Tell It Like It Is 1997-2018
- Founding Member, Director, Stage Manager at Chicago Blues Festival Windy City Blues Society 2009-2015
- Blues Fest Fundraisers: Blues For Home 2002, 2011, 2014 for PADS Lake County; Jam 4 Mental Health 2015 for NAMI Lake County
Low-reen & Maxwell St Market Blues!
Low-reen & Maxwell St Market Blues was Low-reen’s first musical venture, formed in 2010 after meeting at the Maxwell St Market at a Blues Jam instigated by Steve Balkin 🙂 A high-energy in-demand Chicago Blues outfit that performs upwards of 150 shows a year in the Chicago area alone, Low-reen on guitar & vocals shares front-person duty with Tony Brown, vocalist and one of Chicago’s BEST West-side style blues guitar players. Rasheed Stewart Muhammad lays it down on bass & vocals, and Darnell DC Conley on drums & crooning R&B vocals hold down the groove. Low-reen & Maxwell St Market Blues delivers the goods! Fun on the stage entertaining the crowd with everything from original songs to Chicago Blues Standards, tight grooves to jamming, the mood is contagious & everyone has a good time! Low-reen & Maxwell St Market Blues plays originals as well as classic South & West side Chicago Blues, Jimmy Reed & Eddie Taylor, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf, Magic Sam, Eddie Shaw, & Koko Taylor to name just a few!
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Low-reen & Charlie Love!
Sparks fly when Low-reen teams up with the AMAZING Charlie Love, one of the best showmen in Chicago! Low-reen & Charlie Love started performing together in 2017, either as a duo with Charlie on guitar & vocals, Low-reen on bass & vocals, or 3-piece with Darnell DC Conley on drums & vocals. Charlie’s recording credits include 1988, 2004 on Lovemil label, So Happy I Could Cry; Chicago Blues Harmonica Project’s 2009 More Rare Gems. Charlie’s grew up with the sounds of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and B.B. King in his home. He bought a guitar at a pawnshop, and it was Lefty Dizz & Buddy Scott, two Chicago Blues legends that took Charlie under their wings and gave him his first opportunity to take the stage at the famed Checkerboard Lounge. He then began playing with his own band, the Hotlinks, while occasionally called by Mighty Joe Young and B.B. Odem to play guitar. Charlie caught the attention of Casey Jones, ex-drummer for the late great Albert Collins, and Charlie became a regular at Kingston Mines. Charlie Love and the Silky Smooth Band have been one of Chicago’s premier Blues and dance bands on the scene for many years. Charlie Love was a past winner of the Chicago Blues Challenge and is a consistent feature at the Chicago Blues Festival. Charlie has brought his Chicago Blues to the world, touring Africa, Italy, Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal, and Spain. Low-reen & Charlie Love are READY to BRING IT!
Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Charles Delta Blues Hog Hayes!
Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Charles Delta Blues Hog Hayes began performing together in 2014, with Charles Hayes & Low-reen on guitars & vocals, Jojo Hayes on keys & vocals, Freemond Beld on bass, & Ray Boydog Adams on drums & vocals. Red hot rough cut old-school blues is what you get when Low-reen teams up with Charles, who lays out 50s styled hard edged guitar blues from Mississippi throughout the States & Abroad!
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Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Peewee Hayes!
Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Peewee Hayes began performing together in 2014, with Peewee Hayes & Low-reen on guitars & vocals, Dave Morris on bass, & Frank Laubringer on drums. Searing Urban Blues is what you get when Low-reen teams up with Peewee, who’s crying blues guitar grabs at your very soul!
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Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues!
Low-reen & Firehouse originally formed in 2016 as a few musician friends coming together to play a fundraiser at Carmel High School Street Scenes, but after two appearances at Street Scenes, Low-reen & Firehouse was chosen from 50 acts to play the main stage! Crowd excitement & engagement convinced the band to take the next step & make this a permanent thang… Low-reen & Firehouse play a mixture of originals as well as Chicago Blues, Rock, & Folk Standards, from Junior Wells & Muddy Waters to Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, & Rolling Stones! A BLUES POWERHOUSE that just won’t quit!
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Low-reen & Jim Harpdog Hellen!
Long before Low-reen & Jim Harpdog Hellen ever met, Jim performed with Low-reen’s brother, drummer Ron Lewis, at college in Carbondale’s popular band Tin Pan Alley. 20-something years later, Ron introduced Low-reen & Harpdog, who finally began to perform together in 2015, with Low-reen on guitar & vocals and Harpdog on guitar, vocals, and….well, harp 🙂 Jim Harpdog Hellen is one of the best Chicago Blues harmonica players who performs originals as well as Blues, Rock, and Folk Standards. Jim hung out at the blues clubs in Chicago before he was old enough to even get in, soaking up a little mojo & a few riffs from Junior Wells. Later in Carbondale came TPA as well as performances with Tawl Paul & Jim Skinner. Harpdog has played extensively around the Chicagoland area in Blues and Dead outfits including Voodoo Cadillac. Low-reen & Jim have both performed Chicago Blues Festival, and are a dynamic duo that’s READY to BRING IT!
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Low-reen & Graham Warwick!
Low-reen & Graham Warwick are Chicago Blues meets Texas Hill Country Blues! Low-reen & Graham on guitars & vocals were brought together in music by Low-reen’s brother, drummer Ron Lewis, and have performed together since 2018, both as a duo and with a band.
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Low-reen & Paul Kaye!
Low-reen & Paul Kaye have been performing together as a duo since 2014, after meeting through their mutual friendship with Honeyboy Edwards. Low-reen & Paul on guitars & vocals, you can expect a show that is heavily- laden with Chicago Blues, as well as Delta and Slide Blues!
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Low-reen & Rafael Torrez!
Low-reen & Rafael Torrez met in 2017 at Waukegan’s monthly premier art event, ArtWauk, and began to play regularly at A Cuban Experience, Waukegan’s Luxury Cigar Lounge. When you think of Low-reen & Raffie, think Cuban Blues Fusion. Low-reen & Rafael on guitars & vocals, as well as various percussion instruments, for a night filled with Chicago Blues, Santana, & Cuban-influence music. The stage is open, and often Low-reen & Raffie are joined by other patron musicians of A Cuban Experience on a variety of percussion as well as the house Baby Grand. Low-reen & Rafael Torrez are READY to BRING IT!