Local Music Notebook: Old Drunk Friends, Stinky Vans & Jackasses

A loose collection of whatnot.

1. Reggie's.

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2. Robert Nighthawk on Maxwell Street.

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3. "Once upon a time the house at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave. was filled with children, home cooking and the kind of music that has made Chicago famous around the world," Heather Gillers wrote for the Tribune this week.

Blues icon Muddy Waters owned the home and lived there from 1954 until he moved to Westmont two decades later, according to published accounts and interviews.

"It was the rocking house," said harmonica star James Cotton, who used to play music in the basement "for days" with Muddy Waters and other blues greats.

But these days the home is quiet and dark, and this month the city issued a warning letter to the owner after an inspection found the property to be unsafe.

Records show the Nov. 29 buildings department inspection described the property as "dangerous," with the windows, doors, stairway and porch in need of proper maintenance.

The letter, dated Jan. 11, is the first step in the process of obtaining a court order that would allow demolition but gives the owner 15 days to remedy the problems.

"According to a records search, the unoccupied building is owned by a great granddaughter of Waters'," Lee Bey reported on his WBEZ blog.

Earlier this week, the city affixed a red "X" to the building's facade - a signal to first-responders that the home is structurally unsound. Although the building department is seeking a court order to get a permit to demolish the building, Massel said the agency would rather have the owner take better care of the property. A court date has not yet been set.

"We want compliance," she said. "Demo is not imminent."

We'll see. It's Chicago.

4. Kelly Hogan: Home Sweet Van.

5. Dale Watson responds to Blake Shelton calling classic country music fans and artists "old farts" and "jackasses."

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6. No Depression dug this one out of the vault this week.

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7. Dolly Varden: The Making Of For A While.

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8. Rockie Fresh and Sasha Go Hard bomb in New York.

9. DeRo in two parts.

* Rock Docs of Note.

* Joliet To Host Massive Three-Day Rave.

10. Inside Chief Keef's record deal.

11. "The facade of the Krause Music Store (4611 N. Lincoln Ave.) was the last commission by architect Louis Sullivan."

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12. Not much video available from Freakwater's show this week at the Hideout, so let's enjoy this old favorite from the group's appearance at the 4th Annual Cabin Fever Festival at Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio, on January 19th.

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Comments welcome.

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