ALLIGATOR RECORDS ARTISTS TO PERFORM AT THE CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL – JUNE 6 AND JUNE 7

The City of Chicago will host the 2025 Chicago Blues Festival Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8, taking place at Millennium Park and other venues citywide. 

Blues Hall of Famer and harmonica giant Billy Branch and his band The Sons Of Blues will perform as part of the Chicago Blues Festival's Conference and Kickoff Concert at the Ramova Theatre on Thursday, June 5. The opening night performance is free with online RSVP.

Alligator Records' newly signed artist D.K. Harrell will give two performances on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage in Millennium Park on Friday, June 6, 2025. The Louisiana-born blues phenomenon D.K. Harrell will celebrate the June 20 release of his Alligator Records debut album, Talkin' Heavy. 

GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram will perform on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage on Friday, June 6 and Saturday June 7.

For more information, visit ChicagoBluesFestival.us or follow on Facebook (@ChicagoBluesFestival), Instagram (@ChicagoDCASE), (@Millennium_Park); or X/Twitter (@Millennium_Park) or (@ChicagoDCASE). Sign up for the DCASE Newsletter to receive monthly updates and event information.

 

 

BILLY BRANCH Since Billy Branch's 1978 debut on Alligator Records' Living Chicago Blues series, Billy Branch has earned a place among the world’s best blues harp players. He was mentored by Chicago’s harp royalty—James Cotton, Junior Wells and Carey Bell. They all considered him their successor as the Windy City’s next harmonica king. His all-star band, The Sons Of Blues, is among the premier blues bands anywhere. With hundreds of studio sessions and 15 albums of his own, including the 2019 Alligator Records album Roots And Branches--The Songs Of Little Walter, Billy Branch is one of the most-recorded blues artists in the world.  BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES PERFORMANCE Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025 Venue: Ramova Theatre Address: 3520 S. Halsted St. Doors: 3:30pm

D.K. HARRELL Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter D.K. Harrell, one of the most formidable young stars of the current blues resurgence, sounds like no one else on the scene today. With his stinging, single-note string bending, deep soul vocals, and attention-grabbing original songs, the 27-year-old Harrell--a major draw at blues festivals around the world--is already in a league of his own. With his soon-to-be released Alligator Records debut, Talkin’ Heavy, D.K. Harrell cements his place among the leading voices of the new generation of blues players D.K. HARRELL PERFORMANCES Date: Friday, June 6, 2025 Stage: Jay Pritzker Pavilion Venue: Millennium Park Address: 201 E. Randolph St. Showtimes: 4:00pm-5:00pm (D.K. Harrell) 7:30pm-9:00pm (B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, D.K. Harrell, and Jonathan Ellison with the B.B. King Centennial Band)

CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM At just 26-years-old, Kingfish is considered among the greatest blues players of his generation. All three of Kingfish’s albums – 2019’s Kingfish, 2021’s GRAMMY-winning 662, and 2023’s Live In London – have received GRAMMY nominations. Living Blues Magazine named Kingfish the 2024 Blues Artist Of The Year (Male) in both their Critics' and Readers' Polls. He has won 13 Blues Music Awards since his 2019 self-titled debut, including Male Artist Of The Year and Album Of The Year for Live In London. CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM PERFORMANCES Date: Friday, June 6, 2025 Stage: Jay Pritzker Pavilion Venue: Millennium Park Address: 201 E. Randolph St. Showtime: 7:30pm-9:00pm (B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, D.K. Harrell, and Jonathan Ellison with the B.B. King Centennial Band) Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025 Stage: Jay Pritzker Pavilion Venue: Millennium Park Address: 201 E. Randolph St. Showtime: 7:45pm-9:00pm