WDCB to present pre-Blues Fest live broadcast with pianist Ariyo!

For the fifth consecutive year, WDCB celebrates Chicago Blues Fest with a live broadcast spotlighting the art of blues piano. WDCB teams with PianoForte Chicago on Thursday, June 7 at noon to present Chicago blues pianist Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi. WDCB music host Leslie Keros will interview Ariyo who also performs, accompanied by guitarist Thaddeus Krolicki. The concert will be broadcast live on WDCB 90.9FM, televised on Chicago cable by CAN TV, and is additionally open to the public to attend for free.

Classically trained in his native Japan before developing a love for the blues, Ariyo moved to Chicago in the 1980s, spending much of the decade performing with such blues greats as Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush and Valerie Wellington. After heading back to Japan for much of the ‘90s, Ariyo returned to Chicago permanently in 2001 and has been an important part of the blues scene ever since, performing frequently with Chicago blues stars like Billy Branch.  

“Things always get exciting in Chicago when the blues festival is about to begin,” says Dan Bindert, WDCB Station Manager. “It’s become a tradition to bring that excitement to our radio audience with this annual event the day before the start of Blues Fest. There are so many great blues piano players in Chicago, and this gives us a chance to provide them a spotlight in the acoustically pristine setting of the PianoForte Studios.”

The event is free and open to the public. The PianoForte Studios are located in Chicago at 1335 S. Michigan Ave. The event will be broadcast live from noon to 1pm on WDCB, as well as online at WDCB.org. Through a special arrangement with CAN TV, the event will be televised live on cable within the city of Chicago.