Prodigal Soul
In the late 70s and early 80s he played drums in a series of R & B show bands with his brothers, opening for the likes of Deniece Williams, Carl Carlton, and Amuzement Park. In 1983 he got a job at the local Black Hole label, run by south-side R & B impresario Kenny Welles, working as a songwriter and studio hand. A decade later he opened his own studio, Early Park Limited, which he’d go on to run for eight years. Among his early walk-in clients was Sherrod Brown.
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Once the Browns return to Chicago, they plan to book their first local dates. They’re hoping to build a following here that’s more mixed than their crowds abroad. “In Europe our audience is a white audience, which is cool to me,” says Ward. “You know, Muddy Waters played to white audiences much of his career. It’s important to us that people appreciate the music regardless of color. The black audiences here in the States, I think they’re searching. They don’t want to be spoon-fed what passes for R & B and soul these days. And I think they’re coming around.”
Albini’s tour schedule with Shellac, who are also performing at the fest, is making it impossible for Big Black to rehearse a full set. “We would like to get our shit together to play a couple songs as a thank-you to Touch and Go,” he says, “but I would hate it if people spent a ton of money and made a special trip expecting a full Big Black show.” No further Big Black engagements are planned, contrary to Internet chatter. “We’ve already been approached by promoters about doing reunion shows,” Albini says, “but that is definitely not going to happen.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Jim Newberry, Gail Butensky.
