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I spend a lot of time reflecting on my own work in this newsletter.
Few other formats available to me allow me to discuss the process of making the sausage quite like a newsletter, and I like to think it brings our readers a little closer to the work we do. Or at least the work I do.
Since I am far from the only person who contributes to the Reader‘s music section, and since we’re in the publication cycle that encourages critics to reflect on the year, I’d like to use this space rounding up some of the great work we’ve run this year by other writers. I am a sucker for long-form music writing, and am particularly fond of the deep-tissue music features the Reader publishes. So, if you haven’t made the time to read these stories by my colleagues, now is a great time to jump in:
JANUARY
“Chicago’s Black musical visionaries charted paths for their communities in the 1950s and ’60s,“ by Bill Meyer
“How a gospel vocal style walked into Chicago and out to the world,“ by Noah Berlatsky
“Chicago’s 1920s nightlife incubated world-changing musical and social experiments,“ by Jacob Arnold
“P.S. Studios, where a musician recorded musicians,“ by Ayana Contreras
“Malachi Ritscher gave Chicago’s fringe music his whole heart,“ by Kerry Cardoza
“Chicago’s instrument industry helps the world make music,“ by Jamie Ludwig
“Duranguense: made in Chicago,“ by Gisela Orozco
“Mandingo Griot Society: a global exchange born in Chicago,” by Aaron Cohen
“Catholic school house,” by Duane Powell
FEBRUARY
“An interview with Saba: ‘For me, home is the people,‘” by Janaya Greene
“A tribute to Syl and Jimmy Johnson,“ by Aaron Cohen
MARCH
“‘I don’t need fans, I need comrades,‘” by Annie Howard
“Rescuing the legacy of Dancin’ Man,” by Jake Austen
“A new retrospective brings Barbie Army back to the front lines,“ by Jen B. Larson
APRIL
“Beau O’Reilly keeps the folk cabaret alive,” by Mark Guarino
“Judas Christ Superstar: Easter thoughts on being just,“ by Katie Prout
MAY
“Dropping beats and seeds,“ by Alejandro Hernandez
“A guide to midwestern radiators and their calls,“ by Katie Prout
“What if hearing aids were as easy to get as reading glasses?,“ by Jamie Ludwig
“Ele Matelan tells stories with sound effects,” by Kerry Reid
“Chrissie Dickinson died with too much writing yet to do and too much art yet to create,” by Cynthia Jenkins
JUNE
“Soul singer Ruby Andrews makes a career change,“ by Bill Dah
“Pravda Records goes the distance,“ by Mark Guarino
“Mother Nature ascend a queenly throne,“ by Alejandro Hernandez
JULY
“Daniel Villarreal guides his far-out grooves with the distant star of tradition,“ by Sandra Treviño
“Living with Muddy,” by Deitra Farr
AUGUST
“From the husk of the old Morton Salt factory, a new music venue rises,“ by Hannah Edgar
“Claude creates dream pop for facing nightmares,” by Tasha Viets-VanLear
“Charles Stepney built lasting cathedrals inside Black music,“ by Ayana Contreras
“Jaimie Branch has flown away too soon,“ by Bill Meyer
SEPTEMBER
“NaomiG steps into a new world for women in hip-hop,“ by Kenyatta Victoria
“A performance for the people,“ by Kelly Garcia
OCTOBER
“The Hyde Park Jazz Festival returns to full flower,“ by Michael Jackson
“Divino Niño rebuild their sound for maximum danceability,“ by Mary Retta
“Music Fest threw open the stages on the Logan Square strip,“ by Debbie-Marie Brown
“Healing, music, and love,” by Alejandro Hernandez
NOVEMBER
“Pianist Richard Gibbs pays tribute to Inez Andrews and Aretha Franklin,“ by Aaron Cohen
“East side flavor,” by Alejandro Hernandez
DECEMBER
“The reinvention of indie music, chapter one,” by Philip Montoro
This doesn’t account for all the music stories the Reader published this year, or even all the features. I skipped over the few previews of free music festivals, and I missed Steve Krakow’s always excellent “Secret History of Chicago Music” column—if you haven’t read his deep-dive on Stations yet, stop whatever you’re doing and get to it! Philip Montoro handled the lion’s share of editing these stories. Earlier this month, he celebrated his 26th Reader anniversary, and he’s consistently impressing me with his work and dedication to our staff writers and freelance contributors. I consider it an honor to be one of the people who has worked closely with him for a fraction of the time he’s been at the paper.
One of the many things I admire about Philip is his desire to bring new voices to the Reader. That’s evident to me from the list above. And if you’ve ever wanted to write for the Reader, I highly recommend pitching. I got my start here by sending Philip a freelance pitch in the spring of 2010, and I haven’t stopped contributing since. This page has a handy rundown of how to pitch specific editors.
Regardless, I hope the rest of your 2022 treats you kindly, and may you have a lovely New Year’s Eve.
Sincerely,
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