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Chicago 18 at 40
For any fan, there is always the first, that one special album, and Chicago 18 is the one for me. My Journey to Chicago 18 I was introduced to Chicago by my friend, Chris, in the summer of 1985 when he loaned me a cassette copy of Chicago IX with the memorable phrase “You’ll probably know half the songs and like the rest.” Well, I knew none of the tunes, but fell in love with the band on first listen. What came next was obvious: I started collecting Chicago albums. Chicago 17 was the obvious next choice as it was ending its year-long run on the charts. Chicago 16, featuring…
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Remembering Walter Parazaider, the Man Who Dreamed of a Rock Band with Horns
Walter Parazaider, the woodwind player from the band Chicago who passed away yesterday at age 81, was the first famous saxophone player I knew by name. As an only child, I had to discover music on my own. It wasn’t until 1985 that I learned that there was a rock and roll band with horns (Walt’s dream) but after I did, there was no turning back. Chicago vaulted to the top of my all-time favorites list and remains one of my top two bands of all time. And it all began with a question. Discovering Chicago and Walt When kids pick up an instrument and learn it, many have established…