The Bands


Derek Caruso & the Blues Fuse - 2:00PM

This group is just try to bring joy and happiness to all our fans in every state. Formed in 2019 they have become staples at a number of venues througout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.



Soulful Femme - 4:00PM

Stevee Wellons and Cheryl Rinovato, the two principals in the dynamic duo known as Soulful Femme, are more than simply a dynamic singing duo. They are seasoned performers in their own right, each possessing vast experience in the music business who happened to join forces and find an ideal chemistry.

Wellons has been performing since the late 1970’s in a variety of bands, among them any number of accomplished outfits, including the Rhythm Machine, Jumpstreet, Shaker, the Cruisers, the Elmonics, The Real Deal Band and The Stevee Wellons Band. Over the course of her career, she shared stages with the Dazz Band, Cameo, Peaches and Herb and Howard Hewett, among many others. She’s released two solo albums — Stevee Wellons -All Natural Ingredients and one simply titled Stevee. In addition, she recently co-wrote and performed background vocals for the artist known as Sun King Rising, A.K.A John Blangero. She previously taught at the Afro-American Music Institute and is currently an adjunct professor at the Community College of Allegheny County.

Cheryl brings an equally impressive resume to the table. She’s been a student of guitar since the age of nine and later became a graduate of the prestigious Berklee School of Music. A three-time recipient of the prestigious Jim Weber Award accorded to the blues guitarist of the year, she claims extensive studio experience while citing such early influences as Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Tower of Power and Burt Bacharach. In addition, she’s a Delaney Guitars-endorsed artist who has two signature models that were designed with her in mind.cal. We hear that comment at almost every performance.”



Ivy Ford - 6:00PM

Ivy Ford, singer, musician, entertainer. Waukegan born and raised, at 26 she is quite the up and coming artist of the Chicago blues and live music scene. Ivy Ford started performing live with Kenosha based band The Real Deal, managed by Steve Rainey at 13 and since then continues to nurture her niche and calling to the music. She plays piano, alto saxophone, drums, bass guitar and guitar which are primarily self taught. In late 2012, Ford joined a local blues band which in time evolved into Ivy Ford and The Cadillacs and gained fair amounts of popularity.

Ivy Ford, is one of the leading "youngbloods" of blues and brings a refreshing yet classic face to the music. She formerly handled her cherry red, Epiphone-339 with as much confidence as any of the bluesmen today and can belt out notes to fill a room and serenade a phrase sweeter than sugar in ways that make anyone and everyone tune in to what she has to say. With her latest "Buddy Guy," polka dot stratocastor Ivy Ford, always respects the history and tradition of roots and blues music, while presenting it in a fresh, young and trendy way.

When not fronting her own blues party, Ivy is quite respected backing up Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, J.B. Ritchie. Legendary guitarist and frontman as his bass player. Ritchie has played alongside some of the greats himself and has been amongst famous artists such as Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter.



Brandon Santini - 8:00PM

There are many different opinions as to what the future of the blues harmonica will be. International touring vocalist and harmonica player Brandon Santini is undeniably a worthy player to keep an eye on as the latest surge of young blues artists leave their footprint in blues history. His name is worthy of conversations that include James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Dennis Gruenling, Charlie Musselwhite and other frontline harmonica players by combining his love and respect for traditional blues with a present, colorful style of playing that is often compared to James Cotton or Paul Butterfield.

Raised in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, Santini purchased his first harmonica in 1997 at the age of fifteen when his mother took him to the local music store upon his request. He founded the Blues Music Award nominated band Delta Highway in 2003 and relocated to Memphis where he absorbed the sounds and culture of the Delta and North Mississippi Hill Country, honing his craft night after night, sweating it out in local Beale Street clubs just like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and B.B. King did decades before him. Now playing over 100 shows per year throughout the world, Santini has garnered five Blues Music Award nominations, festival headlining slots and even performing on stage with the likes of Buddy Guy and Gary Clark, Jr.