Blues Legend to Perform in Western Springs Tonight

For La Grange Park resident Bryan Mathie, saving the blues means preserving one of America's great art forms.

"Music is part of our cultural identity," Mathie said. "The blues is one of America's greatest forms of art. It needs to be handed down."

In order to keep the music alive, you need to pass it on to the next generation. It's the reason why Mathie decided to help put together , featuring blues legend Eddie Shaw as the headlining act. Shaw has played saxophone with greats like Little Milton, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and has enjoyed his own accomplished recording career.

"We don't get a blues great like Eddie Shaw in La Grange, like, ever," Mathie said. "This is going to be a really cool event."

The concert will benefit the Blues Kids Foundation, a nonprofit that works to keep the blues alive by teaching music to kids. Run by Fernando Jones, a teacher and blues musician who lives in Chicago, the Blues Kids Foundation provides scholarships for about 120 kids ages 12-18 to attend Blues Camp at Columbia College in Chicago free of charge. The kids work with an ensemble as well as blues masters to work their way toward playing a final concert at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago—a dream come true for any musician.

Mathie said he first learned about Blues Kids when his son Liam received a scholarship to the camp after taking part in a walk-on audition at the Chicago Blues Festival.

"We were so impressed with the camp and its mission," Mathie said. "We thought this would be a great opportunity to help them raise money for scholarships, have some local kids perform and have a lot of fun."

In addition to blues great Eddie Shaw, Mathie said some other local legends are planning to stop by and lend their support and talent at the concert. Local Blues Kids from the La Grange area will also be opening for Shaw, and the concert will feature an auction and raffle to raise funds for the foundation, with some pretty awesome items to be given away.

Raffle items include a drumhead signed by the members of Aerosmith, a Fender guitar, a private diner at home from , eight passes to the Les Paul exhibit at the Discovery World museum in Milwaukee and a guitar autographed by local rock musician Jim Peterik among other items.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased online at www.blueskids.com, and at or A Sound Education in Brookfield. Prices are $20 for adults, $15 for students and kids under five get in free. The all-ages concert will be held at the Corral at LT's South Campus, 4900 Gilbert Ave. in Western Springs.

One thing is for sure, Mathie said, attendees are in for an awesome concert.

"Eddie is 75 years old, but he can still rock until five in the morning!"