Delmark Records CD release party for Jimmy Burns and Soul Message Band's fantastic new recording, FULL CIRCLE, live at the world-famous Green Mill in Chicago.
This is a very special recording with Chicago blues & soul legend Jimmy Burns re-visiting his '60's soul 45s backed by Chicago's premier B3 Organ led jazz/blues groove combo, THE SOUL MESSAGE BAND!
Soul Message Band is founded on the enduring partnership of Chris Foreman, the Chicago-based and nationally celebrated Hammond B3 Jazz Organist, and award-winning solid swinging drummer, Greg Rockingham, aka “The Rock.” Greg and Chris have a 38-year history of collaboration, including groups like the award winning Deep Blue Organ Trio. Mr. Rockingham and Mr. Foreman have an unmistakable chemistry that has taken them from Chicago to Jazz Clubs and Arenas around the world as both headliners (Umbria Jazz Festival Italy) and opening group for Steely Dan for 8 years. Soul Message band featuring Chris & Greg were inducted into the Hammond B3 Hall of Fame. Soul Message can be seen in a worldwide attraction at Navy Pier, called Fly Over Chicago. The band adds the captivating alto saxophonist, Greg Jung. Greg Jung is the trio’s newest and youngest member. He is a wonderful human being and educator. He also is a world class musician. The powerful trio is not to be missed.
Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band “Full Circle”
The Soul Message Band has long been co-led by organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg “The Rock” Rockingham. Foreman and Rockingham were part of the Deep Blue Organ Trio along with guitarist Bobby Broom, and they also recorded together with guitarist Henry Johnson and saxophonist Red Holloway. Long-time fixtures in Chicago, they opened for Steely Dan for eight years and were inducted into the Hammond B3 Hall of Fame.
The Soul Message Band previously recorded such albums as Soulful Days, Live At The Blue Llama, and People. On Full Circle, in addition to its co-leaders, The Soul Message Band features its newest member altoist Greg Jung on two songs and has appearances by guitarist Lee Rothenberg, tenor-saxophonist Geof Bradfield, and Steve Eisen on baritone and tenor with Typhanie Monique contributing background vocals on four numbers.
Jimmy Burns, who turned 82 in 2025, was born in the Mississippi Delta as the youngest of 11 children. When he was 12, he moved with his family to Chicago where he has lived ever since. He recorded a series of singles starting in 1964, took some time off to raise his family, and in the early 1990s became active again, leading six albums for the Delmark label during 1996-2007.
“Full Circle” teams Jimmy Burns with the Soul Message Band and is a joyful listening experience. With the instrumentalists playing in the tradition of such classic 1960s soul jazz groups as those of Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, and Jimmy Smith, Burns sounds quite comfortable, contributing soulful and expressive vocals on eight of the ten songs. He particularly excels on the blues “World Of Trouble,” over the funky groove of “I Really Love You,” the rollicking “Too Much Lovin’,” and “Rock Me Mama,” playing a bit of guitar on the latter.
The Soul Message Band takes “Ain’t That Funk For You” and “Since I Fell For You” as instrumental features for altoist Greg Jung, Chris Foreman is a major force throughout the date both as an accompanist to the singer and as a soloist, and Greg Rockingham keeps the music grooving.
“Full Circle” is a fine showcase for Jimmy Burns and the Soul Message Band and is easily recommended for fans of high-quality blues, soul jazz, blues ballads, and soulful music.
-Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian
EXCITING NEWS FROM DELMARK!! Much anticipated special new release from JIMMY BURNS & SOUL MESSAGE BAND!
We’re so excited about this unique collaboration featuring the warm timeless Chicago soul/blues vocals from Jimmy Burns and the hard groovin’ B3 Blues/jazz organ from Chris Foreman‘s SOUL MESSAGE BAND!! Curtis Mayfield meets Jimmy McGriff at the Crossroads!
This concept inspired Delmark to explore the historical recordings made by JIMMY BURNS when he was very young. The records were originally released as 45 rpm vinyl split singles, at the time so popular among music fans and venues with jukeboxes.
Jimmy also proposed a list of songs he always liked; songs that brought back nice warm memories, such as the two blues: Big Joe Turner’s World of Trouble, and Lil’ Son Jackson’s Rock Me Mama, as well as Express Yourself, a powerful tune by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band, who was also–like Jimmy–a Clarksdale, Mississippi area native. That’s how JIMMY BURNS has come FULL CIRCLE.
Jimmy Burns & The Soul Message Band
Full Circle (CD and digital download)
Delmark 891, 2025
1 Express Yourself 4:19
2 World of Trouble 6:28
3 I Really Love You 4:28
4 Ain’t That Funk for You 5:41
5 Too Much Lovin’ 4:26
6 Give Her To Me 4:38
7 It Use To Be 4:32
8 Since I Fell for You 6:46
9 Rock Me Mama 4:29
10 Where Does That Leave Me? 4:55
Jimmy Burns – vocals (all tracks) & guitar (9)
with SOUL MESSAGE BAND:
Chris Foreman – Hammond B3 organ
Greg Rockingham – drums
Lee Rothenberg – guitar (all tracks, except 4 & 8)
Geof Bradfield – tenor sax (2, 3, 7, 9)
Greg Jung – alto sax (4 & 8)
with special guests:
Typhanie Monique – vocals (3, 5, 6, 7)
Steve Eisen – baritone sax (1, 5, 6) & tenor sax (1, 6)
1) EXPRESS YOURSELF (4:19) (Charles W. Wright)
(Music Power, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Group Corp, BMI)
2) WORLD OF TROUBLE (6:28) (Big Joe Turner) (BMI)
3) I REALLY LOVE YOU (4:28) (Robert Newsome)
(Moo-Lah Publ. Co., BMI)
4) AIN’T THAT FUNK FOR YOU (5:41) (Albert Grey)
(Second Floor Music, BMI)
5) TOO MUCH LOVIN’ (4:26) (Lowman Pauling)
(Fort Knox Music Inc, Trio Music Company, BMI)
6) GIVE HER TO ME (4:38) (Charles Colbert)
(Author Music, Inc., BMI)
7) IT USED TO BE (4:32) (James Olin Burns)
(Silver Fox Productions Inc, BMI)
8) SINCE I FELL FOR YOU (6:46)
(Woodrow Buddy Johnson) (Warner Bros. Inc, ASCAP)
9) ROCK ME MAMA (4:29) (Melvin “Lil’ Son” Jackson)
(EMI Unart Catalogue Inc, BMI)
10) WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ME? (4:55)
(Barry George Despenza & Gregory C. Washington)
(Despen Music Co, BMI)
CD STREET DATE: September 19, 2025
executive production and supervision by Julia A. Miller and Elbio Barilari, produced by Elbio Barilari
Recorded at Delmark Records Riverside Studio on July 28-29, 2023 and May 12, 2025
engineered and mastered by Julia A. Miller at Delmark Records’ Riverside Studio
mixed by Elbio Barilari and Julia A. Miller
www.delmark.com
Jimmy Burns (born February 27, 1943) is an American soul blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although he was born in the Mississippi Delta, Burns has spent nearly all his life in Chicago. His elder brother, Eddie “Guitar” Burns, was a Detroit blues musician.
Jimmy Burns Bio
Jimmy Burns was born in Dublin, Mississippi, and raised on the Hilliard Cotton Plantation where he learned to play one-string and 12-string guitar. He was the youngest of eleven children. He sang in a church choir when he still lived in the Delta and he was influenced by the blues he heard on the streets. His favorite blues musician was Lightnin’ Hopkins. Burns’s father was a sharecropper who performed as a singer in medicine shows. At the age of 12, Jimmy Burns moved with his family to Chicago and four years later joined The Medallionaires who recorded a couple of doo-**** tracks. Recording mostly solo in the 1960s, Burns issued singles for the USA, Minit, Tip Top and Erica labels. He toured the Midwest with his backing group, the Fantastic Epics, and with another outfit called Jimmy Burns and the Gas Company into the early 1970s. Burn’s 1972 single, “I Really Love You” was named in the top 500 singles of Northern soul in 2000 and it is sought by collectors. Burns took a long break from the music industry after the early 1970s to raise his family and run a barbecue stand.
He performed infrequently until the early part of the 1990s, when he started a long residency at Chicago’s Smokedaddy Club. It was there that Delmark Records boss Bob Koester first heard Burns perform and agreed to record him after hearing only one set of music. His debut album for Delmark in 1996, Leaving Here Walking, was produced by Scott Dirks, and was awarded the ‘Best Blues Record of the Year’ title by the National Association of Independent Record Distributors, and received two W.C. Handy Award nominations. Burns then began touring internationally.
Discography
Leaving Here Walking (1996) – Delmark
Night Time Again (1999) – Delmark
Back to the Delta (2003) – Delmark
Stuck In The Middle (2011) – Velrone
It Ain’t Right (2015) – Delmark
Live at B.L.U.E.S. (2007) – Delmark
Singles
“Forget It” (1964) – USA Records
“Give Her To Me” (1965) – Tip Top Records
“You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” (1966) – Tip Top Records
“I Don’t Need (Your Help)” (1966) – Tip Top Records
“I Tried” (1970) – Minit Records
“I Really Love You” (1972) – Erica Records
“Can’t Get Over” (1980) – Dispo Records EP
https://www.wirz.de/music/burns.htm
Fascinating article on Jimmy Burns with mini bio and story on “I REALLY LOVE YOU”
https://web.archive.org/web/20091113140933/http://www.soulmotion.co.uk/JimmyBurnsPage.htm
SOUL MESSAGE BAND
“A soulful and infectious style crafted around classic organ grooves and rooted in the tradition of great Hammond B3 organists like Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, and “Groove” Holmes.”
Soul Message Band is founded on the enduring partnership of Chris Foreman, the Chicago-based and nationally celebrated Hammond B3 Jazz Organist, and award-winning solid swinging drummer, Greg Rockingham, aka “The Rock.” Greg and Chris have a 38-year history of collaboration, including groups like the award winning Deep Blue Organ Trio. Mr. Rockingham and Mr. Foreman have an unmistakable chemistry that has taken them from Chicago to Jazz Clubs and Arenas around the world as both headliners (Umbria Jazz Festival Italy) and opening group for Steely Dan for 8 years. Soul Message band featuring Chris & Greg were inducted into the Hammond B3 Hall of Fame. Soul Message can be seen in a worldwide attraction at Navy Pier, called Fly Over Chicago. The band adds the captivating alto saxophonist, Greg Jung. Greg Jung is the trio’s newest and youngest member. He is a wonderful human being and educator. He also is a world class musician. The powerful trio is not to be missed.
CHRIS FOREMAN
Chris Foreman is a masterful musician and heir to the throne occupied by the soulful, bluesy jazz organ legends who were once his influence. Blind at birth, Foreman started playing piano at age five and began formal training at seven. As a teenager he was attracted to the organ sounds of Jack McDuff, Groove Holmes, Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff. This attraction led Chris to pursue playing jazz on the organ, which he undertook through intensive study of recordings. Unlike many African- American musicians whose musical knowledge begins and is established through the church, Chris didn’t start his apprenticeship as a church organist until he was almost twenty years old – well after his jazz roots were established. He has arrived at a most exciting blend of blues-gospel and jazz and has developed a stunning command and range on the instrument. The blend of his sound is evident in his professional experience, which has included work with Hank Crawford, Albert Collins, Bernard Purdie, The Mighty Blue Kings and Deep Blue Organ Trio.
GREG ROCKINGHAM
Drummer Greg Rockingham began playing when he was just three years old and debuted as a professional musician at age five in his father’s jazz ensemble. An alumnus of the famed Interlochen Arts Academy and Northeastern University, he has won numerous musical awards from the Notre Dame Jazz Festival. Greg has performed or recorded with a wide range of famous names, including the orchestras of Glenn Miller and Guy Lombardo, vocalists Freddie Cole, Patty Page and Jerry Vale and instrumentalists Nat Adderley, Kenny Burrell, Charles Earland, Irene Reid, Ellis Marsalis, Nancy Wilson, and Deep Blue Organ Trio.
GREG JUNG
Greg Jung is a Chicago based alto saxophonist, originally from Albany, NY. He earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Purchase where he studied with Jon Gordon, Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan, Mark Vinci, Steve Wilson, Todd Coolman, Jon Faddis, Hal Galper, Charles Blenzig and others. In 2014 Greg won the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition, and traveled to perform that year in Paris, France. He spent three years in NYC before deciding to travel the country, performing in clubs and on the street in many of America’s great cities and small towns. It was in this way that he ended up in Chicago, where he has performed at venues like the Green Mill, Andy’s, Winters, Hungry Brain and the Chicago Jazz Festival. Since emerging onto the scene, he has shared the stage with many of the world class musicians that reside in the city. Greg received the Chicago Luminarts Cultural Foundation Fellowship in 2023.
Lee Rothenberg
At sixteen, he attended the Interlochen Arts Camp in Northern Michigan where the trajectory of his musical development made an acute shift. In the listening room at Interlochen, Lee discovered recordings of Jazz guitar greats Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino, and he experienced a kind of awakening.
Back home in Philadelphia, Lee developed a relationship with professional jazz guitarist, Dave Manley, who encouraged Lee to sit in with him on weekends at his solo guitar gig playing jazz standards. Dave became an early mentor who spent hours jamming with Lee and helped him to develop his early jazz vocabulary and individual voice. During this time, Lee won the “Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award” at a regional high school jazz competition and was awarded a $200 prize. He used the money to arrange a private lesson with Pat Martino, who he’d learned was a Philadelphia native.
After graduating from high school in Philadelphia, Lee attended the prestigious Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, a close neighbor to the city of Chicago. He studied math and economics at Northwestern, and played in the university jazz ensembles, but the bulk of his jazz education took place informally, outside the reach of any institutional influence. He studied privately with well-known guitarist Bobby Broom and with pianist Mike Kocour. He became a constant fixture at Chicago area jazz clubs and was greatly influenced by the city’s top players including pianist Ron Perrillo, whose trio played a weekly gig at Pete Miller’s in Evanston, very near the Northwestern campus. Lee was captivated by the transcendent beauty in Perillo’s playing and became a regular at the trios’ gigs, and it was there that Lee met Perrillo’s bass player, Dennis Carroll, who’d become the most important influence on Lee’s growth as an artist and musician.
With his formative years behind him, Lee has steadily become a sought-after talent who’s played nearly all of Chicago’s important jazz venues and performed with many of the city’s most accomplished musicians, including George Fludas, Greg Ward, Chris Foreman, Dennis Carroll, Greg Rockingham and Dan Trudell. He’s shared the stage with internationally known artists Randy Brecker and Ira Sullivan, Roberta Gambarini and he was a featured soloist with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra’s tribute to Billy Strayhorn at the 2015 Chicago Jazz Festival.
Lee is currently a member of Soul Message Band with Chris Foreman and Greg Rockingham who worked previously as the Deep Blue Organ Trio. The group has released three albums, Soulful Days (2019, Delmark Records), Live at Blue Llama (2021, Blue Llama Records), and People (2022, Know You Know Records). Lee is also an integral part of the group DC and the Love, a group led by bassist Dennis Carroll that performs original, difficult to categorize, works.
GEOF BRADFIELD
Saxophonist and composer Geof Bradfield blends modern jazz, African rhythms, and the roots music of his native South into a style that is “explicitly adventurous and forward-looking” (AllAboutJazz.com)
Born in Houston and based in Chicago, Bradfield has performed throughout North America, Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, sharing the stage and recording studio with artists such as Randy Weston, Dana Hall,
Clark Sommers, Brian Blade, Ben Goldberg, Anna Webber, Orrin Evans, Jeff Parker, Matt Ulery, and Ryan Cohan. His work is featured on 50+ CDs including ten albums as a leader that have garnered critical accolades from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and NPR.
He has received grants and awards from Chamber Music America, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, DCASE, Illinois Arts Council, and the Mellon Foundation. The Downbeat Critics Poll has named him a Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist and Arranger multiple years.
“Bradfield is the sort of composer who creates room for departure.” -Nate Chinen, NPR
“Texas tenorist Geof Bradfield’s playing possesses a steely grandeur and deep sophistication.” -Michael Jackson, Downbeat
“Reedist Geof Bradfield is a Chicago treasure. His top-notch band embraces a classic Chicago aesthetic, spiked with the blues, unfussy in its attack and arrangements, and wide-ranging in the leader’s compositions” – Peter Margasak
https://geofbradfield.com/
https://www.leerothenberg.com/
https://www.soulmessageband.com/
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