When the Chicago History Museum wanted to do an exhibition on the Chicago Blues, they came to Trillium. They came to the right place.

We teamed up with Chicago music luminary, Nicholas Tremulis, a musical whiz-kid who began his career while a young teen, sitting in at Rosa’s with many of Chicago’s Blues legends. Nick has an encyclopedic knowledge of American roots music and hundreds of contacts in the music industry. He became our subject matter expert, wrote the audio guide, and brought aboard Chicago Blues greats Wayne Baker Brooks, Billy Branch, and others.

Together we created a karaoke-style experience where visitors can sing along with Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, and Wayne Baker Brooks. The video above is the attract screen for that experience.

Trillium also teamed with Chicago comedian, Aaron Freeman, to create a short radio show that traces the transformation of the music of the Mississippi Delta into an electrified, urban sound. Our “Midnite Blues Ride” show is closely modeled on Chicago African American radio station WVON’s programming of the era. Visitors hear the station on a radio in the exhibit’s 1960-era recreation South Side Chicago record store.

Amplified: Chicago Blues introduces visitors into the community of musicians defined the Chicago blues sound through the stunning photography of Raeburn Flerlage.