Blog of a Jazz Singer - Marc Courtney Johnson - WEB JOURNAL

I walked into a packed house with Vonski brandishing the mic sax strapped around his neck calling cats out of the throng to strut their stuff. I looked around and could tell that it was going to be a star studded affair. Up in the front of the bar I could see Neil Tesser and could it be... Yup definitely Kurt Elling laying low waiting to get the call.

Vonksi addresses the crowd at the 25'th anniversary of his open jam

Among some of the other cats, the ranting and rhyming Neil Tesser explaining how he gave Vonski his first write up in the Reader (4 pages, wow!), Vonski's good friend and veteran vocalist Eulalia Dade a classical songstress, the sweet crooning Teddy Bear (nobody would tell me his real name!), The tenor man Irving (also know as the Hero after he saved a gig many years ago that Vonksi was hosting when he filled in for a missing vocalist) Ms. Bettye Reynolds, a couple of ladies affectionately know to Vonski as Queen #1 (Marvinetta Penn), and Queen #2(Margaret Murphy (the jazz cop!)), a sassy songtress Charlotte Foster (she tore the house down right before I sang and wrecked it further), the re-incarnated Ella Ms. Carolyn Whitfield and of course the afformentioned Kurt Elling pre-eminent male jazz singer on the planet. Check out these cats in my cat's gallery.

It was cool to be able to sing in front of such a crowd, and I didn't hold back, but ultimately the night belonged to Vonski as he has been schooling the kids learning jazz all around the city in the way of the Chicago Tenor for the last quarter of a century. Thanks for being the keeper of the torch Vonski. As you saw that night and I'm sure you've seen on many a night gone past, your skills and your dedication to the Chicago scene (what's left of it) are greatly appreciated.