Chicago - Catch Mandy and the Bandits - A New Sound in Town!

Youth enters the world with very happy prejudices in her own favor. She imagines herself not only certain of accomplishing every adventure, but of obtaining those rewards which the accomplishment may deserve. She is not easily persuaded to believe that the force of merit can be resisted by obstinacy and avarice, or its luster darkened by envy and malignity.

Samuel Johnson

On Tuesday, April 9th 2008, Music carried the day! At Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue, the Choir of King's -College Cambridge Directed by Stephen Cleobury voiced the best the human soul has to offer with a series of vocal presentations of choral compostions by Francis Pulenc, Brett Dean, Thomas Tomkins and other English and French composers as well as Bach. A score plus of chorister's ranging in age from the tweens to bearded 18 year olds voiced the roof off the fashionable kirk on the concrete Mag Mile.

Traditions as old the English University birthed themselves right into this goofy and quicksilver 21st Century chanted out the nonsense of an Age that honors transience and disposability; the crass and the shocking. Every person should be blessed with an event like this and reminded of just how great our species truly was meant be by it;s Creator. O Magnum Mysterium et admirabile sacramentum ut anilmalia viderent Dominum Natum!

We are way past Christmas and that is a damn shame, but last evening I was knocked out by these disciplined and talented boys from England who birthed the true genius of musicin the Fourth Presbyterian Church. The most intricate and difficult matrix of notes were born whole and silky by these little boys and young men. It concert ended much too soom.

The night was but a pup and we, ( Yes, dear Reader, this hideous troll of a man had a date with an Angel!) headed north to Katerina's, a Bistro at 1920 W. Irving Park Road to witness the epiphany of Mandy and the Bandits.

Pictured above is the beautiful and talented Ms. Amanda (Mandy) Crumley, who recently formed a band dedicated to American music. For the second time that evening, I was poleaxed with delight in the talents of young people with love and the true discipline of musicians.

Mandy and the Bandits are the best vocal and musical talent that I have witnessed in decades.

Do Click my post title for their site link that treats you to three songs.

Young Ms. Crumley has composed one of the tightest and most disciplined group of artists in the trade. Not since Poi Dog Pondering have this many talented artists brought together Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, Pop and Brazilian music to Chicago.