Chainsaw Dupont announces series of Mardi Gras CD release parties

Chicago guitarist Chainsaw Dupont will appear at a series of 8 Mardi Gras CD release parties scattered around the Chicago area to celebrate the release of his brand new Louisiana-themed CD, Bourbon St. Breakdown. The scheduled official release date for the CD is February 4th, but advance copies have already begun receiving airplay in the Chicago area, and will be distributed nationwide to specialty radio programs, satellite radio, and syndicated hosts by the end of January.

The highly-anticipated CD features 14 original tracks that pay tribute to traditional Louisiana musical forms, ranging from the swamp blues of Excello records to the funk-blues of the Neville Brothers to ragtime singers and zydeco. The record fuses Dupont's sharp Chicago blues guitar with the chunky rhythms of Louisiana, with a stronger vocal emphasis than his previous releases. A number of songs from the release had already been previewed as part of live shows prior to the recording sessions, which took place over the month of December. Bourbon St. Breakdown contains a song cycle about lost love, obsession, desperation, addiction, hope, and redemption, often with ironic party-music arrangements. The CD features a large number of special guests on accordion, violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, and piano, considerably filling out the blues-trio format used on Dupont's debut CD, Lake St. Lullaby, and many of the musicians will make guest appearances at the release parties as guest performers.

The venues for the release parties are spread throughout the Chicago area, Chainsaw's home base.

The full list of dates and venues: Friday, 1/21, Mickey Finn's 412 N. Milwaukee, Libertyville, IL, 847-362-6688 Friday, 1/28, Heaven on Seven 3755 N. Clark, Chicago, IL, 773-477-7818 Friday, 2/4, Heaven on Seven 600 N. Michigan, Chicago, IL, 312-280-7774 Saturday, 2/5, Heaven on Seven 3755 N. Clark, Chicago, IL, 773-477-7818 Tuesday, 2/8, Heaven on Seven 224 S. Main, Naperville, IL, 630-717-0777 Wednesday, 2/9, RAM Brewery 1099 McConnor Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL, 847-517-8791 Friday, 2/11, Bill's Blues 1029 Davis, Evanston, IL, 847-424-9800 Saturday, 2/12, Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket 645 Joliet Rd., Willowbrook, IL, 630-325-0780