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Erwin Helfer

Erwin Helfer, a Chicago boogie woogie innovator and master, has been forging his own piano music legacy. Born in 1936, Erwin has been playing and performing for over forty years. The sounds and personalities of past boogie woogie and blues pianists have nurtured Erwin's musical growth. Erwin celebrated his seventieth birthday, but his way of playing the piano is not 70 years old it is timeless with its power and impertinence of youth paired with the expertise and humorous wisdom of age, mellowed and ripened not in barrels but in blues joints, jazz clubs and concert halls in the States, Europe and Asia.

For many years, Erwin accompanied Mama Yancey, the wife of Chicago blues piano patriarch Jimmy "Papa" Yancey, and later recorded one album with her. He was also mentored and influenced by Cripple Clarence Lofton, Speckled Red, and Sunnyland Slim.

During the 60's and 70's, Erwin released two piano duet albums with his performing and recording partner of ten years, Jimmy Walker. On their first album, Peter J. Welding, one of the preeminent blues historians and scholars of all time, wrote that Helfer had "mastered the rhythmic and melodic subtleties" of the blues piano style. Other Helfer recordings include "Heavy Timbre" a compilation of Chicago blues pianists, several Lps for his own record label Red Beans, and two CDs for Austrian Label CMA.

Erwin has the chops, the feel, and the drive of the masters but he also pushes the "classic" blues piano music forward in a totally new direction. His music is graceful, spirited, and at times beautifully dissonant. Erwin's classical music training allows him to hear and interpret the simple, percussive blues and boogie piano style like no one else. Yet, his classical training is not overbearing on his own piano approach; that is, his playing is fluid and carefree, not stiff.

Chicago has long recognized its musical treasure, Erwin Helfer. He performs regularly at Chicago clubs and annually at the Chicago Blues Festival garnering rave reviews from publications such as The Reader and Chicago Magazine. His local gigs and frequent European tours have created a strong and loyal following in Chicago and overseas.

Erwin Helfer follows up his 2003 W.C. Handy nominated solo recording “I’m Not Hungry But I Like To Eat - Blues!” with his latest release “Careless Love,” on The Sirens label. Featuring the Chicago boogie veteran with John Whitfield on bass and Avreeayl Ra on drums. Helfer and The Sirens dedicated this recording to the memory of their friend Emery “Detroit Junior” Williams jr.

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Album Review

Erwin Helfer: I'm Not Hungry But I Like to Eat - BLUES!

Read "I'm Not Hungry But I Like to Eat - BLUES!" reviewed by Dave Nathan


Erwin Helfer has been delivering his own brand of barrelhouse, boogie-woogie, blues piano for more than 40 years. Helfer works in Chicago and that is an appropriate venue to say the least since that city as much as any can lay claim to this unique form of piano jazz/blues. After all, two pioneers, Albert Ammons and Meade “Lux" Lewis were “discovered" by impresario John Hammond while they were driving taxis in the Windy City. Helfer has worked with the best ...

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Performance / Tour

Erwin Helfer, Legendary Chicago Jazz/Blues Pianist, in Performance!

Erwin Helfer, Legendary Chicago Jazz/Blues Pianist, in Performance!

Source: Michael Ricci

IF YOU'RE IN CHICAGO, THEN YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT!

Legendary pianist, Mr. Erwin Helfer, a jazz/blues/boogie-woogie master, will appear at The Greenhouse Theater (2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, 773-404-7336) on Saturday, August 28, 2010. Helfer appears in conjunction with a benefit for the non-profit group, Chicago End-of-Life Care Coalition (CECC), at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $25 and are available at greenhousetheater.org. Discounted parking across the street at the Children's Memorial Hospital parking gargage.

Your ticket includes 2 cocktails, appetizers, ...

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