Castle concert series set for return

Concerts at the Givens Castle, 10244 S. Longwood Dr., are back this season with a stellar lineup including folk music, jazz, bluegrass and blues. The Saturday evening series showcases talented artists in an intimate setting. Each concert starts at 7 p.m. Luciano and Friends kick off the 2026-2027 series on Sept. 17 with Brazilian guitar music. They take the audience on a tour of Brazil with a wide variety of compositions, plus Luciano's original music. Their music contrasts songs that have rich complex harmonies with simple songs, and their dynamics range from pure solo guitar and voice to the full sound of rich Brazilian percussion. Howard Levy, a two-time Grammy Award winner, will unleash his harmonica jazz virtuosity on Oct. 24. At the age of 19, Levy discovered how to play the diatonic harmonica as a fully chromatic instrument by developing completely new techniques. This enabled him to take the harmonica out of its usual role as a folk and blues instrument and into the worlds of jazz, classical, Middle Eastern music and more. Jamie O'Reilly, with Steve Zahradnik, will present folk music on Nov. 14. With her distinctive lilting voice and broad vocal range, O'Reilly's programs include songs reminiscent of by-gone eras, old-world cabaret and parlor songs, as well as Celtic, gypsy and American ballads. Bohola returns on Dec. 18 for a program of Irish Christmas music. Accordion virtuoso Jimmy Keane and vocalist and bouzar player Pat Broaders are Irish music's newest supergroup. Bohola plays a driving, muscular and yet emotive style of Irish music with deep roots in the 'pure drop' tradition, infused with the raw and gritty urbanized musical vernacular of the Irish and Irish-American experience. Rochambeau, a lively bluegrass string band, will perform on Jan. 23, 2027. Rooted in the Chicago area, Rochambeau delivers an acoustic sound that merges bluegrass tradition with genre crossing ingenuity. Their performances feature inventive rhythms, fresh takes on classics and original songs that leave their audiences wanting more. The Soul Message Band, which is crafted around classic organ grooves and rooted in the tradition of great Hammond B3 organists, will perform on Feb. 20, 2027. Founders Chris Foreman and Greg Rockingham have played together for 40 years. Foreman is a nationally celebrated Hammond B3 jazz organist, and Rockingham is an award-winning drummer. They were headliners at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, opened for Steely Dan for eight years and were inducted into the Hammond B3 Hall of Fame. Greg Jung, alto saxophonist, is the newest member. Artemesia, an eclectic a cappella trio, will perform on March 20, 2027. Artemisia is a Chicago-based vocal theater ensemble that harnesses the power of the female voice to tell stories that span the vocal traditions of the world. They compose, commission, arrange and publish new repertoire that breaks open the traditional sound world of treble ensembles. The Ivy Ford duo will bring blues to the audience on May 8, 2027. Ivy's been playing since she was 13 and excels on many instruments, particularly her polka dot Buddy Guy Stratocaster. At 19, she joined a Kenosha band that became the Cadillacs and was courted by many Chicago clubs. Her career took off when she opened for Buddy Guy in 2015 and began playing with Chicago's blues stalwarts. Since then, she's been building her fan base singing sulky blues and giving riveting, high-energy performances. Tickets for individual performances are $25 each. A season ticket is available for $175. For information and tickets, visit concertsatthecastle.org.