Brother Jacob is a proud Chicago native and Blues music lover. 

 

In May of 2015, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). In May of 2018, Jacob earned a Master's of Public Administration from UIC. Outside of his career as a Blues artist, he also has 5 years of combined experience working in the field of Education (Early Childhood, Elementary, and Higher Education).​

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Below is Jacob's self-described experience about his involvement in the Blues industry:

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​Growing up in Chicago, I grew up listening to Blues Music. My babysitter (turned Godmother) used to listen to WVON-AM. Pervis Spann “the Blues Man” used to host a show Saturday – Thursday from Midnight – 5:00 am. During his show, I heard music from all of the greats, such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Koko Taylor just to name a few. There were many times when I surfed the internet to research, listen and purchase Blues Music. In 2004, I performed at the Chicago Blues Festival as a part of a school group, sponsored by the Blues in the Schools Program. Our instructor was Deitra Farr, who is now one of my mentors and best friends.

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The older I got, the more comfortable I became with singing the Blues. I have had the pleasure of working and learning from countless talented individuals on the Blues scene such as Otis Clay, Billy Branch, Zora Young, Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Deitra Farr, Billy Flynn, Toronzo Cannon, Matthew Skoller, Shirley Johnson, Walter Scott, Mike Wheeler, and Tom Holland. Throughout the years, I have been fortunate enough to perform in some of Chicago’s top Music Venues and Events, like the Chicago Blues Festival, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, South Shore Cultural Center, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Harlem Avenue Lounge, Rosa’s Lounge, and Lee’s Unleaded Blues.

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I released my first CD entitled “Blues From Below” in October of 2013. In November of 2016, I began hosting, "Blues and News with Brother Jacob" on UIC Radio. Currently, I host two radio shows, Blues and News(Sundays from 6 to 9pm Central Time) and Blues in the Night (Thursdays from 11pm to 1am Central Time).

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Thank you for your support!