Release date: Sept. 1, 2024
Stella Blue Music
By Marty Gunther
Photo: Dianne Bruce Dunklau
With flowing blond locks and a confident attitude, you might think that Stefan Hillesheim is a surfer or hard-rocker. Put a guitar in his hands, however, and you’ll quickly place him on your short list of the best slide players in Chicago, if not the world. Have any doubts? Lend your ear to this hour-long set, which was captured at the city’s Rosa’s Lounge this summer.
A native of Koblenz, Germany, Stefan possesses an exceptional, precise, haunting and well-modulated attack on the strings. His love for the blues began in childhood through Jimi Hendrix and other blues-rockers along with Elmore James, Robert Johnson and other traditionalists, too. And there’s no hint of shredding in his playing. A student of classical guitar in his homeland before relocating to the U.S. at age 27, he studied at the prestigious Musicians Institute in Los Angeles and took a deep dive into the local music scene.
Hillesheim quickly became an in-demand session player, sharing studio time with Brent Carter (Average White Band), Ellis Hall (Tower of Power), Emerson Cardenas (Santana), gospel singer James Fortune and Chicagoan Tony Llorenz (Albert King). He was honored by the Institute as its most improved student when his studies ended in 2015; Stefan then hit the road in Top 40, rock, R&B and gospel bands for the next six years, playing everything from showrooms to churches.
But true blues soon became Stefan’s calling after a visit to Chi-town. “Once I experienced it, I was hooked,” he says. He finally picked up stakes and relocated to Windy City in 2022, and he was received with open arms – so much so, in fact, that he was invited to play the Chicago Blues Festival shortly after his arrival. He cites as his main influences – Elmore James, Albert King and Howlin’ Wolf -- and sometimes covers their songs during live shows.
This is Hillesheim’s second CD, following his well-received debut, When I’m Gone, which hit the streets last year. His ascendency continues with backing from his regular, all-star lineup, which includes Chicago Blues Hall of Famer Darryl Wright on bass, keyboardist Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi and drummer Dionte McMusick – the latter two double as members of Billy Branch’s Sons of Blues.
Windy City veteran guitarist and Grammy nominated recording pro Pete Galanis produced and engineered this excellent sounding live album. The all-original set opens quietly with “Sins of the Father.” A syncopated drumbeat with keyboard accents kick off the action before Stefan’s guitar and Dionte’s drums join in. Hillesheim’s rich tenor voices this sad tale, as he describes how a relationship that’s good for his lady is slowly killing him. Stinging guitar lines drive home his need to bring things to an end.
The slow blues, “Leaving You Behind,” opens in a whisper but builds slowly as Stefan looks back, realizing that he’d done his best, but couldn’t keep her satisfied. Ariyo’s mid-tune solo echoes his pain before Hillesheim soars on the six-string and the intensity quickens for an extended break at song’s end. The sweet, funky shuffle, “You’re My Family,” offers an immediate change-of-pace as the singer celebrates a new lady whose love enables him forget his past, noting: “Call me crazy, but coffee smells like heaven to me.”
The next song, the sprightly shuffle “Harlem Avenue Lounge,” light heartedly pays tribute to the beloved bar and its colorful owner in suburban Berwyn where Hillesheim hosted Thursday night jams. After a 30-plus year run, it closed suddenly in 2024 following the illness of owner and good friend Kenny Zimmerman, who succumbed to cancer only a few days after its doors closed for the final time. It gives way to the bright ballad, “Favorite Hiding Place,” which describes a quiet spot where you can enjoy the sound of rain and smile the day away. Stefan’s sweet slide work contrasts with the heavy feel of what’s come before.
The medium-tempo shuffle, “One Cloudy Day,” comes with a kick as Hillesheim recognizes his lady’s pain as she focuses on what she lacks, noting that one day the clouds will part and the sun will shine for her once again. The languorous “Seduced By the Blues” follows, as Stefan recalls his childhood when he was teaching himself “Dust My Broom” while a poster of Elmore James peered down on him from the wall. The autobiographical lyrics describe his travels to L.A., his entry into gospel and his eventual return to the music’s Mississippi roots. As he has throughout the set, Ariyo shines again mid-tune.
“Put Some Respect on My Name” is delivered with a funky beat as it demands that clueless fans pay attention and give credit where it’s due to professional musicians. The deep blues, “What You Walked Out On,” serves up a complaint to a past love before the slow, but jazzy “Dealing with the Pain” finds Hillesheim down in the bottom, trying to drink his blues away. Two more numbers – the quiet “Will You Remember Me” and an acoustic version of “Harlem Avenue Lounge” – bring the set to a close.
After listening to Live at Rosa's Lounge, I guarantee you’ll want to buy a ticket to see Stefan the next time he’s in your town. It’s just that good! Don’t miss it!
About the Author: The blues came calling for Marty Gunther in the 1960s, when he witnessed Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf perform at the Newport festivals in his native Rhode Island. A longtime Chicagoan who's now based out of Ohio, he's a professional journalist and harp player who studied under Sugar Blue before co-founding the Nucklebusters, a band that's filled clubs in south Florida since the '80s.
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