LT ‘Chicago Beau’ Beauchamp is a musician, writer and publisher who amongst many other achievements, was a major contributor to the album Certain Blacks by the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Beau was born on the southside of Chicago in 1949, into a household where the music of luminaries Dinah Washington, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown etc provided a constant soundtrack.
From the age of 10 until 15, Beau studied tap dancing with the great Afro-Cuban dancer and choreographer, Jimmy Payne. He participated in many Cabaret-type shows popular during that era. A show could consist of performances by Afro-Cuban dancers, magicians, tap dancers, jazz and blues performers, and drill teams. These inspirational shows offered young people an opportunity to participate with professionals in a community setting.
For Heroes, Beau will be backed by a band of high-calibre UK musicians led by bass player Miles Danso. The evening will include a blues performance from Beau, readings and a Q and A opportunity to discover more about his work with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the making of the seminal recording Certain Blacks. £10/8 7.30pm – 10pm
