Ravinia 2019, Issue 3, Week 5

CHAKA KHAN A 10-time Grammy Award winner, Chaka Khan is celebrating 40 years of effortless espousing a diverse range of music, from R&B and gospel to pop, rock, and country, to world and classi- cal music. Over her career, she has both earned the respect of her peers, including Miles Davis and Aretha Franklin, and influenced a new generation of recording artists and millions of fans. Early on, Khan caught the attention of Stevie Wonder, who penned her first smash hit with the band Rufus, “Tell Me Something Good.” With Khan at its center, the group be- came one of the most popular live acts around the country as well as a constant radio presence with the likes of “You Got the Love” (co-writ- ten by Khan) and “Ain’t Nobody,” their second Grammy-winner. Khan brought that same star power to a solo career in 1978 with “I’m Every Woman” on Chaka and “Clouds” and “Papillon” from her 1980 follow-up, Naughty . Her love of jazz shone on 1981’s What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me with a version of Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia” (featuring the trumpeter guesting on the track) and on 1982’s Echoes of an Era , inter- preting standards like “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “I Loves You Porgy.” Khan added to her catalogue of hits with her 1982 eponymous disc and its “Be Bop Medley” before making history in 1984 with the first R&B song to feature a rap, her version of Prince’s “I Feel for You.” Her album of the same name also featured the hits “This Is My Night” and “Through the Fire,” making her a household name. She made her theater debut on London’s West End in 1995 before ascending the Broad- way stage in 2008 as Sofia in The Color Purple . Still an active creator—releasing Hello Happiness this February—she has nonetheless earned life- time achievement honors from BET (2006), the Soul Train Music Awards (2009), and the Hol- lywood Walk of Fame (2011). Chaka Khan first played Ravinia in 2005 and is making her first return to the festival. ISAIAH SHARKEY A native Chicagoan, Isaiah Sharkey spent his early years living in a Cabrini Green row house on a street today named for Curtis Mayfield. He has grown up with music from the age of 4, learning guitar from his father as well as a range of musical styles, from the gospel of his church to jazz, R&B, blues, rock, and funk. It wasn’t long before his talent caught the ear of other Chicago-area musicians and he began playing concerts in the church and sitting in on local jazz club jams. Alongside his father and broth- ers, Sharkey cut his first album, Skyliner , at age 14, displaying his ability through covers and transcriptions of classics from Wes Montgom- ery and George Benson. He soon began touring and recording as a sideman for gospel artists such as Smokie Norful, Donald Lawrence, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong, also touring as lead guitarist for Ronald Isley and recording two albums with the longtime Isley Brothers frontman. Sharkey began working with D’Angelo in 2009 on what would become the neo-soul icon’s critically acclaimed third album, Black Messiah , sharing in its 2015 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. He has also recorded and toured with such artists as John Mayer, Patti LaBelle, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Paul Simon, Cor- rine Bailey Rae, Mike Posner, Keith Urban, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Lalah Hathaway, Raphael Saadiq, Chris Dave and the DrumHedz, Regina Bell, Ruben Studdard, Lupe Fiasco, Kelly Price, Faith Evans, Rance Allen, The Winans, and The Clark Sisters. Sharkey took the center stage with the 2017 release of his solo-debut album Love. Life. Live. earning him iHeartRadio’s Artist of the Month honors that November for his single “It’s a Shame” featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff. He issued a new single, “Time,” in May, teasing his new album, Love Is the Key , which was released at the end of June. Adding to road dates with Cory Henry’s trio Revival and John Mayer’s all-star band, tonight Isaiah Sharkey is making his Ravinia debut. RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JULY 1 – JULY 7, 2019 94