Lori "Low-reen" Lewis
Low-reen on growling vocals, telecaster, and bass guitar is a songwriter who brings her sizzling hot Chicago Blues to entertain old and new fans alike with a collaboration of talented Chicago Blues partners. Low-reen performs in Low-reen & the Maxwell St Market Blues Band, Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Charles Delta Bluus Hogg Hayes, Low-reen & the Lazy Dogs featuring Peewee Hayes, Low-reen & Firehouse, and Low-reen & Graham Warwick Band. Low-reen also performs solo, as well as duos with Jim Harpdog Hellen, Graham Warwick, Paul Kaye, & Rafael Torrez.
Low-reen has a soulful sultry voice carefully curated by smokes & whiskey :) that many have compared to Janis. Low-reen has been influenced by many many musicians before her, from Chicago’s own Robert Nighthawk to Muddy, Honeyboy to Wolf, Magic Sam to Jimmy Reed, as well as rock’s bluesier side Grateful Dead to Rolling Stones. Low-reen picked up guitar later in life, influenced by her friendship with her mentor David Honeyboy Edwards. Low-reen took a few classes at Old Town School of Folk Music with renowned guitarists Eric Noden & Chris Walz. Low-reen honed her skills as a musician and vocalist as well as an entertainer, sitting in with and playing alongside legendary Chicago Blues musicians such as Tail Dragger, Elmore James Jr, Little Scotty, Tony Brown, Charles Delta Blues Hog Hayes, Peewee Hayes, Bobby Too Tuff, Paul Petraitis, Rockin’ Johnny, Eddie Taylor Jr, Willie Buck, Killer Ray Allison, & LT McGee. All that good mojo has rubbed off!
Low-reen has performed in the Illinois / Wisconsin area, as well as Texas. Chicago appearances include residencies at Maxwell St Market, Polk St Pub, Lee’s Unleaded Blues, & The Water Hole- Chicago’s Juke Joint; regular appearances at Randolph Market, as well as past shows at Chicago’s historic Grand Ballroom, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Brother’s Rising MC Toys for Tots, Chicagoland Motorcycle Toys for Tots Parade, Roosevelt University, Waukegan Lakefront Summer Concert Series, and four appearances over three years at Chicago Blues Festival. Low-reen has appeared on WGN 720 AM Radio Dave Hoekstra’s Nocturnal Journal, WGN 720 AM Radio Justin Kaufmann’s Extension 720 Live from Studio 303, and WMSE 91.7 Sonia's Blues Drive. Low-reen has a self-produced CD Low-reen & the Maxwell St Market Blues Band Live at Chicago Blues Fest 2013. Low-reen since 2010 has hosted a weekly blues jam to facilitate gathering/fun and growth of local blues musicians as skills get passed down from expert to novice. These weekly blues jams have had a huge influence on Low-reen’s development as a Chicago Blues performer, and she was inducted as an Ambassador into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2015 in her role as a community organizer within the Chicago Blues community.
Low-reen has many projects in the Blues Community besides performing:
- Co-Founder & Associate Director with Brett Champlin of Chicago Blues Camp 2016-present
- Photographer Low-reen’s Live Blues 1997-present
- Founding Member & Director of Friends of Chicago Blues, a friendlier Chicago Blues organization 2016-present
- Writer / Photographer Big City Blues 2017-present
- Volunteer with Jeff Pinzino of Chicago Blues Revival 2019-present
- Writer / Photographer / Festival Volunteer with Tom Radai, Don Petrausky, & Cazz Mandli of Wisconsin Blues Society’s Tell It Like It Is 1997-2018
- Founding Member, Director, Stage Manager at Chicago Blues Festival Windy City Blues Society 2009-2015
- Blues Fest Fundraisers: Blues For Home 2002, 2011, 2014 for PADS Lake County; Jam 4 Mental Health 2015 for NAMI Lake County
