Live and Local with Kevin Kelly

On Friday night, the Piper's Hut Concert Series will present Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly, two of the world's most prestigious performers of Irish traditional music, who will join me on the Thursday edition of "Live and Local." And I'll talk with Steven Larsen, conductor of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, about their concert at the Krannert Center Saturday night.

The second annual DoCha-or Downtown Champaign-Chamber Music Festival happens this weekend, and we'll get an overview on the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local," including a live performance by cellist Dmitry Kouzov. Also with us live: a saxophone quartet from the jazz program at Champaign Centennial High School, who hold their Spring Gala on Saturday.

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic is coming to the Krannert Center on Thursday, and with them the talented young cellist Alisa Weilerstein. She'll be my guest on the Tuesday edition of "Live and Local." And I'll talk with Steve Poltz, a folk-rock singer-songwriter and funny man who self-describes as "not normal." He'll play in Fairmount on Saturday.

Springfield's Reggie Britton is Black Magic Johnson, who has been playing the blues for more than 25 years. His band has opened for the likes of Koko Taylor and Lonnie Brooks, and he'll play in Springfield and Bloomington over the next couple of weeks. Black Magic Johnson will join me live in the studio on the Friday edition of "Live and Local.

On the Thursday edition of the show, we'll highlight two performances by military ensembles taking place at the Doudna Fine Arts Center in Charleston. The Jazz Ambassadors of the U. S. Army Field Band will play there Thursday night, and Brass in Blue, an offshoot of the U. S. Air Force Heartland of America Band, will play on Sunday.

The Red Mask Players in Danville will present the Midwest premiere of Romantic Fever, a romantic satire by Sharon Tipsword, one of Red Mask's own. The show opens this weekend, and we'll hear a preview on the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local." And I'll be joined live in our studio by accordionist Maria Merkelo and cellist Barbara Hedlund, who perform in Urbana on Thursday.

When was the last time you heard a song about rats named Grumpy, Sleepy and Sister Heartache? Those are among the varied characters who appear in songs by Dave Falk and Lisa Housman, who together are the Massachusetts-based duo Sweet Wednesday. They'll be at Memphis on Main in downtown Champaign Tuesday night, and they'll play for us live on the Tuesday edition of "Live and Local.

In his later years, Duke Ellington produced and recorded three Sacred Concerts, in San Francisco, New York and London. Suites from those concerts will be presented in Urbana in the coming weeks, and we'll hear a preview on the Friday edition of "Live and Local." And I'll introduce listeners to a wonderful band from Canada called Mauvais Sort, playing in Bloomington Friday night.

This Saturday, the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana will present a concert of fanfares, odes and anthems called "Music for Royal Occasions." Music director Chester Alwes will join me on the Thursday edition of "Live and Local." And we'll run down the area's schedule of Irish music events for St. Patrick's Day with Dean Karres, who runs the Piper's Hut Concert Series.

Nora Chipaumire is a Zimbabwe-born choreographer, director and dancer who creates provocative and politically charged multimedia dance performances. In residence at the University of Illinois this week, she'll be my guest on the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local." And we'll hear about Jack Milo's Baggy Pants Burlesque Show, in Sullivan this weekend.