Phelps to play at ECC

Kelly Joe Phelps, a blues musician known for his thoughtful songwriting and guitar work, will close out Elgin Community College's Visual and Performing Arts Center The Club on CenterStage series this weekend.

Phelps will perform in the intimate SecondSpace Theatre at ECC's Visual and Performing Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. Both performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

At the start of his recording career, Phelps immersed himself with the sounds of jazz greats Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Later he discovered the blues, soaking in the sounds of blues greats Skip James, Robert Pete Williams and Mississippi Fred McDowell.

Phelps' last recording, 2006's "Tunesmith Retrofit," offers a dozen compositional gems that show the Portland, Ore.-based musician at the peak of his songwriting abilities. A fan of literary figures ranging from Ray Bradbury to Wallace Stevens, Phelps' lyrics are integral to his music vision.

Tickets for Phelps' performances are $17. For an additional $17, patrons can enjoy a gourmet dinner prepared by students of ECC's Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center of Elgin.

Tickets are now available online at www.elgin.edu/arts or at the ECC box office located in the Arts Center. Box office hours are 12 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To purchase tickets, call (847) 622-0300. For information about the ECC Arts Center's season, visit www.elgin.edu/arts.