What feeds the creative spirit is not limited to the here and now. Our roots are infused with the work of those who came before us. The search is ongoing. The possibilities, endless. Jamie and friends bring people together through music and stories, remembering lighthearted days, creating new memories.
In 2021 and 22, Producer Jamie O’Reilly presented a program series in Chicago area outdoor locations featuring live music and readings. Jamie partners with women owned businesses and presenters in intimate neighborhood cultural spaces.
Listen to Jamie sing Hey, Kid, with John Erickson on piano
Launching in spring of 2021, Roots in the Garden gathered folks together as they came out of Covid, seeking community and to hear live music again. Four sold out concerts were held in Chicago neighborhoods: Wicker Park, Rogers Park and North Central. A backyard in Cary, Illinois hosted a reunion concert of Jamie O’Reilly & The Rogues, her folk-band from the 1980s.
Roots in the Garden revives the indoor Roots Salons Jamie hosted for over twenty-five years in her home, acting as Salonniere. Jamie’s relatives — artists, writers and activists in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century hosted Salons in their Humboldt Park home. Their stories are featured in her program In Old Chicago.
Upcoming Roots in the Garden concerts
May 19, July 15, July 17
