Fareed Haque is a modern guitar virtuoso. Steeped in classical and jazz traditions, his unique command of the guitar and different musical styles inspire his musical ventures with tradition and fearless innovation. Haque will bring all that and more to Reggie’s for a night devoted to paying tribute to legendary New Orleans funk staples the Meters.

Considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of funk, The Meters created a unique sound that lasted through the sixties and seventies and was reborn in the late eighties. Their trademark sound blends funk, blues, and dance grooves with a New Orleans vibe.

Haque shares, “For the past 5 years or so I have been running a jazz festival in the Chicago area. Each year we pick a theme and last year’s theme was the music of New Orleans. We had all kinds of New Orleans jazz at the festival but I had to pick something for my band to play something that featured guitar. . . And what better way to celebrate that music than for me to jam out on some Meters! [Meters guitarist] Leo Nocentelli was a special guest with Garaj Mahal [Haque’s jamband, formed in 2001] a few years back and he showed me the right way to play ‘Cissy Strut’!”

Formed in Chicago just after the turn of the century by a couple of Colorado transplants, the Big Shoulders Brass Band has been a staple of a prodigious New Orleans second-line groove scene in the Windy City for close to two decades. Mixing traditional Dixieland with street funk sensibilities, Big Shoulders brings a tight horn sound to the stage.