Antone’s will conclude its 50th anniversary celebration with the release of Chicago Bound: Honoring Muddy, Cliff & Blue on August 28, 2026, via Blues Till 2 Recording Co. and Select-O-Hits.
The 11-track collection grew out of sessions for the Libera Award-winning Antone’s: 50 Years of the Blues box set, with organizers realizing there was enough material left over to create another release celebrating the legendary Austin blues club and its founder, Clifford Antone.
The album features performances from a lineup of blues and roots artists including John Primer, Doyle Bramhall II, Kim Wilson & The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anson Funderburgh, Lurrie Bell, Lavelle White, Billy F Gibbons and more.
The album cover, illustrated by longtime Antone’s artist Diana Ray, depicts a tour bus filled with musicians heading to Chicago. Co-producer Zach Ernst said the concept was inspired while recording John Primer’s version of Jimmy Rogers’ “Chicago Bound.”
“Beyond the song’s deeper meaning—the journey through music cities by African-American artists seeking a better life and better pay than they could find in the South at the time—a ‘road trip record’ or ‘truck stop cassette’ felt like a creative way for Antone’s to honor the great musicians who live on the road. It also traces a spiritual route from central Louisiana, home of Clifton Chenier’s music, through Houston, Austin, Memphis, and on to Chicago.”
Billy F Gibbons has released “Hangin’ On A Cliff” as the latest preview of Chicago Bound: Honoring Muddy, Cliff & Blue. On the Texas blues-rock track, the ZZ Top frontman pays tribute to Clifford Antone while referencing blues legends including Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Freddie King, Albert King and B.B. King. The song also includes nods to Antone’s regulars Derek O’Brien, Mike Buck and Eve Monsees before closing with references to Gibbons’ own bandmates Mike Flanigin, Chris Layton and the BFGs.
The live-to-tape recordings produced by Jacob Sciba and Zach Ernst also feature performances from John Primer, Doyle Bramhall II, Kim Wilson & The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anson Funderburgh, Lurrie Bell and Lavelle White.
Other highlights include Kam Franklin’s rendition of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me),” recorded in Memphis and backed by Bobby Bland’s son, drummer Rodd Bland. Ivan Neville and CC Adcock also lead a performance of Clifton Chenier’s “One Step At A Time” featuring Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Jimmie Vaughan on harmonica.
The album serves as both a celebration of Antone’s five-decade legacy and a tribute to Clifford Antone, who founded the iconic Austin blues club and passed away in June 2006.