Critic's Review
Richard Foss, All Music Guide
Though a few of the performances on One Evening in Chicago are a bit shaky, this 1983 live album is a must-have item for any fan of Bob Franke's work. Not only are there early versions of "Hard Love" and "Thanksgiving Eve," but the between-song monologues give a fine sense of a performer who establishes a deep rapport with his audiences. The title to "Thanksgiving Eve" suddenly makes sense and gives an added sense of the values that are so eloquently expressed in the song. Franke's gift for mixing the comic and serious is at its peak too -- "The Blind Veteran" is one of his finest pieces and "The Final Revelation" may be his weirdest. Bob Franke was already making some fine music in 1983, and this album captures just how good he was at this stage in his career.
